The Book of the Unnamed Midwife

The Road to Nowhere, Book 1

By: Meg Elison

Narrated by: Angela Dawe

Philip K. Dick Award Winner for Distinguished Science Fiction

When she fell asleep, the world was doomed. When she awoke, it was dead.

In the wake of a fever that decimated the earth's population - killing women and children and making childbirth deadly for the mother and infant - the midwife must pick her way through the bones of the world she once knew to find her place in this dangerous new one. Gone are the pillars of civilization. All that remains is power - and the strong who possess it.

A few women like her survived, though they are scarce. Even fewer are safe from the clans of men, who, driven by fear, seek to control those remaining. To preserve her freedom, she dons men's clothing, goes by false names, and avoids as many people as possible. But as the world continues to grapple with its terrible circumstances, she'll discover a role greater than chasing a pale imitation of independence.

After all, if humanity is to be reborn, someone must be its guide.

©2016 Meg Elison. (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Didn't think I'd like it but glad I listened...

Any additional comments?

I was really worried about this book after reading the complaints about the equals in the other reviews but decided to give the book a try as the rest of the reviews were pretty good. I was glad I did. I had mixed feelings throughout the book but that's okay with me as I think it's more the character was pretty well developed (as in, her actions got to me because I was invested in the story). I ended listening to the entire thing in two days and hoped there was a follow-up book but it did end with a definite ending (this is something that bothers me about this genre of fiction... it seems they all end on a cliff hanger for the next book). There could be a next book or not with this one and I like that.

Addressing the equals. It didn't bother me so much as it had other reviewers... simply because this story is someone writing in a journal... and I found the story more plausible that she would have this linguistic "tic" and continue it throughout. It almost made it as if I was really "reading" someone's inner thoughts.

Wow!

This book had my attention from beginning to end. It was simultaneously classic science fiction and super fresh and original. I adore the worlds and cultures she creates, and she reminds me a lot of Ursula Le Guin.

The reading was excellent, too. I generally detest it when audio books use "voices" for characters, but she had a way of reading different characters in their own voices without it sounding like a 50's radio broadcast.

extraordinary book

of a future we are getting a taste of right now. imagine if the pandemic we are living with now becomes evolved, the variants and mutations bring unexpected and horrific injuries to our bodies that we don't know about yet. this book was an extraordinary vision of what pandemic diseases can do, especially when 1/2 the population of the world denies it, won't get vaccinated..what if the covid variants evolve and evolve and in ten years or 20, woman start dying and no children are born on planet earth for 7 or 10 or 20 years. I can imagine a future like this because covid has taught me what fools people are. over 600, 000 people are dead from OUR pandemic and it didn't have to be that way. we are stupid, stubborn, we listin to politicians for medical advice and threaten the lives of scientists. yeah! I can imagine this future or one very similar at least in the USA. the book was fantastic. take the journey... and think about the roads that people walked to make that journey. wonderfully narrated. listen to this book! you won't be disappointed!

Great book

I know a lot of ppl said there was too much cursing, but for what they were going through, it was called for. It was sad & parts will make you mad, but that’s what a good book does, it brings out emotions. Love it & I will listen to more by this author.

Loved This Book!

This book kept me awake! I couldn't stop reading. Meg Elison's writing was engaging; the main character was believable and interesting. The plot was well thought out and much more plausible than zombie-apocalypse. It is a similar idea in that masses get sick and die, but no biters. It just sucks because a lot of people die. Mostly women and newborns. Again, it's possible.

With that scenario, the story is told in many ways. There is a third-person point of view. Then the main character writes in her journal bringing it to first-person. Thrown in are chapters about other characters or even globally how others are dealing with a new world with very few women. And though I read this Kindle Unlimited version with Whispersynch to the Audible, I found myself READING as much as listening because even the fonts were different and interesting.

But without the narration by Angela Dawe, the book becomes less. Angela's acting was flawless and added a lot to the story. I think this book is read best the way I did it as all the layers the author intended are there.

Though this was book one and you know there is more, there was no cliffhanger. You reach a natural somewhat comfortable ending. I was just excited to know there was more! I have already downloaded the Audible and Kindle Unlimited of book two. I can hardly wait to get to it!