Review: The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain

Noelle, Tara, and Emerson are all really good friends. They've been close since college and have shared many of their significant life events. But when Noelle, the midwife, takes her own life, Tara and Emerson are shocked and soon learn that Noelle had many secrets. As they begin to investigate her life to find out why she killed herself, their discoveries will shock their own existence and the knowledge they have of themselves and the people they love.

I really enjoyed The Midwife's Confession, because the mystery is the kind that unfolds slowly. I was into it almost immediately and curious about what Noelle's secret had been. And there's more than one secret and many layers to uncover. But of course this isn't the only thing going on, there are things going on in the lives of each of the characters as well. The story is told in the first person point of view alternating between mostly Emerson and Tara and at times third person from Noelle's point of view, and a few other voices as well, but I don't want to give those away.

I really appreciated how I thought I could guess what was going on but it was switched up so the ending was a little bit unpredictable. I got really sucked into this book, I wanted to read it in a way I haven't been compelled by a book in a long time so it was a really nice break.

One of the ideas the book flirts with is whether or not you let the horrible things someone does define the whole of them. When you love someone, when you know the kindness they are capable of and the love and then you find out things about them...does it alter how you see them essentially? Even when the motivations are understood, I think it can be crushing to discover the very deep reality that we are all flawed and capable of great evil. I think discovering this particular truth after someone has passed on can be really difficult because there is no chance to hear their perspective.

The Midwife's Confession is a great compelling read about friendship, motherhood, family, and the secrets we keep.

Rating: 4.25/5
Things You Might Want to Know: a little sex, a little profanity
Source of Book: Received for review
Publisher: Mira