| Prologue: Who Is Mme du Coudray? | p. 1 |
| The Portrait, Paris, Summer 1985 | p. 3 |
| Biography as History and Mystery, Los Angeles and France, 1986-1996 | p. 6 |
| The National Midwife's Mission Statement, Clermont, 1 August 1760 | p. 15 |
| From Private Practice to Public Service | p. 23 |
| A Parisian Midwife | |
| Hanging Her Shingle, Paris, 22 February 1740 | p. 25 |
| A Birth, Paris, January 1744 | p. 31 |
| The Petition, Paris, 17 May 1745 | p. 36 |
| Apprentices and Associates, Paris, 22 January 1751 | p. 44 |
| Teaching in Auvergne: The Depopulation Issue | |
| Break to the Provinces, Thiers-en-Auvergne, 1 October 1751 | p. 54 |
| "The Stories They Told Me," Clermont, 9 May 1755 | p. 57 |
| The "Machine," Paris, 13 May 1756 | p. 60 |
| Early Lessons, Clermont, July 1757 | p. 64 |
| A Future Hero, Chavaniac, 7 September 1757 | p. 71 |
| Textbook as Patriotism, Clermont, January 1759 | p. 72 |
| Protest from a Village Matron, Plauzat, 12 June 1759 | p. 79 |
| Saving Babies for France | p. 89 |
| Royal Brevet: "Sent by the King," Versailles, 19 October 1759 | p. 91 |
| Traveling for His Majesty, Moulins, November 1761 | p. 96 |
| Boasts, Rebuffs, and Boutin, Chalon-sur-Saone, 19 March 1763 | p. 100 |
| Turgot, Tulle, 29 December 1763 | p. 103 |
| "Her Unendurable Arrogance," Angouleme, 30 July 1764 | p. 106 |
| The Thrifty Laverdy, Fontainebleau, 16 October 1764 | p. 108 |
| Sounding Her Mood, Bourdeilles, 12 December 1764 | p. 111 |
| Delivering "Like a Cobbler Makes Shoes," Poitiers, February 1765 | p. 112 |
| Surgeons of the King's Navy, Rochefort-sur-Mer, 30 April 1766 | p. 115 |
| Brevet No. 2: The Royal Treasury, Compiegne, 18 August 1767 | p. 119 |
| The Bien(s) de l'Humanite, Montargis, 30 September 1767 | p. 120 |
| The Students--"Mes femmes," Bourges, All Saints' Day 1767 | p. 122 |
| "A Furious Disgust," Bourges, 9 February 1768 | p. 125 |
| Prize Pupil, Issoudun, 2 August 1768 | p. 132 |
| New Edition, Strong Words, Perigueux, 4 September 1769 | p. 135 |
| The Kindness of Strangers, Agen, 30 November 1769 | p. 138 |
| Forging Farther Afield--Friends, "Family," and Foes | p. 141 |
| New Strains, Private Needs | |
| Friendship and Fortification, Bordeaux, Spring 1770 | p. 143 |
| The Suitor and Other Calamities, Auch, 19 December 1770 | p. 146 |
| Coutanceau, "Provost" and Partner, Montauban, Winter 1771 | p. 151 |
| "Happy as a Queen," Grenoble, 16 June 1772 | p. 152 |
| Networks, Newspapers, and Name Games, Besancon, 16 November 1772 | p. 155 |
| Flirtation in Champagne, Chalons-sur-Marne, March 1773 | p. 162 |
| "I Cost Nothing," Verdun, 17 June 1773 | p. 165 |
| She "Partakes of the Prodigious," Neufchateau, Fall 1773 | p. 169 |
| Designing a Dynasty | |
| Romance in the Entourage, Nancy, 27 February 1774 | p. 172 |
| Brevet No. 3: The Succession, Versailles, 1 March 1774 | p. 174 |
| "A Reward So Justly Deserved," Amiens, 15 April 1774 | p. 175 |
| Overtures Beyond the Border, Lille, 24 December 1774 | p. 180 |
| A Wedding Across the Flemish Frontier, Ypres, 28 February 1775 | p. 183 |
| Ministerial Mutiny? Caen, 2 July 1775 | p. 187 |
| A Newborn and a Wet Nurse, Rennes, 8 January 1776 | p. 190 |
| "Attend, Monsieur, to My Little Interests," Nantes, Summer and Fall 1776 | p. 196 |
| Detractors, Defenses, Dazzling Displays | |
| The Attack, Paris, 5 March 1777 | p. 201 |
| Counterattack: "It Is the King Who Pays Me," Evreux, 27 October 1777 | p. 207 |
| Courting the Neckers, Paris, 31 December 1777 | p. 212 |
| Pandemonium, Le Mans, 11 January 1778 | p. 213 |
| The Niece's Rest Cure, Forges-les-Eaux, Spring 1778 | p. 217 |
| Class/Mass/Vacation, Angers, 1 July 1778 | p. 219 |
| Delivering the Goods | p. 223 |
| Protecting du Coudray's Method, Marly, 7 May 1779 | p. 225 |
| Women and Cows, Alfort near Charenton, October 1780 | p. 226 |
| Turning over the Keys | p. 235 |
| "My Age and My Infirmities," Bourges, 25 December 1781 | p. 237 |
| Family Separation, Belley, 30 December 1782 | p. 243 |
| Cunning and Calonne, Paris, 12 July 1785 | p. 246 |
| Rumblings and Discontent, Sarlat, March 1787 | p. 251 |
| Citoyenne Midwives and the Revolution | p. 257 |
| As the Bastille Falls, Castillones, 14 July 1789 | p. 259 |
| The Lafayette Connection, Paris, Fall 1790 | p. 260 |
| What Treasury Will Pay? Bordeaux, 1 July 1791 | p. 265 |
| Mme Coutanceau's Clinic, Bordeaux, 30 August 1793 | p. 268 |
| Du Coudray, Casualty of the Terror, Bordeaux, 28 Germinal An II (17 April 1794) | p. 271 |
| Epilogue: Paris and Los Angeles, 1994-1996 | p. 277 |
| Abbreviations | p. 285 |
| Notes | p. 287 |
| Bibliography | p. 321 |
| List of Illustrations | p. 335 |
| Acknowledgments | p. 336 |
| Index | p. 337 |
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