New Walk
Chloe has always dreamed of becoming a midwife, like her late mother. Although only 18, Chloe feels deeply the responsibilities that come with being part of a family muddling through in the best way they can. Will this deep sense of wanting to ‘do the right thing’ for her loved ones negatively affect her own ambition and desire for success in what is regarded as an emotionally and physically challenging career?
Before opening the book, the title made an impression: ‘New Walk’ conjures up visions of a new path in life, experienced at a slow but steady pace, but those familiar with Leicester will recognise New Walk as the pedestrianised walkway between the city centre and Victoria Park. Inner-city Leicester is a wonderfully diverse setting for the book. I am a Nursing and Midwifery alumna of De Montfort University (DMU) and the Leicester hospitals, and admittedly felt a little frisson of excitement when reading about these locations. DMU had better brace itself for an increase in applications, as I am sure many aspiring midwives will have a desire to follow in Chloe's footsteps!
I loved Chloe from the start. I found the prologue deeply moving and was in tears before finishing its two short pages—what a start to a book! Chloe is well written and completely realistic. I believe that many people will easily identify with her aspirations and desires to fulfil her own potential, while juggling family and friendships. Chloe is kind and compassionate and is shocked and confused when witnessing others' callous behaviour, although it must be highlighted that there is a passage in the book where kindness, compassion and common sense shine through, beautifully demonstrating the ability of a caring health professional to put women at the centre of care.
A strong element of the book is the magical combination of the art and science of midwifery, which is cleverly blended with the story of the emotional toll that midwifery, and indeed life, can take on us.
This book will give aspiring midwives a realistic and exciting insight in to the world of midwifery practice while also highlighting how not to do things. The book does not shy away from the problems that can arise due to different personalities and outlooks—and how pernicious these effects can be when poorly communicated and mismanaged.
There is a continuous revisiting of the normality of pregnancy and birth and the art of knowing when ‘to do nothing’, a theme that is to be applauded. For aspiring midwives, this gentle reinforcing of normality highlights the true meaning of midwifery, and the enormous amount of skill in patiently observing or just ‘being with’ women—possibly the most challenging but essential skill to learn. New Walk introduces this in a very gentle and accessible way.
Many an aspiring midwife will see Chloe's journey reflected in their own lives, while those with more experience in midwifery will be taken by the hand to revisit the past, sometimes quite painfully.
Chloe's friends, family members and midwifery colleagues move in and out of the novel very much like real life. Anyone who has ever undertaken a midwifery course will understand the challenges of trying to juggle life, study and work, alongside a feeling that whatever you do, it may still not be enough.
I find it hard to criticise anything in this book; I loved it and it resonated so personally. I found it almost impossible to put down and I genuinely did not want it to end. I suspect that New Walk will be a welcome present under many a Christmas tree for aspiring students, midwives and those who enjoy reading about life, love and overcoming challenges. While reading the book, I felt that it would lend itself to being the first of at least a trilogy. I would very much look forward to following Chloe's progress and experiences in the future.