A Midwife’s Tale

The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812

By: Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Narrated by: Susan Ericksen

Drawing on the diaries of one woman in 18th-century Maine, this intimate history illuminates the medical practices, household economies, religious rivalries, and sexual mores of the New England frontier.

Between 1785 and 1812, a midwife and healer named Martha Ballard kept a diary that recorded her arduous work (in 27 years she attended 816 births) as well as her domestic life in Hallowell, Maine. On the basis of that diary, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich gives us an intimate and densely imagined portrait, not only of the industrious and reticent Martha Ballard but of her society. At once lively and impeccably scholarly, A Midwife's Tale is a triumph of history on a human scale.

©1990 Laurel Thatcher Ulrich (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A truly talented historian unravels the fascinating life of a community that is so foreign, and yet so similar to our own." ( New York Times)

A cherished slice of history

As an 18th century living historian, to have this documentation is priceless. Yes hard to follow at times, Some wording is not in the modern words we currently know. Excellent reference book for anyone with a love of 18th century New England.

Excellent book and recording

This is very well written and researched. I live in Maine so enjoyed the history of my local area. If you have any interest in history at all, you will enjoy this. I’m now planning on taking a trip to fort western! I learned of this book when I gave up on listening to the historical inaccuracies in the book the Frozen River. I was thinking to myself Martha Ballard, cannot be like this, or think this way. That book is utter clap trap. Thankfully someone mentioned this book. Her diary and the author’s writing really bring her character to life. A+++

The diary itself

I don't necessarily agree with the authors interpretation of what Martha was going through while her husband was in jail. From the diary notes, it seems it was a very difficult time for her, and I think maybe her family should have jumped in and helped a little more.
I enjoyed the story, although a little boring at times, for the most part it was very informative.

The details she wrote

The travel she endured for her patients, She was dedicated and a value to the community.

The historical accuracy

Particularly liked the historical presentation and explanation of how diary was annotated. As a care giver myself this was helpful in seeing the character develop and grow in her practice. Wonderful history of how modern obstetrical practice has changed yet remains the same.

Insights into 18th C life worth initial profusion of dense detail.

Ulrich’s contextualization of Martha Ballard’s life and times is a virtuoso interweaving of hundreds of related primary source and a rich, deep understanding of the time period. I found the minutiae a bit dense at times, but the narrative payoff was well worth a bit of patience. I was fascinated by the analysis of 18th century courtship, marriage, religion, physical and sexual assault, murder, suicide, legal structures, debtors prison, etc. And then there is the midwifery!

Insightful and Surprising

A revealing and intimate look at the past that gets away from the back rooms and battlefields of most works of history.

drew me in

It was slow going at first, but grabbed me a couple chapters in and didn't let go. Great narration, fascinating history, and I absolutely fell in love with Martha. Will probably listen again in a couple years.

One of My Favorite Books of All Time

I learned about this book in college when taking a class about microhistories. Microhistories take a look at a certain event or document, or even a person's life and looks at the layers of histories that surround it and contextualize it. And Ulrich's book is one of the best examples I've seen of this genre. As a result, it's become a book I've returned many times to and consider one of my favorite books of all time.

When I learned it was an Audible book, I decided to get it. For Martha Ballard's story is fascinating, whether you're reading the book or listening. She performed over 800 deliveries over the course of her midwifery practice and served as a recognized and respected healer and medical practitioner too in her community. And all this while running a household of six children with an often absent surveyor husband in a frontier town in New England. But Martha's life doesn't just revolve around her practice, as Ulrich shows. She was part of her town's local economy, trading goods and working with her neighbors to provide useable materials. She was a witness to many unwed mothers who sued the fathers of their children for financial support. She was also a pious woman who was burdened with many cares and struggled sometimes to keep going.

There's a lot to admire in Martha's diary, which shows women of the frontier in the late 18th and early 19th centuries in a different light than may be supposed. While women like Martha were mothers and wives, they also were independent, resourceful, self-sustaining and communal. When a mother was about to give birth, her neighbors and kin were there to help her through it. If a family fell ill, the women were often in charge of nursing the sick and handling the dead. It's surprising then, to hear how a feminist midwifery journal dismissed the diary for its mundane entries. As Ulrich shows, the diary needs these entries to explain how women like Martha and her family and friends kept their communities and families afloat in a town that was very much new and constantly changing.

The chapters that fascinate me most are the ones on Martha's economic doings, why New England was rife with premarital pregnancy, how childbirth practices operated in Martha's practice and the chapter on the history of her daughter-in-law's sister and the brief life of her illegitimate child. But every chapter in this book is important in understanding why Martha's diary is unique and important to understand New England history and the roles of women like Martha in it.

Susan Ericksen's reading was good for this book. There were some awkward pauses every so often but otherwise I found no fault with this rendition.

Personally, as an MLS student and a person with an MA in history, I'd love to be the one to properly transcribe Martha's diary as it was promised to her descendant if I had the time and ability. I love diaries and have kept one myself since I was nine. And not only would the work prove useful, but it would mean learning more about this unforgettable woman and her work in her community in a time when women's history is more important than ever.

7th generation granddaughter

As a seventh generation granddaughter of Martha Ballard, A Maine native and now resident of Rome , Maine this historical account of Martha’s life provides new insight to the strength, independence and legacy of Ballard women.