The winter of 1889 is harsh in Amesbury, Massachusetts, but it doesn't stop Quaker midwife Rose Carroll from making the rounds to her pregnant and postpartum mothers. When Charity Skells dies from an apparent early miscarriage, Rose wonders about the symptoms that don't match the diagnosis. She learns that Charity's husband may be up to no good with a young woman whose mother appears to offer illegal abortions. A disgraced physician in town does the same, and Charity's cousin seems to have a nefarious agenda. With several suspects emerging, each with their own possible motives, Rose and police detective Kevin Donovan race against time to solve the case before another innocent life is taken. (Summary via Goodreads)
I have had the pleasure of reading all the books in Edith Maxwell's Quaker Midwife Mystery series and I am in love with Rose Carroll !! The books are written and set in the late 1800's and it is amazing to read and imagine how things were in those times. Yes things were very, very different....and then some things are still quite the same.
To a reader the 1800's may look to be an easier time .... with there being no modern technology to consume people, transportation was extremely different, families were extremely devoted to each other and in the Quaker Midwife Mystery series, they were extremely devoted to their religion.
In Charity's Burden, the latest in this series, Maxwell takes the reader into a very judgemental and serious look at childbearing. With Rose being a midwife and helping mothers give birth and bring healthy babies into the world, abortion is not something that she approves of. Rose is willing to help mothers with family spacing (giving mothers herbs to help prevent them from getting pregnant) and when one of her patients comes to her with excessive bleeding and passes shortly after, Rose knows that she did not die from natural causes. Rose is again determined to find out the truth of Charity's death and find the guilty party and bring Charity's family some justice.
While Rose is doing her investigating, she is always in touch with her friend and local police detective, Kevin Donovan. Unfortunately Rose is banned from going to the police station by the new Police Chief so she must go to Kevin's home and leave him messages with his wife....which back in the 1800's isn't very easy especially in the cold winter months. But determined Rose will do what it takes and luckily Kevin's wife is well aware of Rose's past involvements with helping Kevin so Rose is very welcome at their home.
In Charity's Burden there are happy things going on as well. Faith, Rose's eldest niece is getting married !!! Even though Rose and her fiance David have been engaged for a while, they have some obstacles to deal with before thier happy day can occur so they set their sad feelings aside to enjoy Faith and Zeb's Worship for Marriage.
Luckily Rose was able to solve Charity's murder just in time to get to the Meetinghouse to witness the marriage. (If you've read any of these books, you know that Rose does seem to like to cut things close....another reason to love her)
When reading the Quaker Midwife Mystery series books, you cannot help but wonder at all the research that Maxwell puts into these stories. It always amazes me that the author's put so much work into writting some stories. The reader tends to get carried away reading the story and doesn't really think about how the words actually made it to print. I have had the pleasure of getting to know Maxwell and I have learned that the Quaker Midwife Mystery series has a lot of her heart in them. She thrives on researching and truly loves writing and sharing Rose's stories. I personally think that she has a time machine and travels back in time and spends time in the 1800's so that she can be sure to get everything exactly as it is. When you are reading these books, you FEEL like you yourself are there !! And that is what makes these books a treasure to read and enjoy !!!!
Review by Missi S.
I have had the pleasure of reading all the books in Edith Maxwell's Quaker Midwife Mystery series and I am in love with Rose Carroll !! The books are written and set in the late 1800's and it is amazing to read and imagine how things were in those times. Yes things were very, very different....and then some things are still quite the same.
To a reader the 1800's may look to be an easier time .... with there being no modern technology to consume people, transportation was extremely different, families were extremely devoted to each other and in the Quaker Midwife Mystery series, they were extremely devoted to their religion.
In Charity's Burden, the latest in this series, Maxwell takes the reader into a very judgemental and serious look at childbearing. With Rose being a midwife and helping mothers give birth and bring healthy babies into the world, abortion is not something that she approves of. Rose is willing to help mothers with family spacing (giving mothers herbs to help prevent them from getting pregnant) and when one of her patients comes to her with excessive bleeding and passes shortly after, Rose knows that she did not die from natural causes. Rose is again determined to find out the truth of Charity's death and find the guilty party and bring Charity's family some justice.
While Rose is doing her investigating, she is always in touch with her friend and local police detective, Kevin Donovan. Unfortunately Rose is banned from going to the police station by the new Police Chief so she must go to Kevin's home and leave him messages with his wife....which back in the 1800's isn't very easy especially in the cold winter months. But determined Rose will do what it takes and luckily Kevin's wife is well aware of Rose's past involvements with helping Kevin so Rose is very welcome at their home.
In Charity's Burden there are happy things going on as well. Faith, Rose's eldest niece is getting married !!! Even though Rose and her fiance David have been engaged for a while, they have some obstacles to deal with before thier happy day can occur so they set their sad feelings aside to enjoy Faith and Zeb's Worship for Marriage.
Luckily Rose was able to solve Charity's murder just in time to get to the Meetinghouse to witness the marriage. (If you've read any of these books, you know that Rose does seem to like to cut things close....another reason to love her)
When reading the Quaker Midwife Mystery series books, you cannot help but wonder at all the research that Maxwell puts into these stories. It always amazes me that the author's put so much work into writting some stories. The reader tends to get carried away reading the story and doesn't really think about how the words actually made it to print. I have had the pleasure of getting to know Maxwell and I have learned that the Quaker Midwife Mystery series has a lot of her heart in them. She thrives on researching and truly loves writing and sharing Rose's stories. I personally think that she has a time machine and travels back in time and spends time in the 1800's so that she can be sure to get everything exactly as it is. When you are reading these books, you FEEL like you yourself are there !! And that is what makes these books a treasure to read and enjoy !!!!
Review by Missi S.
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