Lady's Hands, Lion's Heart: A Midwife's Saga

A book review is supposed to be a readers opinion of a book and the talent (or lack thereof in some cases, but not this one) of the author in weaving a good tale. This book is Midwife Carol Leonard's memoir; this is a book that is clearly very personal to her. As someone who initially went to college to become a nurse with a focus on Labor and Delivery, and who was blessed to have three wonderful midwives deliver three out of my four children...number four seemed to think my husband and the nurse in the room at the time was more than audience enough for him; he's still impatient and a 7 year old man on a mission to this day...I was immediately drawn to this book. The birth stories were all so incredibly beautiful, be they difficult or textbook. I have forever loved the idea of birthing at home, in an environment that is purely your own, in whatever atmosphere is comfortable to you. I regret that I never got to experience that part for myself. Each story was a miracle and I'm so grateful to her for sharing her experiences.My opinion of Carol Leonard is tricky so I will be careful not to make this review something that it shouldn't be. On one hand she was a revolutionary in her field. She helped pave the way for birth to become, in many instances, a beautiful, nonstressful event. Not everyone is blessed with that kind of experience, I know. Thinking back to what birth used to be...my grandmother was "knocked out" for her deliveries, my mother was alone, without her husband beside her...it's truly amazing the changes that have occurred in this area, in very large part to her and her fight for women's rights in childbirth. I also found myself amazed at her strength in the face of difficult situations, be it a difficult birth or severe critics of her profession. She always seemed to trust herself and those "gut feelings" that I know, I personally, seem to second guess and sometimes ignore. On the other hand, there are some areas of this book that are very difficult to read. I won't expound on them but will merely add as warning to others like me, being someone who is pro-life there are areas that deal in abortion that made my heart hurt. In the author's own personal life there were also things that I didn't agree with but then again I don't have to. It took courage to lay it out there whether I agree or not...and the good Lord knows I am far from perfect.All in all this was a beautifully written book. I give heartfelt thanks to her for the position she took so that I too could have beautiful experiences in bringing my children into the world.

Carol...I have just finished reading Lady's Hands, Lion's Heart and the tears are still wet on my cheeks. Thank you for making me laugh and making me cry and sharing so much of your knowledge and love and life. Your book will now stay with me for the rest of my life and sit next to Ina May on my shelf and in my heart.I am a 42 yo Mum of five. My youngest has just started preschool so I thought it was time to think about working again. This is a magic time for me because I am a grown woman who is finally free of all the crap that weighs young women down, and I can now choose what I want to do with the rest of my life. I immediately commenced a Bachelor of Midwifery, it has been calling to me for a long time. I wonder sometimes if midwifery is programmed into my mind and body through some ancient knowledge within my being.When I started reading your book I found your words..."It is an ageless knowing...I have finally come home" I started crying, That is what I was looking for....midwifery is in our hearts just as motherhood is! Then when you are describing the First International Conference of Midwives and you speak of your sisters...wow goosebumps! And Ina May....She was the first one who found me after I applied to uni and started looking for books or articles from Midwives who worked with a philosophy that I valued..believe it or not I googled midwife and other words like women love spiritual and of course "Spiritual Midwifery" found me.You are an amazing woman and you personify all that is great about our gender....and Aristotle must have dreamt of you when he described Midwives......if it is OK with you I will carry a bit of you with me through my career.

I, too, am a midwife and author, but I came to the calling from a different perspective. I was an OB nurse long before I became a certified midwife. I did tons of home births in Oakland and Berkeley, California as well as hospital births once I obtained privileges...while Carol came to midwifery from the opposite end: the apprentice route. I so admire her courage and her guts, her dedication, and her determination to meet women where they are in the process of Life, not insisting that they conform to her criteria.I don't know how she did it in rural New Hampshire and Maine during the winter! - but somehow she did.Perhaps most of all, I am grateful to her for the work that she put into legalization and licensure of midwives in this country, and for the formative work she did in the foundation of MANA, Midwives' Alliance of North America.

This book is a certain page turner. Written so that anyone can read it, from a professional or layman point of view. It gives great insight into the lives of dedicated people. I really enjoyed the stories, the work put into the establishment of several organizations as well as the very personal life of the author. Her way of dealing with challenges and tragedies is admirable. Although the end of the book is terribly tragic, she has managed to pick herself up and move forward. Thank you for this wonderful book Carol Leonard.

great book great service!

Amazing book. Great story and I was really bummed when it was done. For all the birth loving women out there, if you enjoy reading about midwives and you want to be immersed in another persons travel into midwifery/their career in it, I highly recommend the read.