A remarkable new voice in American fiction creates an uplifting novel that celebrates the miracle of life.Midwife Patience Murphy has a gift: a talent for escorting mothers through the challenges of bringing children into the world. Working in the hardscrabble conditions of Appalachia during the Depression, Patience takes the jobs that no one else wants, helping those most in need–and least likely to pay. She knows a successful midwifery practice must be built on a foundation of openness and trust–but the secrets Patience is keeping are far too intimate and fragile for her to ever let anyone in.An honest, moving, and beautifully detailed piece of Americana, Patricia Harman’s The Midwife of Hope River rings with authenticity as Patience faces nearly insurmountable difficulties: disease, poverty, and prejudices threaten at every turn. From the dangerous mines of West Virginia to the terrifying attentions of the Ku Klux Klan, Patience must strive to bring new light and life into an otherwise cruel world.