The Ship's Midwife
Peta Miller
Reviewed by Helen
WOW what a fantastic debut, I loved this one from start to finish, heart-breaking and poignant as we sail from England to Brisbane in 1850 on the Lady Susan with immigrants about to start a new life in Australia but things don’t always go to plan when typhus breaks out on the ship.
Sarah Hallow is the daughter of a midwife and now that she has lost her mum she is heading for Australia with not a lot of plans boarding the ship she meets Bridie Marley who is leaving Ireland to start a new life and also has a family connection to midwifery, they are sharing a cabin and they become fast friends and when they come to the aid of a pregnant woman in the steerage class a long labour but the baby a daughter is born healthy and well, but in the bed a few away is a woman who is extremely sick and the doctor on board starts to worry when more people are falling ill with the fever.
As more passengers fall ill Sarah, Bridie and Will Waterford the ship’s doctor’s son work hard on the long journey to Brisbane in the makeshift hospital as they make plans to open a midwifery business when they get to Brisbane, there are deaths along the way and the conditions are terrible food and water are in short supply and the ship is not allowed into any port. Who will make it to Brisbane?
They finally make it to the quarantine station on Stradbroke Island which is nowhere near ready for them but these people have made it this far and they do not give up. The strength and friendship that is shown by Sarah, Bridie Will and the captain and crew as well as the passengers was wonderful, you would not wish this upon anyone.
This story is based on a true story and it shows the toughness of the people who arrived on these shores so many years ago. I did cry many tears reading this one It is emotional but the ending is the best I loved it and I would highly recommend this story and huge congratulations to Peta Miller on such an awesome debut I look forward to many more stories.
My thanks to Harlequin AU and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.
Sarah Hallow is the daughter of a midwife and now that she has lost her mum she is heading for Australia with not a lot of plans boarding the ship she meets Bridie Marley who is leaving Ireland to start a new life and also has a family connection to midwifery, they are sharing a cabin and they become fast friends and when they come to the aid of a pregnant woman in the steerage class a long labour but the baby a daughter is born healthy and well, but in the bed a few away is a woman who is extremely sick and the doctor on board starts to worry when more people are falling ill with the fever.
As more passengers fall ill Sarah, Bridie and Will Waterford the ship’s doctor’s son work hard on the long journey to Brisbane in the makeshift hospital as they make plans to open a midwifery business when they get to Brisbane, there are deaths along the way and the conditions are terrible food and water are in short supply and the ship is not allowed into any port. Who will make it to Brisbane?
They finally make it to the quarantine station on Stradbroke Island which is nowhere near ready for them but these people have made it this far and they do not give up. The strength and friendship that is shown by Sarah, Bridie Will and the captain and crew as well as the passengers was wonderful, you would not wish this upon anyone.
This story is based on a true story and it shows the toughness of the people who arrived on these shores so many years ago. I did cry many tears reading this one It is emotional but the ending is the best I loved it and I would highly recommend this story and huge congratulations to Peta Miller on such an awesome debut I look forward to many more stories.
My thanks to Harlequin AU and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.
5 stars
June 7, 2023 by HQ Fiction
