In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, we asked staff members of YWCA Halifax to read a few women-centred Atlantic Books and give us their thoughts on their reading experiences. Here, Housing Support Worker Martha Mutale talks about Birth Road, a coming-of-age novel set before and during the Second World War in Truro, Nova Scotia. 

Birth Road 
Michelle Wamboldt 
Vagrant Press 

Michelle Wamboldt’s debut novel, Birth Road, is a beautifully written piece of historical fiction. Helen brings us on her journey, travelling back and forth between Boston and Nova Scotia, and figuring out who she is as she navigates the path to becoming a mother.  

This book made me think about my life and relationship with my mom in a lot of ways. The choices I made were different from what my mother would have decided. I took a very different path and finding a way to explain to my mom why was hard. 

Family relationships are complicated on a lot of levels. Helen’s determination to find herself and live life on her own terms resonated with me, and I appreciated that. Life is not linear; we bend to adjust and make room for new experiences.  

[Editor’s note: This novel was reviewed from an Advanced Review Copy provided by the publisher. The book is scheduled to be released in April, 2022.]