Midge by Jon Waller is more than just a novel—it’s a family heirloom passed through ink. This story beautifully honors generations of women whose resilience, faith, and love for heritage form the bedrock of a powerful American legacy. Waller doesn’t hold back—he digs deep into the Lakota roots of his characters, giving readers something real, not polished up for comfort, but told with pride, pain, and strength.
At the heart of the story is a scene so raw and human, it stays with you:
Suddenly, the baby slid into position and everything was as natural as could be. An hour later, just at dawn, the baby arrived! A healthy baby girl! Just as the baby was wrapped up in a towel, Lizzie was shouting down to Martin that he was a father and that Helen Irene was the mother of a beautiful baby girl. The first thing that Helen Irene said was “Anna hand me the moccasins for the baby.”
— Midge, “Doc’s Magic,” p. 77
A Legacy of Strength and Spirit
Midge unfolds like an oral history—passed from grandmother to mother to daughter—woven with love, fire, and unrelenting will. Set across key moments of American and Indigenous history, the novel focuses on Helen Irene and the birth of her daughter, Helen Elizabeth, later known as Midge. But this is not just a birth story—it’s a rebirth of heritage, memory, and silent resistance. Through Anna, the matriarch and spiritual compass, Waller gives voice to a Lakota woman who refuses to let her traditions be erased. The moccasins handed to the newborn are not just baby shoes—they’re a sacred tether between past and future.
The book delivers one of its most powerful moments in that birth scene, where everything could’ve gone wrong. The baby was not in the right position, the pain was unbearable, and no one was sure she’d make it. But through strength, intuition, and the combined will of generations of women—she did. And that’s the pulse of this story: survival, not by accident, but by design.
Even outside that scene, Waller captures the complexities of Native identity, racism, and womanhood in a country that often erases both. Through flashbacks, conversations, and quiet acts of defiance, we see how women shape history—not with speeches or battles—but through birth, memory, love, and grit.
From Oil Fields to Book Pages
Jon Waller is no stranger to reinvention. After a career in the petroleum industry, he turned to writing and never looked back. He has authored several children’s books and prose works, with Midge being his second novel. His stories explore family legacy and cultural identity with heart and honesty. Waller is also an Ironman triathlete, having completed 11 races—which, let’s be real, explains the stamina it took to write a book like this. His previous e-book, Midge, laid the foundation for this deeper, richer novel, and shows his commitment to preserving the voices of the women in his family line.
Midge is a must-read for anyone who values stories of grit, heritage, and generational love. The book invites you to honor your roots, hold onto your truth, and pass it on.
Midge
A Story of A Fearless, Strong Woman and Her Lineage
Grab your copy today and witness how one birth became a revolution, one moccasin step at a time.