I N C L U D E S A F F I L I A T E L I N K S
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Title: The Book of the Unnamed MidwifeAuthor: Meg Elison
Published: 2014
Language: English
Pages: 291
Rating: 4/5
Summary:
After a plague has ravaged the Earth and killed almost everyone, leaving few men behind but even fewer women and almost no children, an unnamed midwife disguises herself as a man to protect herself and tries to find her place in the new world as what is probably the last midwife left on the planet.
Review:
This book was really good and I'm surprised I haven't heard of it before!
This is the kind of post-apocalyptic story I like; it's dark, gritty and incredibly bleak. The landscape of what is left of the world creates a dim and desolate background as we follow this woman as she's trying to survive. I really liked our main character; she's complicated, complex and fascinating. I also really like that there really are very few people left in this world and you can tell throughout the whole story. Sometimes you read post-apocalyptic books and even though lots of people have died, you think to yourself that it's going to be okay, but in this it's very clear that it's probably not.
The story explores the treatment of women and women's health, which is unusual for a novel of this kind, but I felt like it worked really well. I also like the way this is written; at the very beginning of the book, we learn that there are people in the future studying "The Book of the Unnamed Midwife" and copying it down, and most of the story of this woman is told through her journaling.
Overall, an excellent read and I'm really happy this is the first book in a series because I can't wait to read more from this world.
You can read more about it on Goodreads
