44°
Elizabeth Andrew has written "Hannah Delivered," and will be reading from the book on Sunday, Sept. 28 at 2 p.m. at the Ossining Public Library and on Monday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. at the Warner Public Library in Tarrytown.
"Hannah Delivered" is a novel about a nurse-midwife who assists with a birth and moves to New Mexico to begin a midwifery apprenticeship. While there, she befriends a male midwife, defends a teenage mom and learns to trust's women bodies.
She moves back to Minnesota where at the time home birth is illegal and she risks everything to deliver babies.
"My sister is a midwife," Andrew said. "She invited me to sit in on a birth and I was terrified."
Andrew said she was holding the warm blanket while shaking in her shoes.
"My sister told the mother to push through your pain. Your baby is on the other side of the pain," Andrew said. "It really hooked me."
Andrew said she was struck by the concept of embracing pain.
"As a culture, we tend to shy away from pain," Andrew said. "It's one of the reasons why midwifery is so maligned in our culture."
Writing the book took Andrew 12 years. While getting married and adopting a child, she interviewed midwives about their experience.
"It was a difficult novel to write," Andrew said. "My agent was trying to sell it for five years."
Raised in Tarrytown, Andrew moved to Minnesota in 1987 and said she still visits her family in Sleepy Hollow about once a year. She said she is looking forward to returning home for the book tour.
"I'm really excited to reconnect with people I knew from childhood," Andrew said. "I'm excited to go to the Hudson Valley. I hope it sparks conversations on healthy birth practices."
Andrew said it is a true honor to become a published author.
"It's the fulfillment of a lot of work to have my story living in the minds and heartsr s of readers," Andrew said. "It's a tremendous privilege to be a published author. It's a responsibility and I take that responsibility seriously."
Click here to follow Daily Voice Tarrytown-SleepyHollow and receive free news updates.
