I've had "A Midwife's Tale" on my bookshelf since 2013 and decided that it was high time I read it and got it off my TBR. Since I'd had it for so long, I admit that I went into it thinking that it was a transcription of Martha Ballard's diary (even though the title says otherwise) and was pleasantly surprised that it was not the case.

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich used Ballard's diary to speak about what life was like not only for Ballard and midwives but also for women in eighteenth-century Maine. Ulrich used a variety of other primary sources from Ballard's neighbors and clients to present a more complete look at Ballard's life. 

"A Midwife's Tale" is a solid nonfiction choice for anyone with an interest in eighteenth-century women's history but keep in mind that the medical content in the book does get a little graphic in some parts.