Key Facts
full title ·
A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary,
1785–1812
author · Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
type of work · Historical portrait
genre · Nonfiction, history
language · English
time and place written · New England, 1980s
date of first publication · 1990
publisher · Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
narrator · Ulrich and Martha's diary entries
point of view · The passages from Martha's diary are in the first person; Ulrich's
writing is in the third person.
tone · Though occasionally given to self-pity, Martha generally talks about
her life in very factual terms, and Ulrich only rarely disagrees with Martha's
perceptions of events and people.
tense · Past tense
setting (time) · 1785–1812
setting (place) · Augusta (originally Hallowell), a small town in Maine
protagonist · Martha Ballard
major conflict · Martha struggles through the many challenges of raising a family and
having a career in early New England.
rising action · As Martha assists midwives with deliveries, she gives birth to eight
children of her own, losing three of them to a diphtheria
epidemic.
climax · Martha and her children follow Ephraim to Hallowell, where her age and
experience make her the town's most popular midwife.
falling action · Martha raises her children and holds onto her career through illness,
age, depression, and family trauma.
themes · Actions speak louder than words; the importance of simple moments; the
contentment of a well-ordered life
motifs · Births; community relations; responsibility
symbols · Martha's house; Martha's garden; prayer
foreshadowing · While surveying, Ephraim is attacked by settlers who feel they are
protecting the land they had cleared. Later, settlers kill another surveyor and
threaten the entire town for the same reason.
· Before moving to Hallowell, Martha loses three of her daughters to a
diphtheria epidemic. Later, Martha must help protect the children of Hallowell
from a scarlet fever epidemic.
· When Martha is alive, male doctors are growing in popularity and
respectability. Later, Martha's great-great-granddaughter must follow their ways
in order to practice healing like Martha did.
