Some names were written into the official register. Others were meant to disappear.
In rural County Clare, Maeve O’Dwyer has spent years helping mothers bring their babies safely into the world. But when she discovers that an infant’s name has been removed from the records at Saint Orla’s, she begins to notice a chilling pattern. Birth certificates are altered. Mothers are silenced. Babies are sent away. And the truth is buried behind locked doors.
Maeve knows the danger of asking questions. She also knows what it means to be forgotten.
Quietly, she begins keeping a secret ledger of her own—preserving the names of the mothers and children the institution intends to erase. Each entry becomes an act of defiance. Each hidden page places her future at risk. When a frightened young mother begs Maeve to protect her newborn daughter, Maeve must decide how much she is willing to sacrifice to keep one more name from vanishing.
Set against the haunting beauty of Ireland, The Midwife Who Kept Their Names is an emotional Irish historical novel of hidden birth records, family secrets, forgotten mothers, sisterhood, and one woman’s courage.
Perfect for readers who enjoy heartfelt women’s historical fiction, moving family mysteries, and stories about the women history tried to forget.