midlifejourney.com

It’s about this time of life — the middle — that many in the Boomer Generation take stock of their lives, try to focus on what’s happened so far, and begin to consider future possibilities with a certain wisdom that only comes from lived experience. These are the years of midlife memoirs: writing down for yourself, or for others, something about the life you have lived and what significance it has had on who and where you are right now.

Many people journal. Short, simple thoughts, jotted on a page in a book that only the writer reads. There is no thought of publication. For those who want to share their daily musings with the world at large, blogging has become the medium of choice.

But for some, like Patricia Harman, publishing a memoir in the traditional sense (hardcover, published by a major house) is the route to go. “The Blue Cotton Gown, A Midwife’s Memoir,” is a powerful story of her life and work as a midwife in the hard scrabble world of Appalachia. The many women and families she encounters in her practice turn to her for help, and she cares for both their bodies and their spirits.

The stories she retells weave a tale of compassion where the best of self is discovered. Women dealing with life and death choices come to her for help and no matter the cost, she responds. Throughout the memoir, Harmon does not flinch from telling of her own struggles with her career, dealing with financial difficulties, doubts about the future, and her own sudden illness that threatens the medical practice that she and her husband struggle to maintain.

A compelling read! We recommend it!

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