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The Birth House
The Birth House | Ami McKay
The Birth House is the story of Dora Rare, the first daughter to be born in five generations of Rares. As a child in an isolated village in Nova Scotia, she is drawn to Miss Babineau, an outspoken Acadian midwife with a gift for healing. Dora becomes Miss B.s apprentice, and together they help the women of Scots Bay through infertility, difficult labours, breech births, unwanted pregnancies and even unfulfilling sex lives. Filled with details as compelling as they are surprising, The Birth House is an unforgettable tale of the struggles women have faced to have control of their own bodies and to keep the best parts of tradition alive in the world of modern medicine. From the Hardcover edition.
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merelybookish
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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My #bookspin and #doublespin for November.
The Birth House is from 2006
Fifty Day of Solitude is from 1994.
#192025 @Librarybelle @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Enjoy!! 5mo
Librarybelle Hooray!! 5mo
55 likes2 comments
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Kazzie
The Birth House | Ami McKay
Pickpick

I really liked this feminist story - women have supported each other for centuries with their knowledge about women‘s bodies. We have come full circle to birth again at home. The history of Canada and the wider world was deftly woven in

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Twocougs
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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Pickpick

Lovely story about women, their struggles and rights in Nova Scotia in the early 20th century. Love these characters.

33 likes2 stack adds
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JacqMac
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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1. Tagged. She isn‘t new, but she was new to me. I will be adding more of her to my TBR.
2. I Know This Much is True
3. A relaxing escape from reality.

Thanks for the tag @Cosmos_Moon
@Eggs #WondrousWednesday

Eggs Thanks for playing Jacq 🤗🍁📚🤩 4y
36 likes1 comment
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Jess_Franzino
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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Mehso-so

It wasn‘t terrible. I adore Ami McKay, but this was nowhere near as wonderful as “The Witches of New York”. I think it was mostly that the characters fell very flat in comparison. Still, fantastic writing. I also enjoyed how McKay wrote about the reproductive rights of women in the early 20th century without sugar coating anything. Had to give it 3 Stars, though, since some parts were rather boring & I skimmed.

24 likes2 stack adds
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SauerPatch
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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Pickpick

A lovely historical fiction set in rural Canada circa 1920. A tiny town in which women are used to relying on the local midwife and her (admittedly) slightly witchy ways are introduced to find themselves pressured in to modern but questionable birthing practices.

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vkois88
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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This book not takes place in #Canada, but it's also written by a Canadian author. Her other book Witches of New York is on my TBR and I've just added this one... it sounds like a really interesting book!

#AugustIsATrip @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 6y
59 likes1 comment
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Bookartbookmarks
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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Pickpick

Dora is an apprentice to a midwife in Novia Scotia. Dora helps women through infertility, birth, and unfulfilling sex lives. When a new doctor starts advertising for painless child birth, Dora finds her self becoming an advocate for the women of her town and helping them fight for their rights and choice about their own bodies. This historical fiction is top three of my all time favorite books. Highly recommend.

Gharv I just got this from ThriftBooks! Looking forward to reading it soon 🙂 6y
SauerPatch You had me at "historical fiction" but this sounds so intriguing beyond that! Can't stack fast enough. ? 6y
Bookartbookmarks @Gharv great score! I love when that happens! 6y
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Bookartbookmarks @SauerPatch I‘m so glad! I love sharing my favorites with people. Let me know what you think when you read it! 6y
SauerPatch @Bookartbookmarks I just finished this book and just happened to see this post again. I adored it! I have a bit of a book hangover, actually; I didn‘t know there was a preview for another book at the end of the Kindle version, so when I thought I had 10%+ remaining, I was actually just pages from finishing and wasn‘t ready to say goodbye yet. 😭 But seriously, so good. 5y
Bookartbookmarks @SauerPatch isn‘t she amazing! I‘m so glad to you read it!!! Made my day! Her other book “The Virgin Cure” is amazing as well! 5y
80 likes3 stack adds6 comments
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GypsyKat
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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I just received a package from @Babiesandbooks with this book and this beautiful bookmark from her Etsy shop. Thank you so much for hosting this awesome giveaway, I was thrilled to win! 😊💗

Btw, here is a link to her Etsy shop if anyone would like to look at her gorgeous bookmarks. https://www.etsy.com/shop/bookmarkloves

Bookartbookmarks Thank you so much for sharing. I wanted to ask if you‘ve read his before, but thought I‘d keep it a surprise. Have you read it? 6y
Sophoclessweetheart What a completely divine bookmark! 6y
tammysue Lovely bookmark! 6y
GypsyKat @Babiesandbooks I haven‘t read it, but it looks like my kind of book so I‘m looking forward to it! 💗💗💗 6y
GypsyKat @Wanderingwithwords @whatshesreadingnow Isn‘t it beautiful? Her bookmarks are all gorgeous! 6y
91 likes5 comments
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Bookartbookmarks
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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Tbt. Listening to one of my favorite audiobooks while putting some previously sold out bookmarks back on my Etsy account.

BookwormM Love that book mark!! What is your Etsy store called? 6y
BookwormM I love all your bookmarks but there is a blue owl that matches a necklace my Mum and Dad got me so after pay day I will treat myself 👍😃 6y
See All 12 Comments
Bookartbookmarks @BookwormM thank you!! I would be happy to save it for you! 6y
BookwormM That would be great I get paid on the 30th you do post to the UK don‘t you? 6y
Bookartbookmarks @BookwormM I do! I do offer free shipping in the us, but discount the shipping to other countries. It‘s only fair. It is still $10 dollars to ship to the UK. Fortunately it‘s $10 if you order 1-10 bookmarks. :) 6y
TommieMarie74 That butterfly!!! 😍😍😍 6y
BookwormM Hi hoping to place my order today when I am back from family meal you have a cat and moon bookmark I would like as well and if no one else has taken the anchor can I have that? 6y
Bookartbookmarks @BookwormM hello! That‘s great. I can customize the cat with any ribbon you‘d like. Someone has taken the anchor, but I do still have the blue owl if you‘d like me to make another one for you. :) 6y
BookwormM Have ordered the cat, the owl and a Once Upon a time I selected the ribbon colour on Etsy if you need anything else let know. 6y
Bookartbookmarks @BookwormM thank you so much for supporting a fellow litsen (? Is that the right word?) I‘ll get it right out for you. :) 6y
BookwormM I think the term is Litten 👍😃 6y
90 likes2 stack adds12 comments
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Whollybologna
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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@Amabear #booksandshelfiesM18 finding a book that “defines me” was harder than I thought it would be. But I keep coming back to the Birth House. It‘s about early Midwifery in Atlantic Canada. It instilled in me a desire for a family, a love for those who work with new moms and a desire to see more of my incredible home country. Ami McKay delighted me with her story of Dora Rare and I feel a deep connection with her I don‘t feel in any other book

Amabear Oh my gosh this makes me want to read this so much! Thank you for sharing! 😍 6y
3 likes1 comment
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Judybskt
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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Pickpick

Very good!

5 likes1 stack add
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Judybskt
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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For book club - so far so good.

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Leniverse
The Birth House | Ami McKay
Mehso-so

I would have bailed on this one if I hadn't needed a book set in Nova Scotia. The characters were little more than mouth pieces, and the writing and plot was so-so. But in the end I did enjoy the little elements of historical authenticity, and it was a quick enough read. (Okay, maybe I skimmed a bit.)

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Leniverse
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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They banned Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass? I'd have thought that'd be practically unconstitutional!

(I'm finding the story and writing so-so, but the historical details (and the ads!) are fascinating, sometimes hilarious sometimes upsetting.)

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tylerjpaige
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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today's new read ! really excited to start this. has anyone else read this? what are the opinions?
#bookworm #currentread #canadian

Bookartbookmarks I loved this book! 6y
7 likes1 comment
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Mamashep
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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THE book I most often recommend for book clubs. Loved the book and we had such a great discussion about it. Plus, cheap right now.

15 likes1 stack add
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Mirandasmiles
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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Pickpick

Not what i was expecting at all when i picked this up and i am so glad i did!!!!!

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sherryvdh
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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I live in rural Nova Scotia, so I'm including the whole province to pick a #localauthor. This book has been in my TBR forever, and I was so excited to find a copy at my local used bookstore. The owner said this is the one book she can't keep on the shelf. As soon as she gets one in, it's gone within a day or two. #aprilbookshowers #nslittens @RealLifeReading

36 likes4 stack adds
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JenlovesJT47
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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Pickpick

This was a compelling read, and I love the setting of the story, 1918 Nova Scotia. I was always rooting for the main character, Dora, and am happy with the ending. Sometimes these types of books can be depressing, but it's amazing to see how far we as women have come in the last hundred years. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Highly recommended!

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JenlovesJT47
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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Lol ladies I guess we are in trouble then!! This is set in the early 1900s, it's amazing to see how different the thought process was back then. 😮😱😂

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JenlovesJT47
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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Starting this now, thanks to a fellow Litsy reader. I love books about midwifery, would love some more recommendations! #blameitonlitsy

JenlovesJT47 @BookswithTea thanks! I have that from the digital library 📚 7y
28 likes2 comments
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Demelza
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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Really excited to be starting this 'Litsy endorsed' jewel. (More excited than Timmy seems to be.... zzzzzz)

4 likes1 stack add1 comment
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ThePurpleSponge
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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Creating is hard. Sharing The Thing is harder. The Purple Sponge nags for my attention everyday, but I don't write because my demon says to me: "You aren't good enough. No one cares but you."

But if my fear stops me, no one will ever care because I never tried.

These are the books I read in Nov. and Dec. without writing a review. I'm posting one thing on The Purple Sponge every day this week. I hope you'll join me at purplesponge.com ?

5 likes1 comment
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Dragon
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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#headlesscovers #photoadaynov16 I went searching through my tbr stacks and found these examples of headless or nearly headless covers. Has anyone read these books? Which should I put on top of the pile?

britt_brooke The only one I've read is the Sedaris, but it's great! 👌🏻👌🏻 7y
gossamerchild I second the Sedaris! 😁 7y
Dragon Sounds good @britt_brooke and @gossamerchild putting it on the top . 7y
See All 11 Comments
britt_brooke 😁👍🏻 7y
Cinfhen Ghost bride has been on my Kindle for a long time.... 7y
[DELETED] 3323341091 the Birth House is fantastic. 7y
Dragon Thanks @Cinfhen I've had it for awhile, waiting for the right mood 🐉 7y
Dragon Thanks @fern good to know, I bought it at a booksale because of the cover and the title 🐉 7y
Lindisfarne The Painted Girls! Yes! 7y
Dragon Thanks @Lindisfarne the blurb sounds interesting so glad to know you like it ! 😀 7y
60 likes1 stack add11 comments
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SassyGirlReading
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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"I ask myself, is it just a wild flight of imagination to conceive of a world without war … but someone must try … ”

2 likes1 stack add
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Bookartbookmarks
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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No place I'd rather be!

Penny_LiteraryHoarders Great book! 8y
Bookartbookmarks @Penny_LiteraryHoarders ahh!! You're the only other person I know who has read this book! Finally someone else! 8y
6 likes2 comments
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TheBrockUEnglishMajor
The Birth House | Ami McKay
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Pickpick

The Birth House by Ami McKay deals with the maternal feminism of WW1 and post war period while also handling a (not so nuanced but very interesting) discussion on the options for giving birth available for women.
The novel also weaves in a love story of Dora Rare, the main protagonist. 4/5 stars

3 likes1 stack add