A Faithful Flame: The Diary of a Young Midwife

First published anonymously in the late 19th century, A Faithful Flame: The Diary of a Young Midwife offers an intimate and unvarnished glimpse into the daily life, trials, and quiet heroism of a woman devoted to the service of birth and healing.

Written in the form of a personal journal, this rare account follows a young midwife as she journeys through rural towns and hidden villages, answering the call of mothers, the cries of infants, and the unrelenting demands of her vocation. Through exhaustion, joy, and sorrow, her words reveal a world where faith and duty intertwine, and where compassion often stands alone against poverty, superstition, and loss.

Part confessional, part historical document, A Faithful Flame illuminates the untold experiences of women whose labor sustained entire communities—yet whose names rarely entered the record. With unflinching honesty and quiet grace, the anonymous author preserves not only her own story, but the enduring strength of those who brought life into a fragile world.

Complete and unabridged edition of the anonymous midwife’s diary

Authentic 19th-century journal chronicling birth, faith, and endurance in rural life

A rare document of women’s work, compassion, and medical history

Essential reading for those interested in social history, women’s studies, and historical memoirs

To open these pages is to walk beside her by candlelight—through nights of prayer, pain, and perseverance—where each new life was a victory wrested from silence and faith kept burning like a faithful flame.