A Book Review

By Amy Porter

I rarely review the books that are sent to www.Vitesis.com.  Usually Jill or Hannah read and write the review.  Christine Blevins’ new historical fiction, The Midwife of Blue Ridge caught my attention:  It has a strong female protagonist who is a midwife,  an herbalist, and a wise woman.  Definitively, my kind of woman!

So I will ask you.  When was the last time you read a novel written about a woman who is a member of our alternative health community and the author actually got the information correct?  Midwife of the Blue Ridge, is one of those books.

Blevins’ heroine is Maggie.  She was born in Scotland during the early 1700s, spent her early life surrounded by fighting; orphaned during a raid on her village; then raised by the local midwife; indentured so that she could immigrate to America; bought by a family who lived at the edge of the wilderness; and then spent the next years living on the edge of danger.  Sound exciting.  It was.  It was one of those stories that caught my attention and held it.

I was impressed by how Blevins created a world that accepted a woman as a healer and as a wise woman.  Maggie’s strength is what attracted people to her.  And it never detracted from her femininity.

As a bonus, Blevins wove in her knowledge of herbs and alternative medicine.  Her readers will come away with an acceptance of both midwifery and herbs.  They will at least have a basic knowledge of common herbs – slippery elm, cherry roots and yarrow to name a few. 

Midwife of the Blue Ridge is available for purchase through Amazon.com and other booksellers. For more information check out BlogStop Booktours or her website, http://christineblevins.com/.

By Hannah Lee

Xujun Eberlein’s work Apologies Forthcoming is an innovative and highly unique piece of literature that sheds light on an extremely pivotal time period in China. Her fresh work delves into the controversial aftermath of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, and engages the reader into one of the most original and thought-provoking books of the year.

Apologies Forthcoming creates a compelling viewpoint of Chinese society. The use of viable characters illustrates the realities of Mao’s Cultural Revolution. Oppression, along with overbearing governmental tendencies shape each character’s story to reveal the true meaning of individualism. Her character Shiao Su is one of many that is forced to conform in a dangerous society. Xujun’s work depicts the tragedy of lost freedoms within a country too eager to progress.

Xujun herself has found a successful way to draw directly from her own experiences. Much of Apologies Forthcoming can be taken from Xujun’s life in China after the Cultural Revolution, which only helps to illuminate the actuality of the situation. Her work sets a strong precedent for future writers in this area.

Another strong aspect of Xujun’s work is her ability to bring the controversy of China to light, without create bias. It is an innovative take of the time period and Xujun has managed to create wholesome characters rather than good guys and bad guys.

I picked up this book for informational purposes, not expecting such a strong, fresh viewpoint on a time period I have meticulously investigated, and after reading it I highly recommend it. This novel is ideal for anyone interested in this radical era in China, for not only does Xujun’s work, Apologies Forthcoming reveal factual information, it illustrates extreme realities.

Apologies Forthcoming is available for purchase through Amazon.com and other booksellers. For more information check out BlogStop Booktours and Xujun’s blog.