The Midwives

Across a century of wars and upheaval, three generations of midwives endure loss, nurture life, and leave an indelible mark on their community in southeastern Poland.

Winter 1885, in a village near Krakóoacute;w. Young Franciszka gives birth to her first child. Her foster mother, a renowned midwife, accompanies her during the birth. At the same time, a child is also born in a nearby manor house. Franciszka is hired as its wet nurse. A series of circumstances leads her to help local women deliver their children, and thanks to unexpected support, she begins training at a midwifery school in Kraków. She returns from Kraków to her home village enriched by her knowledge of childbirth, which painfully clashes with the rural reality of poverty and superstition. She is drawn into a whirlwind of passion and grand history.

The Midwives is a monumental and captivating story, inspired by the life of the author's great-grandmother, about a woman who dealt with life and death, loved and provided help at any time of day and night, even during the turmoil of war.

Inspired by the life of a Polish village midwife, this unforgettable story follows three generations of women whose work places them at the intimate center of two world wars. As men march off to battlefields, these unseen and overlooked women fight their own battles, becoming unshakable pillars of resilience and the enduring heartbeat of their communities. Against the backdrop of a changing Poland, they navigate through hardships and the quiet triumphs of everyday life, preserving wisdom and hope for the generations to come.