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