Eliza and the Midwife: A Story in Human Trafficking

In 1885, a London newspaper editor, a religious leader, and a redeemed brothel owner took part in a covert action designed to draw attention to the ease at which children could be purchased for immoral purposes. Tucked away in the sensational account of that transaction, publicized as "The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon," was the minor role of midwife Louise Rose Mourez. Her willingness to verify the virginity of Eliza Armstrong, the thirteen-year-old girl who was purchased, resulted in an assault conviction and the midwife's subsequent death in prison.

Eliza and the Midwife presents an overview of the planned purchase of the child and the resulting consequences to Victorian London, editor W. T. Stead and the Pall Mall Gazette, the Salvation Army, and the individual lives of the plot's participants. It draws upon trial transcripts, historical research, and the imagined voices of the child, the midwife, and an undercover prostitute to capture the essence of the scandalous scheme. In the exploration of this fascinating snippet of history, Eliza and the Midwife offers lessons from the past to inform the contemporary fight against human trafficking. Author JoAnn Streeter Shade, a retired Salvation Army officer, is a long-time champion for women and brings her passion for social justice to the pages of Eliza and the Midwife: A Story in Human Trafficking.