Mother’s Day…

About the Book:

Burra District Hospital’s maternity unit is under threat and will close for births unless a new obstetrician can be found. Midwife Noni Frost needs a miracle.

A single mum, Noni lives with her young son, Harley, and her Aunt Win, a free spirit and the beating heart of Burra Guest House. Noni’s world is disrupted when Iain McCloud and his pregnant teenage daughter Jacinta move into the guesthouse to await the birth of her baby.
There’s instant chemistry between Iain and Noni, although he has no plans to stay on in town. But when Jacinta shares explosive family secrets with Noni and an unexpected crisis occurs, everyone’s lives come crashing down around them.

Set among the white gum trees and flowing waters of the NSW northern rivers, this is a heartfelt and dramatic story about new babies, new friends and new loves, which shows that when strong women come together in a time of crisis, they can overcome even the greatest odds.

 

 

My Thoughts:

What an enjoyable read this was! Mother’s Day ticks all the boxes: great setting, engaging characters, involving plot, a nice romance, great family feels, both tears and laughter. An excellent gift this Mother’s Day for the mother figure in your life, but make sure you grab a copy for yourself as well!

 

Noni is a sparky character, full of love and dedication to her job as a midwife in a small country town. I loved Noni’s enthusiasm and I loved her philosophy. There’s such an empowering undertone to the situations raised within this novel. My own experience with midwives was positive, three times over, and while I’ll acknowledge that my birth experiences were as non-complicated as you can get, I still felt like I got off to a good start with my babies in part because of the fantastic midwives who helped me along with it. This novel made me think back on this and also think about friends who have had babies recently, some not so easy or straightforward. I just really like people who empower mothers instead of dictate to them, so Fiona McArthur is up there on my list of favourite people now. I absolutely love this passage which sums up so much about this novel in a nice little nutshell:

“She paused, aware that what she said next was the most important message she could give someone like him who could influence a woman’s life as she gave birth. ‘Can you see now how a woman can absorb so much faith in her own ability to raise her children from her labour? The decisions she’s allowed to make, the respect she’s afforded, and achievement of the birth regardless of how that baby arrives – these experiences are so important as lessons to help in the tough times to come. Raising children is harder than labour. It’s not just about today, you know. You shouldn’t rush to put limitations on a mother unless she asks for help.’”

Here, here!

 

This novel is not all about birthing babies – although I’ll be upfront in saying that it’s a huge part of the story. It’s also about family, who we get and who we choose, and what we consider most valuable in life. I enjoyed watching the relationship between Jacinta and Iain emerge, a father and daughter finding their feet with each other as well as themselves within their new roles. Likewise, Win, Noni’s aunt, who was at a crossroads without even really knowing it. This was a nice bunch of people to hang out with and the way their lives became entwined made for an entertaining and heartfelt story.

 

Thanks is extended to Penguin Random House Australia for providing me with a copy of Mother’s Day for review.

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About the Author:

Drawing from her life as a rural midwife, Fiona McArthur shares her love of working with women, families and health professionals in her books. In her compassionate, pacey fiction, her love of the Australian landscape meshes beautifully with warm, funny, multigenerational characters as she highlights challenges for rural and remote families, and the strength shared between women. Happy endings are a must. Fiona is the author of non-fiction book Aussie Midwives, and lives on a farm with her husband in northern New South Wales. She was awarded the NSW Excellence in Midwifery Award in 2015.
www.FionaMcArthurAuthor.com

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