Our Own Country

A Novel (The Midwife, Book 2)

By: Jodi Daynard

Narrated by: Cristina Panfilio

Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

A love affair tests a new nation's revolutionary ideals.

In 1770s Boston, a prosperous merchant's daughter, Eliza Boylston, lives a charmed life - until war breaches the walls of the family estate and forces her to live in a world in which wealth can no longer protect her.

As the chaos of the Revolutionary War tears her family apart, Eliza finds herself drawn to her uncle's slave, John Watkins. Their love leads to her exile in Braintree, Massachusetts, home to radicals John and Abigail Adams and Eliza's midwife sister-in-law, Lizzie Boylston. But even as the uprising takes hold, Eliza can't help but wonder whether a rebel victory will grant her and John the most basic of American rights.

©2016 Jodi Daynard (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Nice to get another perspective

I liked this book mainly because I wanted to know more about Eliza and how her romance with a slave came to be. I enjoyed seeing the story from book one from a different perspective. UBut to me, the story was a little too repetitive and there was not enough new information.

I also think that the “great escape” to freedom was very lack luster considering all of the fear that preceded it. The story made it seem way too easy...much easier than I am sure it would have been.

There was still no real reason to have John and Abigail Adams involved in this story except to give reason for the story taking place in Braintree. I feel like their involvement in the story was just a way to draw attention to the book through their popularity.

This is still a book about friendship, live and sacrifice. This part of the story and the main characters are really what hold this book together for me. It stands by itself and doesn’t need to be inserted into a great era in history to be a strong story.

Honestly, when I saw that this book had a different narrator than the first book had, I was disappointed. But since this story is from another point of view it actually made perfect sense. Cristina Panfilio did an amazing job and I enjoyed the tone and cadence of her voice.

Loved it as it paired nicely with the midwife's tevolt

Gives A different perspective of the events that took place during the same time. As the book "The Midwife Revolt" Beautifully written and narrated in the audiobook. Highly recommend

Hearing Eliza’s story and her perspective proved interesting.

It was good to hear the back story of Eliza, and grow to understand how Lizzie may have read Eliza incorrectly in book one. The historical tale gives life to the trials and small joys of the time. I thought that this narrator made Lizzie seem daft and foolish, not as strong as her character was portrayed in book one. She did add an edge of curtness to Eliza, which seemed appropriate for a girl raised with means.

A Captivating Read

A thoroughly enjoyable, engrossing portrait of Eliza Boylston, Lizzie Boylston's sister-in-law who is depicted in The Midwife's Revolt. The second book in this series provided a deep understanding of who Eliza Boylston was that wasn't apparent, appropriately so, in the first book.

I don't understand why some revieweis felt like it was a repeat of The Midwife's Revolt. On the contrary, a lot of the book focuses on Elias's early life that puts many things about Eliza into perspective. Eliza is a much more complex person as you learn about her background and circumstances.

Yes there is some retelling of some of the scenes that takes place in The Midnight's Revolt but it all comes from Eliza's perspective so it has a different feel. Most of the book is not a retelling though. So don't let that hold you back if you have any qualms about tackling Our Own Country.

I completely enjoyed this book and thought the narrator captured Eliza's personality well. 5 stars all around!

Loved as well as The Midwifes Revolt!

I'm so glad I listened to this book, as some reviews thought it too repetitive of the first. I only thought that for about 20 minutes. It gave The Midwifes Revolt a more complete (and happy) ending. Loved it!

A Midwife's Revolt repeated from a different voice

An excellent book, if you haven't read A Midwife's Revolt. Only the last 1.5 hours adds to the story line.

So enjoy reading about women's contributions

Second of these novels I have read. Both educational and enjoyable. Paced well and kept my interest

One of my new favorite books!

A little slow in the beginning but what an epic story with great narration! I couldn't stop listening!

Had promise but towards the end, it went south

The first half of the book was pretty good. Our old friends from the Midwife's Revolt were there and I enjoyed getting to know a different side of Eliza Boylston that we didn't really get to know in the Midwife's Revolt. I did enjoy seeing a softer side to Eliza than the one portrayed in the Midwife's Revolt. I think the story began to get flat maybe 2/3rd's way through the story. Right around this portion of the story I began to wonder if I was replaying a section of the Midwife's Revolt. Maybe it wasn't verbatim, but is sure seemed like it. In any case, I began to get rather bored with the story since I just read about the same thing in the other book. I can't say whether it was because of my boredom I couldn't take much more of the narrator or if she began to drone on in a monotone fashion. Not a total loss of a credit but I'm never that happy when a story loses it's steam and I begin to wish a story would hurry up and end.

A great follow up to The Midwife's Revolt (MR)

If you could sum up Our Own Country in three words, what would they be?

Scandalous ;-), courageous, humble.

What other book might you compare Our Own Country to and why?

Besides the MR, America's First Daughter compares. They are strong women and we have forgotten about their kind in that time in history. Also, all three have my new favorite historical lady, Abigail Adams.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I liked her character's voice better in The Midwife's Revolt.