great read

Check out Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's magnificent work, A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812. I'm about halfway through this book. Very interesting, whether looked at from an historical, a cultural, or a medical perspective.

Martha Moore Ballard lived in the Kennebec River region of Maine, working in and around the town of Hallowell. More about her can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Ballard

This treasure of a book, originally published in hardcover by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. (New York) in 1990, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1991. As noted at Wikipedia, "In 1997, the PBS series The American Experience aired A Midwife's Tale. This documentary film was based upon Ulrich’s book, and Ulrich served as a consultant, script collaborator, and narrator for the film." I have not yet seen the film. See: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/midwife/filmmore/index.html