Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
What we're reading

Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

MNHQ

An Everyday Miracle by Professor Jim Dornan - apply for free copy and join the discussion - CLOSED

33 replies

RachelMumsnet · 12/09/2013 12:42

We're giving away 50 copies of obstetrician and gynaecologist Professor Jim Dornan's An Everyday Miracle. Drawing on his 40-year career, Jim talks openly and at times controversially about working in a busy maternity unit, and about the immense joy, and sometimes heartbreak and loss, that women experience during pregnancy and childbirth.

Apply for a free copy and if you are one of the lucky fifty, do come back to this thread to post your feedback and discuss the book.

OP posts:
gazzalw · 13/09/2013 10:25

Anyone clicked that he's the Dad of Jamie Dornan (The Fall)?

Fairydogmother · 15/09/2013 09:45

I went to school with his daughter and he saved my nieces life!

HorseyGirl1 · 19/09/2013 10:37

I so want to win this... I just know I'll probably cry though.

MNHQ
RachelMumsnet · 19/09/2013 13:32

The book giveaway is now closed. We'll be randomly choosing the names of the 50 mumsnetters who will receive copies later today and send them over to the publisher. As soon as we hear the books have been sent out we'll email to let you know if you've been lucky. Do come back to this thread and let us know what you think when you've had chance to read.

OP posts:
Lalunya85 · 24/09/2013 10:53

I just got an email that I won a copy - I'm one of those "I've never won anything in my life" people, so this really made my day! ;)

Bumpstarter · 24/09/2013 18:24

Really looking forward to reading this! It says on the blurb... Taking up from where call the midwife left off! Although I think he practised in Belfast.

Thanks, mn.

alvinaM · 25/09/2013 23:15

I've just received my free copy, delighted to have won a copy and looking forward to reading it. Love the fact that it's based in N. Ireland.

Bumpstarter · 26/09/2013 00:33

I received my copy today, and have just finished reading it. I found it easy to get into, and enjoyable. I would have enjoyed it more if the anecdotes had been told as stories. I also felt that there was rather a rambling feel to the book, which would have benefitted from some tighter editing. The order the chapters came in seemed not to reflect any chronological or other sense. The last couple of chapters were the most interesting, giving some genuine critique to several issues in maternity care.

The author is not writing a style of book I am used to. I enjoy fiction, particularly historical fiction, and I also enjoy reading factual books. This is neither, as it is not structured and organised enough to be factual, and there is to the development of character, dialogue or plot that you would have in fiction.

Having said that, I have just read the book in the course of 12 hours, and found it absorbing, interesting and it gave me a different perspective.

Thank you.

Bumpstarter · 26/09/2013 00:34

There is not the development of character...

LadyMedea · 26/09/2013 12:16

I received my copy yesterday and it was my insomnia companion last night.

I found the book a gentle and reflective memoir but clearly written by a non-writer as it does jump around rather being non-chronological and even a little far off being organised truly around themes.

Given the length of Dornan's career I also generally wanted more information and more experiences as it felt like as a reader you just got to glimpse his viewpoint and memories rather than receive a detailed insight. The book is just rather short.

Nevertheless I found it a relaxing and enjoyable read and will be passing my copy on to my own mother as I think she will enjoy it.

Peacenquiet2 · 26/09/2013 13:15

Got my copy today so i will commence reading soon as i can. Will report back with my thoughts

shellsocks · 26/09/2013 21:12

Just received my copy, thanks...will read and review asap

MummyBtothree · 27/09/2013 09:30

Received my copy yesterday, thank you!!. Read the first few pages and was completely gripped so will report back when Im a bit further into the book :)

cavylover · 28/09/2013 11:14

Very enjoyable and informative book with interesting stories about the author's career. There are sad stories but also many laugh-out-loud moments in the book which shows just how the profession has developed over the years. Also emphasises how snap decisions can also mean the difference between life and death and the thin line between the two and the delicate balancing act faced on a daily basis in the profession.

ThatPoshBird · 29/09/2013 07:37

A lovely, quick read. I think it is better to take in each chapter as its own vignette, instead of part of a chronological, narrative. It's an interesting change from the midwife narratives that I usually read. It's nice to see birth from the point of view of a doctor for a change. I think that it would be a fantastic book to read while traveling/commuting.

mrsvilliers · 29/09/2013 07:56

I really enjoyed this book! I thought it was written in a really engaging and readable style. I really enjoyed the anecdotes and thought he raised some interesting questions, particularly the one at the end about the increased use of c-sections eliminating specific skills such as delivering breech babies. My only small gripe was that I thought it was going to be more medical (my misinterpretation) so it wasn't quite what I was expecting but I enjoyed it all the same.

mindingalongtime · 30/09/2013 10:31

It was a very short read, and I though it was very basic. ( I get more info my my midwife DS). I think it tried to be factual in a very easy for the layman to read and understand way.

Most of us who have had babies have just as much knowledge as the book imparts, nonetheless, thank you for the opportunity to read it and I will pass it on to my DS for her verdict!

beth27123 · 30/09/2013 21:44

Received my copy a few days ago and thoroughly enjoyed the book, some beautiful moving stories and also a few giggles. OH enjoyed listening to some of the tales too. Really glad I was given the chance to read the book.

lazyfrog · 02/10/2013 16:29

I read my free copy over the weekend (thanks mumsnet). This is so not the type of book I would ever buy. However I surprised myself by actually rather enjoying it (and spouting off some facts gleaned from it to the OH).

The book is a little disjointed, but some of the stories really are magical, and a look into the "way things were" is interesting.

penguinpaperback · 03/10/2013 00:56

I really enjoyed this book. Thank you mumsnet.
It took a little while to get into, I agree with some of the above comments it does jump around a bit and seems a little disjointed at first. But once I got used to the style and took just one chapter at a time as if reading short story fiction I found it an easy and very enjoyable read.
Professor Dornan doesn't talk down to his readers and has a gift for explaining procedures without leaving you looking up medical jargon.
There are some wonderful stories here. It's a book I will re-read. A book for mothers, grandmothers and mothers to be.

alvinaM · 05/10/2013 00:15

I really enjoyed this book - thanks for the free copy. I loved the wee stories especially about the premature baby in 1929. An easy read but I would have loved even more tales from the delivery suite. Loved the humour of the biggest balls on the falls. I'm from northern Ireland and know most of the places mentioned - this helped bring the book to life.

IBelieveInPink · 05/10/2013 21:43

I enjoyed this book and read it quickly (thanks to pregnancy insomnia!)
I agree with the other posters that it jumps around, felt like I was dipping into short seperate stories rather than a joined up sequence.
However, thoroughly enjoyed it, and was disappointed to get to the end so quickly. More stories would have been great! :)

girliechat2004 · 07/10/2013 19:22

I thought this was a nice easy read about a really interesting topic. I especially enjoyed reading the stories in each chapter about a family going through childbirth.

It was really interesting to see how things have changed over the past 40 years!

The book didn't take very long to read and was easy to pick up and put down when necessary.

MummyBtothree · 08/10/2013 18:03

Fantastic book!!! thank you so much, would recommend to others, made lovely reading as a mother myself.

WhenIsDinnerReadyx3 · 08/10/2013 23:25

I was so excited to receive this free copy, thank you mumsnet, I can't believe I was picked out! I have really enjoyed reading this so far - I'm about halfway through. It's perhaps not as gripping as I thought it might be, this could be because it's not written in the style of a professional writer. However, I'm still finding it fascinating, (I'm so interested in this whole subject area since experiencing pregnancy, labour and childbirth), and would recommend it to other mums.