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Listen to Me Good: The Story of an Alabama Midwife (WOMEN & HEALTH C&S PERSPECTIVE)

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About this item:

Margaret Charles Smith, a ninety-one-year-old Alabama midwife, has thousands of birthing stories to tell. Sifting through nearly five decades of providing care for women in rural Greene County, she relates the tales that capture the life-and-death struggle of the birthing experience and the traditions, pharmacopeia, and spiritual attitudes that influenced her practice. She debunks images of the complacent southern “granny” midwife and honors the determination, talent, and complexity of midwifery.

Fascinating to read, this book is part of the new genre of writing that recognizes the credibility of midwives who have emerged from their own communities and were educated through apprenticeship and personal experience. Past descriptions of southern black midwives have tended to denigrate their work in comparison with professional established medicine. Believed to be the oldest living (though retired) traditional African American midwife in Alabama, Smith is one of the few who can recount old-time birthing ways. Despite claims that midwives contributed to high infant mortality rates, Smith’s story emphasizes midwives' successes in facing medical challenges and emergencies.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Even in recent times, poor African American women living in the rural South often had no access to healthcare. Local women serving as midwives were an important part of the community; they assisted with birthing and helped with household chores while the new mother recovered. Smith, a 91-year-old retired midwife, offers readers a firsthand account of rural lay midwifery and life in a small Alabama town. She describes her formal and informal training, the laws that allowed her to practice and later prohibited her work, the respect of the few local doctors for the lay midwives, and her views on civil rights issues. Smith's dedication, strong religious faith, and dignity are evident throughout this tribute to a tradition of self-care and community support. This fascinating oral history will interest students of the health sciences, women's studies, and history, as well as general readers. Highly recommended for all collections.?Barbara M. Bibel, Oakland P.L., Cal.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“Smith’s dedication, strong religious faith, and dignity are evident throughout this tribute to a tradition of self-care and community support. This fascinating oral history will interest students of the health sciences, women’s studies, and history, as well as general readers. Highly recommended for all collections.” —Library Journal
 

Review:

4.9 out of 5

97.50% of customers are satisfied

5.0 out of 5 stars Great short read❤️

K.C. · October 10, 2023

A wonderful tale of an enslaved black midwife in the south making a way out of none to help black women give birth safely.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book

S.H. · August 17, 2021

This is a well written book that describes how the Granny midwives, and this particular midwife, were a respected community care giver. The licensing and training of lay midwives was supposed to elevate the practice of midwife care and improve perinatal outcomes. Instead due to a combination of factors the licensing of lay midwives was abruptly ended. This story does a great job of explaining that history.

5.0 out of 5 stars great book !

a. · November 3, 2021

great read! lovely book! i appreciated the story telling approach to the informaiton shared in this book. I would recommend to nay aspiring doula, midwife, mother to be, current mother, and anyone wanting to connect the african diaspora to midwifery.

5.0 out of 5 stars Love This!!

F. · August 26, 2016

Wow !! What an amazing read!! I am reading this book for my certification as a birth doula. This book is very informative. The story reads like you're sitting on the couch at your grandmother's house and she's recounting life experience. I couldn't even get my husband to put the book down. Read this and be enlightened!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read

A. · February 23, 2018

This is a great book! I am a trained birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator and trained midwife. I recommend this work for every person working in the birthing industry. After reading, I have much more appreciation for granny midwives of the past... their struggle and their triumph. It was great reading about midwifery from the words of Margaret Charles Smith as well as the research and information the author provided. I am looking forward to the next book from Linda Janet Holmes.

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is very informative!

T. · September 22, 2019

There was nothing to dislike

5.0 out of 5 stars Book

V.A.P. · August 3, 2013

This was recommended to me by her granddaughter. This item arrived on time and is an excellent purchase. I like it very much and am VERY glad I ordered it. Thank you so much Bolo.com for the great price, good value and prompt delivery. I use this item frequently.

4.0 out of 5 stars A great read

A. · July 12, 2023

Take the chance and read it, its wonderful

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Listen to Me Good: The Story of an Alabama Midwife (WOMEN & HEALTH C&S PERSPECTIVE)

4.8

BHD13070

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