Witches, Midwives & Nurses, 2nd Ed

A History of Women Healers

By: Barbara Ehrenreich, Deirdre English

Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen

Witches, Midwives, and Nurses examines how women-led healing was delegitimized to make way for patriarchy, capitalism, and the emerging medical industry.

As we watch another agonizing attempt to shift the future of healthcare in the United States, we are reminded of the longevity of this crisis, and how firmly entrenched we are in a system that doesn't work.

First published by the Feminist Press in 1973, Witches, Midwives, and Nurses is an essential book about the corruption of the medical establishment and its historic roots in witch hunters. In this new and updated edition, Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English delve into the current fascination with and controversies about witches, exposing our fears and fantasies. They build on their classic expose on the demonization of women healers and the political and economic monopolization of medicine. This quick history brings us up-to-date, exploring today's changing attitudes toward childbirth, alternative medicine, and modern-day witches.

©1973 Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English (P)2024 Tantor

Informative of the lineage of Midwives

Informative of the lineage of Midwives, and womens' place as medical professionals long arduous journey.
I personally was looking for the correlation of knowledgeable women being presumed witches/sorceress as well as how they were hidden, hunted and still a subculture.
Thank you for the informative history.

Interesting history!

A good book for a walk and very interesting. Some interesting history I did not know. Learned a lot about the start of the medical profession.

Inaccurate and overgeneralized

The most surface level research and absolutely no nuance. I find this disrespectful to all of the women who have succeeded throughout history. Dont waste your time with this book