Saturday, April 9, 2011

Abigail's New Hope-Mary Ellis

Abigail's New Hope
Mary Ellis
Harvest House, Apr 1 2011, $13.99
ISBN: 9780736930093

In Wayne County, Ohio new resident Nathan Fisher calls midwife Abigail Graber to help his wife Ruth. Abigail asks who the physician is, but an angry defensive Nathan tells her to not lecture him for not having her see a doctor. Abigail calls Dr. Weller who is not there as she heads over to help Ruth. However, the pregnant woman hemorrhaged; while Abigail tries to stop the bleeding. Ruth dies but her new born son lives. The Sherriff’s Department arrests Abigail for involuntary manslaughter due to practicing medicine without a license.

Judge O’Neil sets bail at 500K, which means Abigail will linger in jail for a month awaiting her trial while her lawyer is state appointed. Still though confused, she knows she did the right thing as this was an emergency. Her sister Catherine arrives at the Graber farm to take care of the children. Working on the Graber farm is Isaiah, considered simple minded by everyone. However, Catherine, who is attracted to him, realizes Isaiah is intelligent but deaf.

This is a strong refreshing inspirational that has all the key players changing during the exciting story line. Although the manslaughter charge subplot is not new (see The Amish Midwife by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould), readers will appreciate this fine tale of an unlicensed Amish midwife in legal trouble with the Englisher jurisprudence system.

Harriet Klausner

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