Climb the time machine back to World War I and travel to Nova Scotia, Canada to read a tale of love, birth, sex and women’s issues. The Birth House tells us, from Dora Rare’s point of view, what life was like in those days for women. Back then, birthing used to be done always at home by a midwife. Dora and Miss Babineau are the town’s local midwives and they are fighting constantly to uphold tradition and of course the women’s best interests. Women’s medical issues, even sexual issues, were misconstrued and often textbook laced. In this story Dora overcomes great obstacles for women of those times, as she tries desperately to cling to tradition and do what she knows in her heart is right. It is an amazing story, showing what it was like to be a woman in those days; from birthing and how they were treated, to how a woman was valued by society and their husbands.

It made me sit back and think, ever thankful, for all those brave women who fought in the suffragette movement. If you want a great read of adventure, romance, history, and tragedy pick up a copy of “the Birth House”

Ami McKay first had the idea for the novel when she found out her current house was once used as a birth house.


Recipe from “The Birth House”

This is called a groaning cake. It was tradition in those times for the mother who was going to give birth to make this cake while she was in labour. The mother was requested to break the eggs and mix the batter just before she was to actually give birth, then it would bake all the while she was having the baby. Also another way it was done was for the mother to make this up and wrap it up in pieces, to be given out when the she and baby were churched (when the mother and baby go to church for the first time). This is a great recipe and a lovely coffee cake!

2 cups Molasses
1 cup boiling milk
1 tsp baking powder
3 ½ cups flour sifted
4 eggs
1 cup of butter
1 tbsp of ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground Cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract.
½ cup of raisins and grated apple (apple is my fav).

Mix all dry ingredients together and seperatly mix all the wet ingredients together and then add slowly the dry to the wet until mixed. Then bake in a loaf pan (this will make enough for 2 small loaf pans) and bake for 30-45min. until fork inserted in the middle comes clean.

Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (August 22, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061135852

Review written by Stefanie Leale ©2007 butyoudontlooksick.com