Did having all three women's viewpoints give you a richer picture of the women's individual stories, and if so, how?
Created: 12/26/15
Replies: 22
Join Date: 10/15/10
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Join Date: 03/03/12
Posts: 251
Yes, I liked the difference of viewpoint in each chapter. Floss appeared to be a straightforward, hard-working woman who knew the ways of the world and accepted herself for who she was. Grace was the one who didn't fit the family pattern because she was much more dramatic, opinionated, and new-agey. It turned out that there were good reasons for that. Neva was the one who puzzled me the most. I guess she felt smothered by Grace's insistence that she reveal who the father of her child was, but it seemed like an over-reaction to me.
Join Date: 01/01/16
Posts: 476
Yes I love books that are written this way. I certainly got to know each character, what they were thinking , feeling and knowing their past as they see it and not others. I love character driven books, they are my favorite.
Join Date: 01/23/15
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Join Date: 10/16/10
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I think it's really difficult for an author to convincingly pull off three narrative voices - to make them distinct enough to fully differentiate them - but Hepworth accomplished this quite successfully. Her ability to make each of her narrators stand out was very impressive, and added to my enjoyment of the novel.
Join Date: 06/16/11
Posts: 410
I think the changing of viewpoints was great and made it easier to understand where each of these ladies was coming from. They were very different personalities, different ages and living in different locations which made them very distinct and strong characters and yet very attached to each other despite their differences.
Strong minded women with a common career interest but coming from different approaches.
Join Date: 10/12/11
Posts: 256
I enjoy reading different viewpoints relative to the same issue. Human nature is such that individuals may see the same incident in a different light. This gives readers different perspectives enabling us to evaluate and decide on whose viewpoint is most credible. Each viewpoint in this novel allowed us to delve into the actions, motives, and personalities of the three characters involved in the story line of the novel. We were then able to better understand the characters and their relationship to one another.
Join Date: 09/16/11
Posts: 165
It was an interesting technique and served to move the story along. However, I feel having multiple viewpoints and time frames is being over-used in fiction today. The fame of "Gone Girl" has too many authors using this form of writing. Multiple viewpoints can be given without dedicating entire chapters to each voice. I admire authors who tell the story in a linear fashion. Using this technique in "Midwives" made it a quick read. I just hope that Hepworth doesn't make a habit of it.
Join Date: 06/13/11
Posts: 272
So many authors are using this multiple voices that one wonders if this is a main course in writing. Having said that, I found it effective in this story, especially because of the secrets all had.
Join Date: 06/29/15
Posts: 146
I agree with the last 2 posts - multiple viewpoints in this story is very effective but not in all the novels I have read recently. Having 3 characters being midwives and related gave the story a much richer picture in mother-daughter relationships as well as the practice of midwifery.
Join Date: 06/19/12
Posts: 413
I agree with louisee, Peggy H., and Retired Reader. In this case the three narrative voices added depth to the story and to the individual characters (one voice giving insight to another character's viewpoint at times). I think the family relationships between the characters -- daughter - mother- grandmother -- helped make that work. But multiple voices can be confusing, especially when combined with changing time frames.
Join Date: 05/29/11
Posts: 43
I love reading different character's perspectives, so I think this definitely added to the story line. In a family everyone has their own opinion and perspective, so the fact that we could read each character's thoughts enhanced the book.
Join Date: 12/25/12
Posts: 52
I like the different viewpoints as it sheds light on the characters in a way that one narrator cannot. The danger is when there are multiple narrators, the author has to ensure we get enough from each voice in a shorter amount of time.
Join Date: 05/24/11
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Join Date: 10/27/15
Posts: 146
Yes. I was very impressed with how distinct each woman's voice was. Each character's voice offered you glimpses into who they were & how they interacted with each other. Very well written characters.
Join Date: 08/28/15
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