Karen Cecil SmithOrlean Puckett: The Life of a Mountain Midwife, 1844-1939

Just started reading

When I first read the "teasers" of this book, I just felt I had to get it and read it. I am so glad that I did! Being a woman, I enjoy reading about the lives of ordinary women during various times in history, and knowing how they lived, what motivated them, what may have captured their imagination, what made them laugh and smile.Orlean Puckett was a woman born into the early part of the 19th century in the mountains of Virginia. Her arrival into this world came before the war between the States, when slavery was still an accepted way of life south of the Mason-Dixon line. She married at 16 - considered normal in her community - just before the start of the Civil War. She also gave birth to her first child within a year of getting married. She would go on to get pregnant 24 times - and loose all 24 children. A travesty I cannot comprehend any woman being able to overcome.And yet, Orlean Puckett became a midwife in her middle years. She assisted other women with bringing new life into the world, and became one of the most trusted women in her community to do so. She delivered, by all estimates, at least 1,000 babies into her mountain community.As we read about these simple facts of Orlean's life, we also learn about what life was like to live in the mountains of Virginia when people lived in log cabins, where windows were few, electricity was non-existant, and indoor plumbing was un-heard of. We come to know how people lived when there was no supermarket down the street, and people had to rely on themselves or their neighbors. The author does a wonderful job bring Orlean Puckett to life and allowing the reader to really get to know her, to almost hear her laugh, and feel her gentle but firm touch as she assisted the women giving birth and held the babies she "caught."Orlean Puckett was a much loved woman in her family and community, and she would have been a woman I would have liked to have met. I very much enjoyed this telling of her life story.

Orlean Puckett was an amazing woman. She gave birth to 24 babies and only her first lived for a few months. It is thought that the problem was due to the Rh factor. She delivered over 1000 babies. She was a "Granny Midwife" in the traditional sense of the term. She helped out not only when a woman was expecting a baby, but also when someone was injured or sick. She believed in using herbs and plants to heal. My grandmother was a "Granny Midwife" in the Boston Mountains of Arkansas as well. I saw many of the same things I have heard people talk about regarding my grandmother in Karen Cecil Smith's description of Orlean Puckett. One thing that was a real eye-opener for me was the Rh factor. I have a great aunt who lost many, many babies. In the cemetery there is a whole row of field rocks marking each baby's grave. There is no inscription, no name, just a rock. My mother would always take me there and say that nobody knows why all her babies died. The minute I read this book, I felt like a bolt of lightning hit me. I'll bet it was the same thing. I'll bet they had an Rh problem too. It wasn't diagnosed back in the hills in the 1920's and 1930's. So, thank you Karen Cecil Smith for writing such a beautiful book, a tribute to Orlean Puckett and also for most likely diagnosing a problem that has bothered me all my life. Every time we went to the family cemetery in Arkansas, my mother would take me to that row of stones and say, "Now, those are all the graves of Aunt... babies who didn't live but a few hours, every one of them died."

My mother in law has talked about this relative for years. She had purchased the book a while back and lent it out and has not ever received it back. We were so delighted to find this on Amazon and had to get her another copy!

I really enjoyed reading the Life of a Mountain midwife. However, as I am practicing as a midwife in a different country many historic descriptions did not mean a lot to me. Because of the title I expected to read a lot about her midwifery life. Only one chapter is directly related to this, which I absolutely love dreading, as it gave wonderful insight and wisdom of what it was like to practice as a midwife in those days. The rest of the book seems to focus a lot on relatives and descendants which would be useful for readers that have lived in that area. I would consider changing the title as it is somewhat misleading.

My book looks like new and it arrived when predicted. I'm so pleased

Funny, Sad, and Remarkable story. Author Karen Smith has researched and documented beautifully the life of mountain midwife, Orlean Puckett (1844-1939), known for decades only through oral legends. Through personal interviews with relatives and neighbors, and study of the area, the era, and the customs, Smith has provided an invaluable regional history that would have otherwise been largely lost.In this quick easy read, she captures perfectly the local color and dialect to create a most entertaining and informative biography. Her work dispels myths, leaves questions where they remain, and turns a mountain legend into living history.Highly recommended, especially for anyone interested in turn-of-the-century life in the Blue Ridge Mountains. And if you love this one, you'll also love Richard Davids' "The Man Who Moved a Mountain." The two go hand in hand.

Orlean Puckett. Such a strong, tenderhearted woman. She travelled all over the mountains birthing hundreds of babies and yet buried 24 children herself (a result of RH hemolytic disease) . So heartbreaking. And so inspiring. This is a true story and a good one. She gave her heart and soul for the love of children.There's some humor too. Orleans husband-to-be was super shy. When he finally got the courage up to express himself this is what he said, "they just wasted purty on you when they made you, didn't they? They made you purty as they could and then pitched a shovel full in your face."They were married the next Saturday.CONTENT: Suitable reading for all audiences