“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?