Member Reviews
Very few books bring tears to my eyes. I loved this book. It was heart-wrenching and sad. Filled with difficult decisions that loved ones make in times of war. I read this book in 1 day. For fans of WWII historical fiction and family relationships.
I would to thank NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an early copy of the book.
I just finished reading this book. I am reaching for tissues. It was so good. Emotions flowing. It was happy, sad, many twists, keeping me on the edge of my seat until the end. It is not your normal WWII story. So much love in it.
On her 90th birthday, Sophie has accepted that it is finally time to tell her son the secret she’s been keeping since his birth. The extraordinary Sophie Hansen then recounts her life as a midwife during the German occupation of France and the children whose lives she changed. Those she protected were not only those she brought into this world, but the children she helped cross the border into safety from the Nazis, and most importantly, her own child. While doing so, Sophie reflects on the multiple heartbreaking and life changing decisions she had to make in order to survive.
This novel caused my heart to break and swell many times over. So many times I found myself swept up in the story and feeling like I was experiencing these moments alongside her. I loved the strong female with admirable fortitude as the central character, and the story had a great pace and suspense which kept me interested from beginning to end. Overall, this was a beautiful story of how far a mother will go to protect her child despite the danger that doing so may cause.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the digital ARC. All opinions and this review are my own.
The Midwives Promise by Eliza Graham
A wonderful , yet hearbreaking story of a midwife during ww2.
Sophie helps Jewish children to get across to Switzerland and flee death of going into a concentration camps which for most was also certain death.
The story moves forward and she ends up bringing up her grandson ( his twin sister died ) and as the years pass she doesn't tell him she is not his natural mother.
There are many books out there in this genre , but not many as good as this one.
I didn't get into this book straight away but I am so glad I persevered as it truly was a fantastic novel. There was many a night where I stayed up too late so that I could keep reading as the story really gripped me and I was desperate to find out what happened next!
The ending felt a bit abrupt but, all in all, I would highly recommend this book.
It is 1992, in New England, Sophie is having her 90th birthday. But she has a much needed gift she needs to give someone else. Now we are back to 1944, in France. Sohpie is a midwife who has recently lost her husband. But she continues on with her work as a Midwife. It is so rewarding to bring new lives into this world. But living in this time in history is so difficult. World WarII is a part of history that I love learning and reading about. Eliza Graham's book, "The Midwife's Promise" is so hard to put down. You just want to read and read to know what is happening next.
I am so looking forward to reading other books that Eliza Graham has written.
Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a historical WWII fiction split into two timelines. The storyline was good but I really struggled to connect the different characters and pieces across the chapters.
Multilayered story exploring a relatively novel aspect of the popular WWII trope. 90 year old narrator, Sophie, reflects on her life and the choices that resulted in her family's current status. While the twists were somewhat easy to unravel, the premise was complex and engaging.
I absolutely adored this book! This was such a fantastic read and is now one of my favorites of the year. What a journey this story takes you in. I could not put this book down! It will leave you captivated and engaged from the beginning till the end. Such a beautifully written WWII story filled with courage, strength, love, loss, and heartbreak. You will feel for these characters and become attached to them. I felt as if I was with them and was part of the journey as well. Highly recommend this to all those who love read historical fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the digital ARC. All opinions and reviews are mine.
Sophie has dedicated her life to helping woman deliver their children safely into the world. Her own daughter, Camille, has often felt that she never quite mattered as much as other children to her mother. With a war raging on and their home country of France occupied Sophie will take risks to protect the children and woman in her care even if it means going into hiding. But when her daughter needs her she will risk her life to get to her side.
So good! Sophie and Camille are characters I grew to love more and more as the book develops. The mother and child relationship is showcased in many forms, and makes the story come alive.
Thank you to @netgalley and @stormbooks_co for letting me read this book early in exchange for a review. Look for it Dec 6 2023
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Another absolutely wonderful book by Eliza Graham. Howing such Strength of character in the face of adversity with so much depth and based in truth.
I could not put this book down. Clearly Sophie has a back story that goes back to the war. She was a very brave midwife who risked her life for others. When her daughter requires help, she risked her own safety to help. Tragedy and love ensued, heart breaking decisions had to be made. The loyalty of other people helped and it is easy to see why she made the choices she did. This was a beautiful story about love, courage and resilience. I hope to read more by this author. Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to preview this book.
There were parts of this book that just drew me in and brought me to tears. Overall it was an amazing read. I feel like this book involved a ton of research because although Sophie is not a real character it felt like I was reading a biography. I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys reading historical fiction it is a very good read
The Midwife’s Promise is a beautiful yet heartbreaking story of the true strength of a woman. I am always inspired by stories of the unsung heroes of our past. Sophie may not have been a real person, but there were so many women like her in the history of the world, and they never receive enough credit. Eliza Graham did a beautiful job of connecting the reader to the characters in the book. Of making us feel what Sophie and Camille and the other brave women in this book felt. I am so thankful to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the eARC and the opportunity to share my thoughts on this book.
This was a heart wrenching story of Sophie, a nurse and midwife, set back in 1944.
Sophie helped out Jewish children across the borders to Switzerland so they can be away from the Germans and the Nazi era upon Lyon, France. Sophie was taking so many risks of getting caught, not even dawned on her that she has a daughter, Camille, and the impact of getting caught!
Camille gives birth to twins, boy and a girl but only the son survives. Such a heartbreaking tragedy for Sophie. She gets away from France and looks after her grandson, Paul all her life. At 90hrs old, Sophie decides to tell Paul she isn't his mother
Thank you to Netgalley and Storm
Publishing
Oh, this book! How many times can your heart be shattered in just one novel? Multiple times, each time more excruciating than the previous one. This is a beautifully written story whose central character, Sophie, is an extraordinary woman. Although not based on a real person, women like Sophie have existed since the beginning of time. They are the unsung heroes whose calling in life is to be a midwife, a "sage femme."
This book is character-driven, although the plot is riveting and at times so intense it was physically painful. In addition to midwifery, Sophie's story includes hiding Jewish children and others from the Nazis in occupied France at great personal risk. The depth of research is staggering but so expertly woven into the story that you absorb the information painlessly. I suggest that you find some time when you won't be interrupted when you read this one and that you have plenty of tissues. I absolutely adored this book. (It will be released on December 6, 2023.)
Many thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the digital ARC. All opinions and the review are my own.