The Midwife's Secret: A gripping, heartbreaking story about a missing girl and a family secret for lovers of historical fiction
The gripping, heartwrenching story of a girl gone missing and an innocent, accused woman who holds the key to a family secret, from the bestselling author of THE GIRL IN THE LETTER. 'Spellbindingly good! Heartbreak, intrigue, mystery *****' Real reader 'One of the best books I've read this year! I adored every single page *****' Real reader 'I really loved it! Tense, emotionally charged' *****' Jenny Ashcroft 'A gripping, heart-wrenching story of love, loyalty and family secrets. Reminded me ofKate Morton and Eve Chase *****' Fictionophile __________ It all began with a midwife's secret, long buried but if uncovered could save two families from the bitter tragedy that binds them. And prove the key that will free them all... 1969 On New Year's Eve, while the Hiltons of Yew Tree Manor prepare to host the party of the season, their little girl disappears. Suspicion falls on Bobby James, a young farmhand and the last person to see Alice before she vanished. Bobby protests his innocence, but he is sent away. Alice is never found. Present day Architect Willow James is working on a development at Yew Tree when she discovers the land holds a secret. As she begins to dig deep into the past, she uncovers a web of injustice. And when another child goes missing, Willow knows the only way to stop history repeating itself is to right a terrible wrong... 'A gripping story' - Woman & Home 'Hugely addictive, full of twists, turns and betrayal' - Heat 'Compelling, twisty, heart-wrenching... A novel that stays with you. I was gripped'- Sophie Kinsella on The Girl in the Letter ARE YOU READY TO DISCOVER THE MIDWIFE'S SECRET? READERS ARE SPELLBOUND: 'One of my favorites this year' - Beauty Balm blog 'The story was stunning and heartbreaking. I went to bed at 2am! Can't wait for the next book ***** ''Wow! What a powerful book. This had me hooked from the start. The story spans generations and tells of lies, grief and secrets. It was extremely well written and had you guessing right to the end. Loved the characters and couldn't put this book down.*****' 'A real heart-pounder! It had intrigue, suspense and lots of twists and turns!! Definitely some jaw-dropping moments! I highly recommend reading this book! ***** 'Your favorite authors adore Emily Gunnis's bestselling novels: 'Utterly gripping, taut and powerful. An emotionally charged, compulsive, moving novel - Adele Parks 'A great book, truly hard to put down. Fast paced, brilliantly plotted and desperately sad at times - all hallmarks of a bestseller' - Lesley Pearse 'A truly brilliant and moving read. I loved it' - Karen Hamilton 'Captivating and suspenseful' - Jessica Fellowes 'Loss, betrayal and a decades-old secret... BRILLIANT' - Heat magazine
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Community Reviews
The Midwife’s Secret
✨ Reading Mood: Heavy, emotional, mysterious, unsettling
Author: Emily Gunnis
Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫/⭐️⭐️⭐️
Quick Summary:
When a little girl disappears from Yew Tree Manor in 1969, suspicion falls on a grieving local man, but the child is never found. Decades later, another disappearance begins uncovering long-buried secrets tied to the manor and to a midwife sentenced to death in 1919. Told across three timelines, this story weaves together family secrets, tragedy, betrayal, and mystery as the truth slowly comes to light.
My Review:
This was my first book by this author, and while the synopsis immediately intrigued me, this ended up being a much heavier and more emotionally difficult read than I anticipated.
What initially kept me invested was the mystery woven throughout the three timelines. I genuinely wanted to understand how everything connected, and I will say the second half pulled me in more as the mystery deepened and more pieces started falling into place.
That said, this is an incredibly tragic and emotionally heavy story. Beyond child loss, the book includes miscarriage, abortion, suicide, death of a parent, animal death, and several graphic or deeply upsetting moments that were honestly hard for me to read as a sensitive reader and loss mom. Some scenes left me feeling emotionally overwhelmed and physically unsettled.
I also struggled at times with the large cast of characters across multiple timelines and occasionally found it difficult to keep everyone straight.
Personally, I think I would have connected more had the mystery remained more central to the story rather than leaning so heavily into the traumatic details. As someone who tends to prefer cleaner historical fiction and themes that align more closely with my Christian values, parts of this simply felt too intense for me personally.
Still, I can appreciate the layered storytelling and why this book may resonate with readers who enjoy darker, emotionally raw historical fiction.
Overall, this landed somewhere between a 2.5 and 3 star read for me, with a strong caution for sensitive readers.
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