Midwife of the Blue Ridge (59 page)

“All right—too crowded up here anyway.” Seth herded chil-

dren and dogs down off the ridge. “Come along, my rascals, come

along! Let’s go—back t’ camp with every fetchin’ one of ye.”

“I’ll quick fry up some johnnycakes,” Susannah said, passing

the baby down to Seth. “That ought to tide ’em over.”

“Amen t’ johnnycakes!” Battler cheered. Figg hoisted Battler

Midwife of the Blue Ridge
417

onto his shoulder and fell in with the crowd heading down the

hill.

Maggie bunched her skirts in her fist. “I ought to go help

Susannah . . .”

“Stay—” Tom caught Maggie by the arm. “Let it be just the

two of us for a bit.” He cupped the round curve of her belly. “Af-

ter all, it won’t be too long before we’ll be three.”

“Och, we’ve a few months left t’ us yet, lad.” Maggie cozied

into Tom’s embrace. Wrapping her arms about his waist, she

leaned her cheek to his chest. Tom sighed and nuzzled her hair.

The din of dogs and the Martin family faded on the April breeze,

and together, Tom and Maggie watched the sun inch into their

horizon.

Midwife of the Blue Ridge

by Christine Blevins

READERS GUIDE

1. “The lass became Hannah’s shadow, attending the births, nurs-

ing the sick, tending the injured, and laying out the dead.” Mag-

gie Duncan was trained in midwifery from a very young age.

How do you think her occupation as a midwife adds to the devel-

opment of her character and to the telling of the story?

2. What are some of the political and social forces that draw Mag-

gie Duncan and Tom Roberts together? What drives them apart?

3. Themes of inde pendence and slavery fuel the novel’s plot. What

are the virtues and inequities inherent in the system of inden-

tured servitude as portrayed in this story? How do you think the

system affects Maggie’s life? In what ways does her servitude dif-

fer from slavery?

4. The Jacobite Rebellion of 1746, the French and Indian War,

and Pontiac’s Uprising are three of the wars mentioned during

the course of this novel. How does war affect the individual

childhood experiences of Seth Martin, Maggie Duncan, Simon

Peavey, and Mary Bledsoe? How do you think war functions as a

catalyst for change?

420 Readers

Guide

5.
Midwife of the Blue Ridge
is set during a time when the colo-

nies were expanding into Native American territory. How does

the resultant culture clash manifest itself? How are the differ-

ences in attitude toward Native Americans—as displayed by Tom

Roberts, Simon Peavey, and Maggie Duncan—a result of their

direct exposure to Native American culture?

6. The women in this story deal with many hardships and much

uncertainty. What are some of the different ways in which the

female characters cope and persevere in the face of adversity?

7. In the eighteenth century, death was often sudden, childbirth

was dangerous, and infant mortality was high. Illness or violence

could, and frequently did, decimate entire communities. Discuss

the effects these eighteenth-century realities had on the lives of

the settlers, and compare their experiences to your own in the

twenty-fi rst century.

8. At one point in the story, referring to his rifle, Seth tells Caven-

dish, “. . . a lout like me can sink a ball in yer brain from one

hundred yards with one of these.” Discuss the role of the gun in

the novel and the impact of gun own ership on eighteenth-century

Colonial America.

9. Figg transforms from mindless brute to unlikely hero over the

course of this story. How do Tom’s heroic deeds compare with

those of Figg? Do you think any of the female characters can be

considered heroic?

10. Which elements of eighteenth-century frontier living were the

most surprising or interesting to you? Do you think you would have

been able to survive a life on the frontier in Colonial America?

11. Given what you know about the characters, how do you envi-

sion they carry on with the rest of their lives?

• Cover Page
  
• Title Page
  
• Copyright Page
  
• Dedication Page
  
• Acknowledgments
  
• Part One
  
  • Chapter One
    
  • Chapter Two: Spirited Away
    
  • Chapter Three: A Region of Calm
    
  • Chapter Three: Just A rrived
    
  • Chapter Five: In- Country
    
  • Chapter Six: The Homeplace
    
  • Chapter Seven: A Good Clipe on the Head
    
  • Chapter Eight: A Wee Thump to the Head
    
  • Chapter Nine: Hitting the Nail on the Head
    
  • Chapter Ten: The Gather- All
    
  • Chapter Eleven: Fences Are Down
    
• Part Two
  
  • Chapter Twelve: Forting Up
    
  • Chapter Thirteen: Turds and Primroses
    
  • Chapter Fourteen: Both Human and Divine
    
  • Chapter Fifteen: Old Clothes and Comfort
    
  • Chapter Sixteen: A Nice Cup of Tea
    
  • Chapter Seventeen: Dispossessed
    
• Part Three
  
  • Chapter Eighteen: A Dreadful Wind
    
  • Chapter Nineteen: No Man’s Slave
    
  • Chapter Twenty: Better to Bend Than Break
    
  • Chapter Twenty-One: A Deadly Web
    
  • Chapter Twenty-Two: Angels and Demons
    
  • Chapter Twenty-Three: Long Knife Man
    
  • Chapter Twenty-Four: The White Fawn
    
  • Chapter Twenty-Five: The Warrior’s Path
    
  • Chapter Twenty-Six: A Melodious Duel
    
  • Chapter Twenty-Seven: Changing Feathers
    
• Epilogue
  
• Readers Guide