Another great WWII historical fiction read.

1992: Sophie’s 90th birthday. Before her party, she feels she must tell her family about her past.

1942: Sophie is a midwife in France during the war. Her daughter, Camille, is getting married but Sophie will not come to the wedding, believing that she is under watch from her efforts with the resistance. When Camille is troubled by her pregnancy, she sends for her mothers help.

This emotional story captures the strength and endurance of a mothers love with characters and a storyline that will draw the reader in.

Recommend for fans of:
The Lilac Girls
The Book of Lost Names
The Porcelain Maker
The Girl You Left Behind
Sarah’s Key

I’ve read a lot of WW2 books, but this story sets itself apart from so many that came before it. We get two different view points, who happen to be a mother/daughter duo. I liked being able to be inside both of their heads as they had their own struggles and fears, yet they were so similar. I actually didn’t except one of our character’s story to end the way it did, but unfortunately, it was realistic for the time period. The writing was smooth and the pace was enjoyable. You can tell there was a lot of research that went into this book so the history was appropriate. The love a mother has for her children is unmatched! This is an “add to your TBR list” book!

Oh my heart. I was browsing titles and came across this one and was instantly drawn by the cover and synopsis. I was so happy to have been approved to read this ARC. This book was incredible, especially having worked on L&D before as a surgical tech and scrubbed in on a handful of Cesarean births. I appreciated that aspect so much more.

As a mother of two, my mama heart burst while reading this story. All the innocent sweet babies deserve our protection as they are the most vulnerable members of society. I kept thinking about this book when I wasn’t reading it and had to know how everything was going to come together in the end. Heartrending, sobering, and heroic. I truly appreciated every detail and every chapter. I adored this book. There were no profanities and no open door romance, although some content was triggering and hard for me to read. This will be in my top 10 of the year for sure. Definitely will be purchasing a physical copy for my shelves.

5 stars, Comfort Amid Atrocities

THE MIDWIFE'S PROMISE
by Eliza Graham

In a dual timeline, Sophie tells us her story, from WWII in France, and from 1992. She is a midwife and does all she can to help the mothers and babies in her care. It isn't always easy, sometimes it is just plain hard to do. She helps anyone she comes across, at great risk to herself.

Highly recommend. Promises and secrets, both go hand in hand.

I received a complimentary copy of #TheMidwifesPromise from #StormPublishing and #NetGalley I was not obligated to post a review.

#StrongFemaleProtagonist #WWII #France #USA #Jews #Atrocities #Love #Babies #HistoricalFiction #Midwife #NewEngland #Georgia #Boston

This story starts on the ninetieth birthday of the main character Sophie. She has a secret she really needs to tell her family.
Going back in time to occupied France the emotional heart wrenching story is revealed….

This was the first story I’ve read by this author. I couldn’t put it down . Great storytelling.
Can’t wait to read more of this author.

This was an easy yet enjoyable read. The decisions that Sophie had to make as a midwife and as a parent were tough. When the unthinkable happens she makes a questionable choice for all the right reasons. The story is mostly about her journey from being a midwife and mother on the run, to love and then to telling the truth. I wish it went more in depth about the reactions of family and any reconnections that may have happened.

I was a little hesitant to read this book and left it on my wishlist for quite some time, but after reading so many excellent reviews I decided to give it a try and I’m glad I did. Yes, there is some sadness, but there are also many moments where the love among parents and children and even among other close friends, prevails. Although a few chapters are set in 1992, the biggest part of the book takes place in WWII France. The author obviously did her research and the novel gives off an authentic vibe, which I find essential for historical fiction, especially when describing true events. Bits of essential historical knowledge are seamlessly woven into the story. The “foreigners” in the story use some words in their own language appropriately, and even a bit of culture in the form of a well-known Dutch liquor makes an appearance. Loved the Rosa character! There is some romance, but this book is about love, commitment and the deep bonds of friendship. The only thing that I would have liked to see differently is the ending. It does wrap up, but I found it somewhat abrupt. I was hoping for a few more details on the characters that went in different directions after the war. It also needs a final edit since there were a few errors here and there. Overall, a good and enjoyable book for those of us who love history and WWII stories.

Many thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. I was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are my own.

This was an emotional duel timeline book. It focuses on a mother and daughter during WW2. It was a tad slow at times, but kept me interested enough to finish in an afternoon. The sacrifices the characters had to make were truly heartbreaking. Many different choices led to a heartbreaking escape that changed the trajectory of all their lives forever.

I didn’t enjoy the writing style much, but the story itself was very interesting.

Thank you NetGalley for my eARC. All opinions are my own.

The Midwife’s Promise is a book that will keep you glued to the story, and it will rip your heart to pieces and fill you with as many emotions as you are reading it.
Sophie was a midwife during WW2. She does everything possible to bring babies into the world even as chaotic as the world is during that time.
The author has given the readers a look into a world not many have seen.
For historical fiction readers this is a book you will want to read.
Thank you NetGalley, Eliza Graham and Storm Publishing for the copy of The Midwife’s Promise. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I'd just like to say thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book which I've just read in one sitting. I couldn't put it down it was so gripping. It is a double time line story told from WW2 France and 1992 America. 90 year old Sophie has a secret she has decided she finally needs to reveal and she takes us back through the history of that secret. I'm not going to rehash the story again here. Just make sure to read it when it comes out on December 6th. You won't be disappointed!

Haunting and heartbreaking. I love World War II historical novels and this one did not disappoint.

Sophie, a midwife in France during the German occupation, helps pregnant women deliver babies and Jewish children escape France. As a result, she is distanced from her daughter, Camille, who is pregnant. When her daughter’s pregnancy becomes concerning, Sophie travels to be with her and deliver the baby. They have to flee the city and what results is a heartbreaking story of survival in the darkest of times.

This book gripped me from chapter one, as we see Sophie, at 90, grappling with sharing her story. The story that unfolds will break your heart and have you weeping for Sophie. The author did an amazing job of sharing a story about the bonds of motherhood and survival.

Thank you to the @Netgalley and @stormbooks_co who provided the ARC.

I would highly recommend this book. Put it on your TBR. It will be published December 6, 2023.

This book gutted me. The plot is riveting and intense it will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat after every page. While this story does involve midwifery, it extends well beyond that, covering courageous acts played out by not only Sophie our main character but from others we least expect. I am not usually a fan of a dual time line, but in this story it works.
Thank you NetGalley for the complimentary digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

My heart broke at this book. Beautiful and heartbreaking. It’s a book of sadness and hope. The depths a person will go to, to protect their loved ones.

It’s very gripping and moving and one of my favourite reads of the year!

The Midwife’s Promise was a gripping and sad historical fiction novel that was about the lives of Sophie and her family during the turbulent times of World War II.

Set in New England in 1992 and France in 1944, the story brings together the past and the present, exploring themes of love, sacrifice, and great difficulties.

Sophie was a strong and determined woman, whose unwavering love for her family made her to make difficult decisions in the face of such traumatic difficulties.

The book was brilliantly paced, alternating between the present-day celebration of Sophie's 90th birthday and the harrowing events of the past. The book made me think I was there in the sights, sounds, and emotions of wartime France.

Sophie's determination to protect her loved ones and her willingness to sacrifice everything for their safety was heartfelt and heartbreaking.

The Midwives Promise gave me a powerful reminder of the atrocities of war and the strength of the human spirit.

Fans of historical fiction and stories of love and survival will find this book a unforgettable read.

📚 This novel, set in WW2 occupied France, follows Sophie, a midwife who is involved in more than just delivering babies. It skips forward in time as well, to present day Sophie and her family in the United States and the secret she's been keeping from them for decades. I love strong women characters, especially ones who survive through atrocious times, and Sophie is just that. It was a lovely novel, and I'm looking forward to reading more by Eliza Graham.

🩺 Sophie delivers a set of twins in the novel at the mother's home, rather than in the local clinic like they had hoped. There are no additional associated adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes for twins delivered vaginally vs via cesarean section. In the US today, 79% of women pregnant with twins plan a vaginal delivery, and the vast majority of those are successful for both twins.

Thank you Netgalley and Storm Books for the early opportunity to read and review this novel.

A WWII novel set in two different time periods. A midwife leads a secret life to help new mothers and families escape to safety. Bur with her own daughter, unforseen events will change both of their lives and the life of a newborn. I liked this book but found that I was skimming through sections just to find out what happens. For fans of historical fiction, this book is right up your alley.

I don’t often begin a review with tear-filled eyes but The Midwife’s Promise left me in a huge puddle. Gripped, devastated and heartbroken are just a few words I felt after completing this novel. But I must add, I also was full of hope and uplifted by the release of truth at the end.

Eliza Graham has this way of presenting a story that gently builds inside you and then she suddenly rips that entire world of security out from under your feet in one giant sweep of masterful words! It appears, she is not afraid to share shocking outcomes from traumatising events. True, that is life, and although this is fiction, these horrifying things would have happened in WWII. We get an authentic account of what it could have and would have been like when so many lives were threatened in France by the Nazis. This honest portrayal also seen in her characters— means they feel very real and personal. We feel great sadness for the victims. And tremble at the Nazis’s hate for the Jews and those who tried to help them. The suffering, the fear, the sacrifices, the difficult choices many had to make to survive make us wince. The pull and ties of love between a mother and child and a grandmother and her grandchild are painted in full colour across these pages. What would any mother/grandmother do if we were in the situation of Camille and Sophie? To what lengths would we go to protect our children?

Sophie is a dedicated midwife with an admirable passion to deliver babies safely. Her selfless drive to help others, shines like a beacon in this novel. You can easily put your full trust in her abilities as her movements and knowledge are clearly visible in the tasks she undertakes. She also puts herself at risk many times during the Nazis rule in WWII. Especially to help her daughter whose pregnancy has presented some challenges.

After being in hiding and receiving a note from her daughter, Sophie decides to go to her. This decision leads to good and bad consequences. To be reunited with her daughter and to help her with her delivery brings her great joy but the potential trouble her presence could unleash leaves her in a quandary. A mother’s heart though sometimes overrules reason and Sophie makes the perilous journey. But there are some delays along the way because she meets some people she cannot resist helping. This makes her trip a bit longer but the new friendships she develops will prove beneficial. She eventually reaches her daughter but danger lurks behind closed doors and she must make another difficult decision. I cannot say more or risk revealing the plot. But I will shout the praises of this woman who has such a fierce heart of love that her actions and thoughts made me cry. I was deeply moved by this character. She is not perfect, of course, but as a mother I can relate to her desire to protect, nurture and charge forward with little thought of her own safety to keep her child/grandchildren and any child free from harm.

Besides Sophie’s viewpoint, we also get Camille’s. I like her daughter very much, too. She seems sweet and devoted to her husband who appears to adore her. But the war has created complications in their lives. And it is hard to watch her walk through those moments of uncertainty and fear. She married what seems to be a good French man in the silk industry. But he is involved in some things she has no knowledge of which can mean he is either trying to protect her from the enemy or keep his less than favourable activities under wraps. Is he sympathetic to the Nazis or not? When his family are in danger, we truly discover whose side he is on.

There are two timelines 1944 (France) and 1992 (New England) mostly so Sophie can tell her story. We start with Sophie celebrating her 90th birthday but she has a gift she must give her son. The truth. She cannot hold on any longer to her secrets that she has carried since the war. And these revelations prove powerful and purging. She is advanced in years and needs to unload her burden. Although she has written everything down for him, she feels it is cowardice if she does not tell him in person. Speak the truth and it will set her free. But how will this affect her son?

This is a haunting novel on the unyielding bonds of motherhood. I mean this sincerely, I was deeply affected by this story. There are places in it that made me wince, gasp and tremble. But I think the word that echoes throughout The Midwife's Promise for me is LOVE. Love that is fierce, unconditional, gripping and eternal. How far will a woman go to hold on to and protect her children and grandchildren? Some will cross rivers, fight demons (or anything evil) and risk everything—even their own safety. This novel represents a powerful statement – that there is an unbreakable thread that binds a parent to their offspring. I highly recommend The Midwife’s Promise but be prepared as this story will make you weep. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for a review copy.

There are not enough words to explain just how much I loved this book. The tears, the gasping, the waking of my husband at night while I read… I can’t properly describe how this book took hold of my heart and held on tight while I read.

I am a former labor & delivery nurse and have always wanted to be a midwife/doula. Reading the book with some medical/delivery knowledge definitely helped in understanding the background, but if you don’t have any medical knowledge, do NOT let that stop you from picking this arc up when it comes out on December 6! I can guarantee you will love it.

The writing was so smooth. The length and pace made reading the story accessible and enjoyable. I don’t want to give away too much but know that this book pulls at all the emotions and I can promise you if you like any bit of historical fiction, romance, multiple POV, or any kind of book at all (lol) really, that you will love this book.

Thank you to @netgalley and @elizagraham1 for trusting me with these characters and this story! I am beyond lucky to have been able to review this arc!

All thoughts and opinions are my own.

❤︎︎ Historical Fiction genre
❤︎︎ Multiple POV
❤︎︎ WWII setting
❤︎︎ Social Upheaval
❤︎︎ Dual Timeline
❤︎︎ Vivid character description
❤︎︎ Women’s fiction
❤︎︎ Light, touching romance

What an emotional novel !!! I really enjoyed it! So much tension, always building up (along with my heart beats!), and this, up to the end!!! A great story, also thought provoking (any good reason to separate a baby from his relatives?). I read it in two goes as I could not put the book down. A dual time storyline which I usually dislike, but it worked in this novel.... Not my first book by the author, (all very addictive!), and I definitely hope for more!
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

This read was full of emotions, yes, we all know about the evil the perpetrated Europe in the 1930's and 40's, but through the author's words we put faces on these people. This story takes place in France and we meet those that put their lives on the line to help thwart the enemy and help those who are hated.
Sophie is a midwife and more, and she gives all she has to help those in need. When a message comes that her daughter needs her, she goes with great danger to her. In the end it was a good thing she did.
Loved how we as humans tend to judge people, and like others Sophie ended up being wrong about what she thought about some people, but she was so right about others. She held on to secrets for over 50 years, and we are there when Paul gets what he never knew he was missing.
Keep the tissues handy this one will grip your heart!
I received this book through Net Galley and Storm Publishing, and was not required to give a positive review.