Host An Unforgettable Book Club Party

Midwivesby Chris Bohjalian Connie Danforth, an obstetrician, recalls in 1981 as a teen, the events leading up to and surrounding the involuntary manslaughter trial of her mother, Sibyl. Sibyl a respected midwife in rural Reddington, Vermont, expects a routine delivery for her patient Charlotte Bedford.  But, as Charlotte’s condition begins to deteriorate, so does the weather.  With no way to transport Charlotte to a hospital, Sibyl makes a difficult choice. Connie’s perspective of the gripping courtroom drama and the pivotal role she plays in this drama will keep you in suspense and guessing until the final pages.  Was justice served in the end?

Book Club Party Ideas for Midwives

Decorations

The setting is 1981 Vermont and the story centers around a midwife accused of involuntary manslaughter, so much of the action takes place in the courtroom.

Decorations could include things that invoke the courtroom drama, such as a gavel or a scale of justice, or that celebrate midwifery such as little plastic babies or baby shower decorations.

Music

This tale is told from the view point of  Connie, Sybil’s daughter.  I am quite sure that teenager Connie was listening to the Billboard Top Hits: 1981 or 1981 Greatest Hits at the time.

Book Club Menu for Midwives

I prepared a Vermont-style menu for this book club by including recipes made with fresh apples, berries, walnuts, Vermont cheese and maple syrup.

Apple Cheese Bread Baskets

The next 2 recipes are adapted from Little B Cook Chronicles from a Vermont Foodie

Maple Sausage Appetizers

Brie ‘n’ Jam Mini Crescents

Vermont Maple Walnut Fudge Recipe

Apple Berry Champagne Punch

Book Club Resources for Midwives by Chris Bohjalian

Ratings at the time this post was published

Goodreads: 3.82 stars (32437 ratings)

Amazon: 4.0 stars (568 ratings)

LibraryThing: 3.78 stars (1067 ratings)

My Rating: 4.5 stars  Midwives is a gripping page turner, filled with surprises.

Discussion

1. How do you feel about midwifery?  Do you feel it is safe?
2. What do you feel were Anne Austin’s motives in contacting Dr. Hewitt?
3. What did you make of the relationship between Sibyl and Stephen?  Was it purely professional?
4. Connie did something during the trial when she went to collect her mother’s diaries.  Did she make the right choice?
5. What did you think about the mothers nursing their babies in the courtroom?   Would it make you uncomfortable to be around a woman nursing in a public place?  Why or why not?
6. Discuss the motivations behind Connie’s decision to become an obstetrician.
7. How did you react to Sibyl’s final diary entry?

Purchase Midwives at your favorite bookseller

The Author

Chris Bohjalian has authored fifteen books.  Chris won the New England Book Award in 2002, and his novel, Midwives, was a number one New York Times bestseller, a selection of Oprah’s Book Club, a Publishers Weekly “Best Book,” and a New England Booksellers Association Discovery pick. Three of his novels, “Secrets of Eden,” “Midwives,” and “Past the Bleachers” have been adapted to movies.  Chris graduated from Amherst College, and lives in Vermont with his wife and daughter.  (Adapted from the Chris Bohjalian website)

Other Works by Chris Bohjalian

Visit chrisbohjalian.com/books for more novels by Chris Bohjalian.

Personal Insights, Favorite Quotes, etc…

“Then there were those girls who became midwives: girls who could not get enough of the tiniest of babies – girls who would grow into women who absolutely reveled in the magnificent process of birth…The difference between a woman who becomes an OB and the women who becomes a midwife has less to do with education, philosophy or upbringing than with the depth of her appreciation for the miracle of labor and for life in its moment of emergence.”

“No one said living isn’t a pretty chancy business, Sibyl. No one gets out of here alive.”

Do you have any other ideas or recipes for a book club party for Midwives? We would love to have you share them with us! You can leave a comment below and upload pictures as well.