Midwife for Souls

Spiritual Care for the Dying: Revised Edition

By: Kathy Kalina

Narrated by: Leslie Howard

Oftentimes caregivers, friends, and family are unsure of what to say and what to do to comfort the sick and the dying. Midwife for Souls provides specific Catholic insight and highlights the power of prayer as a guide. This best-selling book has been revised to include a new section of inspiring stories and lessons learned in hospice ministry.

©1997, 2003 Kathy Kalina (P)2019 Tantor

Honest portrayal on caring for end of life

Highly recommend as a nurse and caretaking I found comfort in the stories and guidance offered in this book.
This is a subject that is difficult to talk about.
We all will face death with our loved ones and this book is a gift of hope and faith to lessen fears associated with dying.

Excellent in every way!

This book is an absolute gem! Full of passion and wisdom . I'm becoming a hospice volunteer and this book was a suggested read. A great choice as it is filled with practical and spiritual information. The narrator,Leslie Howard, is fantastic... the best narration I've ever experienced with an audiobook. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

it is a religious book,informative though.

lt is a religious book. Good explaining and profundity, but strictly adherence to religious beliefs and rituals.

The true stories.

The stories told were incredible and
makes me want to return to a life of focus on the spiritual realm after stepping away from it recently.

Irritating narration

I recognize the author openly admits she is Catholic and this is a spiritual guide for Hospice nurses, but I read so many reviews that said one's religious preference shouldn't be a factor for any reader. I disagree - the Christian-focused advice and guidance in this book became irritating. While the beginning few chapters are more generally written for Hospice nurses and caregivers, it quickly read like a Christian guide to dying, focused on prayer as the sole source of healing, without which the dying process will surely be more difficult and tedious and should be avoided. While I don't dispute prayer can certainly help heal and bring peace to patients and families, I just want to emphasize that prayer may not be the primary tool for every Hospice nurse. I personally have no trouble interacting with religious and non-religious families alike. I also don't feel the need to bestow my faith upon any family to do my job, and I don't think it will necessarily help them with the dying process. Just keep that in mind when choosing this book. As a side note, the narration was practically a soft whisper at times, far too intimate and nuanced for my taste - just read the book. I actually think it would've been more enjoyable with better narration.

Power of Prayer

The author’s ultimate premise & clouded narrative is that prayer is the key piece in all transition out of this world. It is a limited & constricted view.

It’s very Catholic

The author unashamedly admits her Catholic shaped beliefs. I appreciate that. Her approach to the dying is not always appropriate in my opinion. Her lense at looking at the world, and people, and souls, death, and the afterlife is very Catholic. I wouldn’t want her at my side as I die actually. So many people have had to deconstruct their Catholic, evangelical, and fundamentalist faith in America, and having someone like this could be disturbing and triggering. I wouldn’t want someone there trying “to save my soul” or worrying about it. I also think there are different and better ways to deal with forgiveness. She also feels very strongly against assisted suicide, understandably, since that’s consistent with her belief system. I found the voice of the reader annoying too, but it seemed to match the book.

Thank you

A straightforward, helpful guide to walking a road with a patient and family towards a good death. I'll listen to this book multiple times.