Publisher: Gallery Books

Publication Date: May 12, 2026

Length: 368 pages

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is strictly my own.

Happy at home in Tipperary, Ireland, Margaret Lannigan is expecting a proposal from her boyfriend, Joseph. They have been together for two years. She likes to dance, to kiss her boyfriend Joseph, and to dream about their wedding. Margaret’s sister Sheila becomes ill. Margaret and her mother try every home remedy they know to try to help Sheila. Sadly, Sheila passed away. Margaret is heartbroken. After the funeral, Margaret’s parents and the local priest inform her that she is to leave immediately and become a nun. Her older sister, Sheila, had been the one promised to the church, but with her death, Margaret must now go. She has never thought about becoming a nun. Margaret resists; this was not her life plan. She is ordered to pack a bag and is quickly escorted to the convent by their local priest. Margaret didn’t have time to tell any of her friends or family goodbye. And what of her engagement to Joseph? Once at the convent, Margaret writes a letter to her boyfriend Joseph. Surely he will come and rescue her. Each day, she wakes full of hope, and by nightfall, Joseph has not arrived. Why is he taking so long?

Margaret’s story is one part of this book. The other is about Riley. Living in New York, she is engaged and planning her wedding. Her parents died when she was twelve, and her grandmother raised her. Five years after her parents’ death, Alzheimer’s is gradually taking away the woman who is her second mother. The last two years have been the most difficult. Riley’s grandmother has fewer lucid moments. While visiting her grandmother, she asks Riley to bring over a box of keepsakes. Inside the box, Riley discovers a document among her grandmother’s keepsakes that puzzles her. Why does her grandmother have it? Before she can explain, Riley’s grandmother slides back into the haze of Alzheimer’s. This document is so inexplicable that Riley searches for answers.

The Forgotten Midwife occurs in 1950s Ireland and the present day. In the 1950s, unplanned pregnancy was dealt with in a far different manner than it is today. Many people took guidance from the local religious community. Such guidance is responsible for Margaret’s life story. How does Margaret’s story intersect with Riley’s? The unveiling of the connection is the heart of this story. The author presents a historical, yet fictitious, account of the unwed mother’s home neutrally. The lack of judgment and presentation of the story provides a strong and stirring narrative. It is a touching, heart-wrenching, and beautiful story, well told. Many of the societal concepts might not be familiar to younger readers, but this is a lesson worth learning.

I would recommend this book to book clubs, historical fiction fans, and women’s fiction fans. If you know of someone who is adopted, they might also enjoy this story. It is a true gem.

My Rating:🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻/5