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The Midwife Trilogy #1
The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times
At the age of twenty-two, Jennifer Worth leaves her comfortable home to move into a convent and become a midwife in post war London's East End slums. The colorful characters she meets while delivering babies all over London--from the plucky, warm-hearted nuns with whom she lives to the woman with twenty-four children who can't speak English to the prostitutes and dockers of the city's seedier side--illuminate a fascinating time in history.
Beautifully written and utterly moving, The Midwife will touch the hearts of anyone who is, and everyone who has, a mother.
Beautifully written and utterly moving, The Midwife will touch the hearts of anyone who is, and everyone who has, a mother.
340 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
About the author
Jennifer Worth
16 books899 followersWorth, born Jennifer Lee while her parents were on holiday in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, was raised in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. After leaving school at the age of 14, she learned shorthand and typing and became the secretary to the head of Dr Challoner's Grammar School. She then trained as a nurse at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, and moved to London to receive training to become a midwife.
Lee was hired as a staff nurse at the London Hospital in Whitechapel in the early 1950s. With the Sisters of St John the Divine, an Anglican community of nuns, she worked to aid the poor. She was then a ward sister at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital in Bloomsbury, and later at the Marie Curie Hospital in Hampstead.
She married the artist Philip Worth in 1963, and they had two daughters.
Worth retired from nursing in 1973 to pursue her musical interests. In 1974, she received a licentiate of the London College of Music, where she taught piano and singing. She obtained a fellowship in 1984. She performed as a soloist and with choirs throughout Britain and Europe.
She later began writing, and her first volume of memoirs, 'Call the Midwife', was published in 2002. The book became a bestseller when it was reissued in 2007. 'Shadows of the Workhouse' (2005; reissued 2008) and 'Farewell to the East End' (2009) also became bestsellers. The trilogy sold almost a million copies in the UK alone. In a fourth volume of memoirs 'In the Midst of Life', published in 2010, Worth reflects on her later experiences caring for the terminally ill.
Worth was highly critical of Mike Leigh's 2004 film Vera Drake, for depicting the consequences of illegal abortions unrealistically. She argued that the method shown in the movie, far from being fairly quick and painless, was in fact almost invariably fatal to the mother.
Worth died on 31 May 2011, having been diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus earlier in the year.
A television series, Call the Midwife, based on her books, began broadcasting on BBC One on 15 January 2012.
Lee was hired as a staff nurse at the London Hospital in Whitechapel in the early 1950s. With the Sisters of St John the Divine, an Anglican community of nuns, she worked to aid the poor. She was then a ward sister at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital in Bloomsbury, and later at the Marie Curie Hospital in Hampstead.
She married the artist Philip Worth in 1963, and they had two daughters.
Worth retired from nursing in 1973 to pursue her musical interests. In 1974, she received a licentiate of the London College of Music, where she taught piano and singing. She obtained a fellowship in 1984. She performed as a soloist and with choirs throughout Britain and Europe.
She later began writing, and her first volume of memoirs, 'Call the Midwife', was published in 2002. The book became a bestseller when it was reissued in 2007. 'Shadows of the Workhouse' (2005; reissued 2008) and 'Farewell to the East End' (2009) also became bestsellers. The trilogy sold almost a million copies in the UK alone. In a fourth volume of memoirs 'In the Midst of Life', published in 2010, Worth reflects on her later experiences caring for the terminally ill.
Worth was highly critical of Mike Leigh's 2004 film Vera Drake, for depicting the consequences of illegal abortions unrealistically. She argued that the method shown in the movie, far from being fairly quick and painless, was in fact almost invariably fatal to the mother.
Worth died on 31 May 2011, having been diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus earlier in the year.
A television series, Call the Midwife, based on her books, began broadcasting on BBC One on 15 January 2012.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,760 reviews
March 20, 2013
I'm writing this as I'm just about halfway through so I may revise this later. For now, oh man. I have some issues with this book. I started reading it after I watched all of the first season of Call the Midwife on Netflix. I loved the show and got excited to see they were based on actual books.
Maybe my opinion is tainted by the fact that the author states she was trying to be the James Herriot of midwives. But as I've been reading, I've had the impression in many places that she was trying to copy his style, and failed. James Herriot writes in an easily followed conversational style. Jennifer Worth throws out obscurely large words that I have to look up on a regular basis. I have a decent vocabulary but "internecine"?! Just thrown into the middle of an otherwise conversational style, it's incongruous. I enjoy reading the cockney dialect and learning English terms for things but these ten dollar words look like trying too hard, and they're annoying.
I realize Ms. Worth is a product of her time and I am trying very hard to not judge her unfairly using my time and culture as a standard. But it's difficult to ignore the ethnocentric comments sprinkled throughout the book. She described an impoverished immigrant woman as looking like a Spanish princess. Making the foreign person into something exotic is objectifying, and keeps her in the "other" category. When we got to little Mary, the teenage Irish prostitute, she is described first as a Celtic princess, then as maybe the product of an Irish "navvy" (manual laborer) and then says maybe they're the same thing. Alright. You need to stop right there, lady.
I don't think James Herriot would have had a graphic description of group sex, including blow jobs. I understand this was a section of the book about prostitution but that scene really seemed to not fit the tone of the book up to that point. It felt gratuitous.
The description of the henpecked husband is just one of many examples of internalized misogyny that got on my nerves. Sometimes the lines between class and gender blurred, but it was always clear Ms. Worth felt above these people. You can't ramble at length about how very much a poor, sick woman repulses you and end by saying, "Well, I'm not here to judge." Because you just did, for many pages. This makes for an uncomfortable read.
There is also plenty of romanticizing the past, talking about how no one had to lock their doors and when girls got pregnant, their men rose to the challenge and married them. She doesn't come out and say that she thought it was better that way, but I think it's implied. And that bothers me.
All that said, it is an interesting read and I am having a hard time putting it down. I plan to finish it and read the others in the series. I just have some issues. Giving it three stars because I am actually enjoying reading it for the most part. It's not perfection, I doubt I'll want to re-read it, and it's definitely not James Herriot. James Herriot made it sound like tramping around in a freezing cold barn armpit deep into a cow's vagina was still somehow a good time. Worth does not have that skill.
Edit: This is where I got angry. Really angry. In a passage describing how married women were "free" to cheat on their husbands because a pregnancy wouldn't be as difficult as for a single woman, Worth writes:
I have often felt that the situation is loaded against men. Until recently, when genetic blood tests became possible, how could any man know that his wife was carrying his child? The poor man had no other assurance of paternity than his wife's word. Unless she is virtually locked up, he can have no control over her activities during the day while he is at work.
Those are some seriously loaded words. We are talking about a time and place in which impoverished women are forced to carry baby after baby because there is no reliable birth control. Husbands simply refused to wear condoms, and wives were expected to submit. Legally, there was no such thing as a rape occurring within marriage, but we know that it happened. We know that there was domestic violence against women and children, and Worth mentions the impossibility of East End mothers leaving home to work. They were up to the gills in children and laundry. It wasn't just life circumstances keeping women down in this time; it was powerful social control, such as happens when women of higher, more influential, classes, make casual comments about locking wives up.
I wanted to read the rest of the series but I think I can probably find another book to read about life in the workhouses.
Watch the show. The show is better.
Maybe my opinion is tainted by the fact that the author states she was trying to be the James Herriot of midwives. But as I've been reading, I've had the impression in many places that she was trying to copy his style, and failed. James Herriot writes in an easily followed conversational style. Jennifer Worth throws out obscurely large words that I have to look up on a regular basis. I have a decent vocabulary but "internecine"?! Just thrown into the middle of an otherwise conversational style, it's incongruous. I enjoy reading the cockney dialect and learning English terms for things but these ten dollar words look like trying too hard, and they're annoying.
I realize Ms. Worth is a product of her time and I am trying very hard to not judge her unfairly using my time and culture as a standard. But it's difficult to ignore the ethnocentric comments sprinkled throughout the book. She described an impoverished immigrant woman as looking like a Spanish princess. Making the foreign person into something exotic is objectifying, and keeps her in the "other" category. When we got to little Mary, the teenage Irish prostitute, she is described first as a Celtic princess, then as maybe the product of an Irish "navvy" (manual laborer) and then says maybe they're the same thing. Alright. You need to stop right there, lady.
I don't think James Herriot would have had a graphic description of group sex, including blow jobs. I understand this was a section of the book about prostitution but that scene really seemed to not fit the tone of the book up to that point. It felt gratuitous.
The description of the henpecked husband is just one of many examples of internalized misogyny that got on my nerves. Sometimes the lines between class and gender blurred, but it was always clear Ms. Worth felt above these people. You can't ramble at length about how very much a poor, sick woman repulses you and end by saying, "Well, I'm not here to judge." Because you just did, for many pages. This makes for an uncomfortable read.
There is also plenty of romanticizing the past, talking about how no one had to lock their doors and when girls got pregnant, their men rose to the challenge and married them. She doesn't come out and say that she thought it was better that way, but I think it's implied. And that bothers me.
All that said, it is an interesting read and I am having a hard time putting it down. I plan to finish it and read the others in the series. I just have some issues. Giving it three stars because I am actually enjoying reading it for the most part. It's not perfection, I doubt I'll want to re-read it, and it's definitely not James Herriot. James Herriot made it sound like tramping around in a freezing cold barn armpit deep into a cow's vagina was still somehow a good time. Worth does not have that skill.
Edit: This is where I got angry. Really angry. In a passage describing how married women were "free" to cheat on their husbands because a pregnancy wouldn't be as difficult as for a single woman, Worth writes:
I have often felt that the situation is loaded against men. Until recently, when genetic blood tests became possible, how could any man know that his wife was carrying his child? The poor man had no other assurance of paternity than his wife's word. Unless she is virtually locked up, he can have no control over her activities during the day while he is at work.
Those are some seriously loaded words. We are talking about a time and place in which impoverished women are forced to carry baby after baby because there is no reliable birth control. Husbands simply refused to wear condoms, and wives were expected to submit. Legally, there was no such thing as a rape occurring within marriage, but we know that it happened. We know that there was domestic violence against women and children, and Worth mentions the impossibility of East End mothers leaving home to work. They were up to the gills in children and laundry. It wasn't just life circumstances keeping women down in this time; it was powerful social control, such as happens when women of higher, more influential, classes, make casual comments about locking wives up.
I wanted to read the rest of the series but I think I can probably find another book to read about life in the workhouses.
Watch the show. The show is better.
February 9, 2016
Having given birth with the support of a midwife three times, when I heard about this one, I knew I had to make time to read it. The Midwife is the memoir of Jennifer Worth (“Jenny”) and her experiences in the East End Slums of post-war London. I think three things come together to make this a very interesting book.
First, the voice of Jenny. She is candid and real - her storytelling doesn't sugar-coat her experiences or her mistakes. She never pretends that the East End was anything other than what it was: a hard place to live where people still found things worth living for. She shares her prejudices with us and shows us how they crumbled as she became more intimate with the people she cared for, both as a midwife and as a nurse. Life in the convent, its routines and relationships - Jenny relates these things with an unaffected and honest candor. Every once and a while the narrative felt a bit jumpy (moving between time periods, etc.), but because I was interested wherever she took me, it didn't bother me.
The second thing is that the time and place is so narrow - we get such an intimate slice of a group of people, their trappings and failures and the things that make them tick. Some of their vices are described in uncomfortable detail and you can imagine how hopeless and degrading life could be. She teaches us to appreciate "Cockneys" and there is even an appendix so we can read Cockney and understand what they are saying :) As much as this book is about being a midwife, I also think it stands well as a cultural study of a group of people that no longer exist in the same sense.
The third thing is the art of midwifery itself and her journey as a midwife. I caught myself smiling while reading some chapters, there is so much joy - and other chapters brought me to tears and had me biting my lip with worry. She was in the thick of the struggle between life and death that all mothers experience as they bring a new one into the world. And I think there is a nice balance between medical information and the more extensive personal stories that make Jenny's neighborhood vibrant, full of characters and their histories. She never pretends that it was easy or glamorous work, and sometimes the conditions she worked in were downright disgusting. I kept having the thought: this was REAL. It was her LIFE. Women gave BIRTH this way, lived this way - medical science was so different and I think this memoir gives a fascinating perspective of a way of life that is no longer, as well as a flavor for the satisfaction that comes from working with pregnant women.
It's not lyrical or dreamy - it's a down-in-the-gutters look at an ages old profession. I loved it.
First, the voice of Jenny. She is candid and real - her storytelling doesn't sugar-coat her experiences or her mistakes. She never pretends that the East End was anything other than what it was: a hard place to live where people still found things worth living for. She shares her prejudices with us and shows us how they crumbled as she became more intimate with the people she cared for, both as a midwife and as a nurse. Life in the convent, its routines and relationships - Jenny relates these things with an unaffected and honest candor. Every once and a while the narrative felt a bit jumpy (moving between time periods, etc.), but because I was interested wherever she took me, it didn't bother me.
The second thing is that the time and place is so narrow - we get such an intimate slice of a group of people, their trappings and failures and the things that make them tick. Some of their vices are described in uncomfortable detail and you can imagine how hopeless and degrading life could be. She teaches us to appreciate "Cockneys" and there is even an appendix so we can read Cockney and understand what they are saying :) As much as this book is about being a midwife, I also think it stands well as a cultural study of a group of people that no longer exist in the same sense.
The third thing is the art of midwifery itself and her journey as a midwife. I caught myself smiling while reading some chapters, there is so much joy - and other chapters brought me to tears and had me biting my lip with worry. She was in the thick of the struggle between life and death that all mothers experience as they bring a new one into the world. And I think there is a nice balance between medical information and the more extensive personal stories that make Jenny's neighborhood vibrant, full of characters and their histories. She never pretends that it was easy or glamorous work, and sometimes the conditions she worked in were downright disgusting. I kept having the thought: this was REAL. It was her LIFE. Women gave BIRTH this way, lived this way - medical science was so different and I think this memoir gives a fascinating perspective of a way of life that is no longer, as well as a flavor for the satisfaction that comes from working with pregnant women.
It's not lyrical or dreamy - it's a down-in-the-gutters look at an ages old profession. I loved it.
May 6, 2015
I read the companion book to this last year and hadn't been able to get this in the US, but now I am in the UK with my terminally-ill mother I took the opportunity to find it. You wouldn't think that the world of the 50s was so different as it is now, but this depiction of the 50s, of bombed-out London, health care where antibiotics were the new miracle drug and children played safely in the streets because there were no cars is truly another world. This, though, is also the story of a young nurse living in and operating from an inner city convent of nuns dedicated to midwifery, good cooking, the odd glass of wine and full of the most eccentric characters. Its a wonderful book, history, memoir and a full of cockney humour.
August 1, 2013
It was an incredible read that was marred by an obscenely disgusting chapter right smack dab in the middle that made me have to question whether I should continue or not. I did continue after skimming past the incredibly gross part and was glad that I did because the remaining stories were very interesting/unique and the final few were inspirational. I just really hated that such a wonderful read had to be almost ruined entirely by a poor editing choice. Granted this was based on real life experiences and memoirs of this woman, but the obscene part was taken too far and had little to do with the overall purpose of the book being women having babies/ motherhood. The scene involved a woman getting taken into prostitution and a show girl and although these were real people this midwife encountered I don't think the description needed to contain all the colorful details- just enough to make the reader pity the girl's plight. Anyway...other than that huge blight on the story, the author was a fabulous story teller and I loved the variety of stories she told from her adventures as a midwife.
June 18, 2014
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I liked the setting -- 1950s London -- but I had been wary of reading 300-plus pages about pregnancies and birthing and midwifery. In movies and TV shows, for instance, I hatehatehate childbirth scenes. It's always the same: The mother cries out in pain, the father looks anxious, the doctor sternly gives orders, and then presto! A sweet and wrinkled baby is handed to the parents.*
But "Call the Midwife" (which is also the name of the 2012 BBC series based on the books; the original title was just "The Midwife") was thankfully more than just a collection of childbirth stories. I ended up loving the social history of that postwar period. Jennifer Worth moved into a convent and became a midwife in the slums of London's East End, and she had good stories about the women she met and the trials of daily life for the lower classes.
"I regret that I have not been able to get to know the men of the East End. But it is quite impossible. I belong to the women's world, to the taboo subject of childbirth. The men are polite and respectful to us midwives, but completely withdrawn from any familiarity, let alone friendship. There is a total divide between what is called men's work and women's work. So, like Jane Austen, who in her writing never recorded a conversation between two men alone, because as a woman she could not know what exclusively male conversation would be like, I cannot record much about the men of Poplar, beyond superficial observation."
There was a particularly fascinating (and disturbing) section on prostitution in the area, which Worth had to deal with when she befriended a young girl who had been lured into a brothel. Worth also mentions the horrible workhouses in London, which she learned about while caring for a traumatized patient who had lived there for decades. When Worth asked an older nun about the workhouses, she was told: "Humph. You young girls know nothing of recent history. You've had it too easy, that's your trouble." I think Worth's later memoirs talk more about this, so I expect to hear many more horror stories.
It was especially interesting to see the discussion on how much England's National Health Service changed health care for the people. Worth frequently comments that certain medical procedures had previously not been available or affordable to the lower classes.
Besides the rich history, there were also amusing stories of Worth's fellow nurses and nuns. One of my favorite characters was nicknamed Chummy (played by the hilarious Miranda Hart on the BBC series) and whenever she was involved a story, I couldn't help but smile at her earnestness, which usually manifested itself in clumsiness. There was also a deliciously batty old nun named Sister Monica Joan who says things like: "Mars and Venus are in alignment... The static forces, the convergence of the fluid with the solid, the descent of the hexagon as it passes through the ether. This is a unique time to be alive. So exciting. The little angels clap their wings."
I listened to this on audio, narrated by Nicola Barber, and it was excellent. She does fantastic voices and accents, and I plan to listen to her read the other two books in the series.
*Worth wrote a passage about babies that has stayed with me weeks after I first read it: "The helplessness of the newborn human infant has always made an impression on me. All other mammals have a certain amount of autonomy at birth. Many animals, within an hour or two of birth, are up on their feet and running. Others, at the very least, can find the nipple and suck. But the human baby can't even do that. If the nipple or teat is not actually placed in the baby's mouth and sucking encouraged, the baby would die of starvation. I have a theory that all human babies are born prematurely. Given the human life span -- three score years and ten -- to be comparable with other animals of similar longevity, human gestation should be about two years. But the human head is so big by the age of two that no woman could deliver it. So our babies are born prematurely, in a state of utter helplessness."
But "Call the Midwife" (which is also the name of the 2012 BBC series based on the books; the original title was just "The Midwife") was thankfully more than just a collection of childbirth stories. I ended up loving the social history of that postwar period. Jennifer Worth moved into a convent and became a midwife in the slums of London's East End, and she had good stories about the women she met and the trials of daily life for the lower classes.
"I regret that I have not been able to get to know the men of the East End. But it is quite impossible. I belong to the women's world, to the taboo subject of childbirth. The men are polite and respectful to us midwives, but completely withdrawn from any familiarity, let alone friendship. There is a total divide between what is called men's work and women's work. So, like Jane Austen, who in her writing never recorded a conversation between two men alone, because as a woman she could not know what exclusively male conversation would be like, I cannot record much about the men of Poplar, beyond superficial observation."
There was a particularly fascinating (and disturbing) section on prostitution in the area, which Worth had to deal with when she befriended a young girl who had been lured into a brothel. Worth also mentions the horrible workhouses in London, which she learned about while caring for a traumatized patient who had lived there for decades. When Worth asked an older nun about the workhouses, she was told: "Humph. You young girls know nothing of recent history. You've had it too easy, that's your trouble." I think Worth's later memoirs talk more about this, so I expect to hear many more horror stories.
It was especially interesting to see the discussion on how much England's National Health Service changed health care for the people. Worth frequently comments that certain medical procedures had previously not been available or affordable to the lower classes.
Besides the rich history, there were also amusing stories of Worth's fellow nurses and nuns. One of my favorite characters was nicknamed Chummy (played by the hilarious Miranda Hart on the BBC series) and whenever she was involved a story, I couldn't help but smile at her earnestness, which usually manifested itself in clumsiness. There was also a deliciously batty old nun named Sister Monica Joan who says things like: "Mars and Venus are in alignment... The static forces, the convergence of the fluid with the solid, the descent of the hexagon as it passes through the ether. This is a unique time to be alive. So exciting. The little angels clap their wings."
I listened to this on audio, narrated by Nicola Barber, and it was excellent. She does fantastic voices and accents, and I plan to listen to her read the other two books in the series.
*Worth wrote a passage about babies that has stayed with me weeks after I first read it: "The helplessness of the newborn human infant has always made an impression on me. All other mammals have a certain amount of autonomy at birth. Many animals, within an hour or two of birth, are up on their feet and running. Others, at the very least, can find the nipple and suck. But the human baby can't even do that. If the nipple or teat is not actually placed in the baby's mouth and sucking encouraged, the baby would die of starvation. I have a theory that all human babies are born prematurely. Given the human life span -- three score years and ten -- to be comparable with other animals of similar longevity, human gestation should be about two years. But the human head is so big by the age of two that no woman could deliver it. So our babies are born prematurely, in a state of utter helplessness."
January 12, 2015
Post war London with its bombed out buildings and slums is the setting for much of this interesting and entertaining non-fiction read. There are so many incredible stories in this memoir by Jennifer Worth that it is difficult to pick a favorite, but I loved Chummy with her big ole heart, old-fashioned bicycle and her hero Jack who, as you will see, did become important in his day. Mary's story of prostitution is sad and touching, but Mrs. Jenkin's surrender to the workhouse is just beyond words.
While most residents of the war torn Dockland's lived in squalor with detestable sanitation conditions and little hope (OMG the bomb site dump), there is still a nice mix of happy, and funny stories here too. I will not forget Conchita with her 20+ babies or the hilarious antics of Sister Monica Joan.
I now have a new respect for the Midwives and Nuns of the 1940-50's era.....they were an extremely knowledgeable and formidable breed with unbelieveably immeasurable responsibilities.
Amazing life! Excellent memoir!
(one last note: the man they called (turd) was aptly named!)
September 17, 2012
I see now that this is the first book of a series: http://www.goodreads.com/series/77112...
This book is fun. You are told astounding stories about the author's years working as a midwife at the Nonnatus House Convent in the Docklands during the 1950s. You meet the wonderful Sister Monica Joan, a somewhat "crazy" ninety year-old nun, Conchita Warren who will give birth to both her twenty-forth and twenty-fifth child, the latter premature of only 28 weeks gestation, weighing less than two pounds, born during a thick London smog. You will not be able to put the book down during these chapters. You meet a prostitute and here her story. Heart-wrenching. You come to understand the lives of the women of the East End. I promise, you will laugh and cry.
The structure of the book is anecdotal, but even I who dislikes short stories, was in no way disappointed. The sisters of the convent become as members of a family, each with their own idiosyncrasies. Each child born is a wonder. And Jennifer, the author, is surprisingly honest about her own weaknesses and failings.
I haven't told you a thing about Sister Monica Joan. Her escapades will definitely make you smile and laugh outright. She is something else. The only way to meet her is by reading this book, which I highly recommend.
This book is fun. You are told astounding stories about the author's years working as a midwife at the Nonnatus House Convent in the Docklands during the 1950s. You meet the wonderful Sister Monica Joan, a somewhat "crazy" ninety year-old nun, Conchita Warren who will give birth to both her twenty-forth and twenty-fifth child, the latter premature of only 28 weeks gestation, weighing less than two pounds, born during a thick London smog. You will not be able to put the book down during these chapters. You meet a prostitute and here her story. Heart-wrenching. You come to understand the lives of the women of the East End. I promise, you will laugh and cry.
The structure of the book is anecdotal, but even I who dislikes short stories, was in no way disappointed. The sisters of the convent become as members of a family, each with their own idiosyncrasies. Each child born is a wonder. And Jennifer, the author, is surprisingly honest about her own weaknesses and failings.
I haven't told you a thing about Sister Monica Joan. Her escapades will definitely make you smile and laugh outright. She is something else. The only way to meet her is by reading this book, which I highly recommend.
December 30, 2017
I have had this series by Jennifer Worth sitting on my bookshelves for a year. My sister in law let me borrow the five books -- Call the Midwife, Farewell to East End, In the Midst of Life, Shadows of the Workhouse and Letters to the Midwife -- because I enjoy the PBS television show. I got so tied up in adulting, working, reading new releases for review and other books on my TBR stack, that the books sat there on the shelf. Then I signed up for a 2018 reading challenge.....Beat the Backlist.....that challenges readers to enjoy books published before 2018. I started looking at my shelves....seeing all the lovely books I had intended to read....some have been on my shelves for years waiting for their chance! Since I borrowed the series by Jennifer Worth, I decided Call the Midwife would be first! Knowing how busy the holidays are and to squash any excuses, I found the audiobook version from my local library's digital site. I listened while wrapping presents, putting up the tree, travelling to family's homes, running errands....it all worked out perfectly! The book is just as enjoyable as the PBS show! And the show actually follows the book very closely! Excellent!!
Jennifer Worth was a midwife in the East end of London in the 1950s. She and the other midwives rode bicycles to prenatal exams, deliveries and other midwife duties, providing care for the poor women that lived there. The book has tales about problem deliveries, dealing with STDs, vermin and other concerns, domestic violence, large families and antiquated opinions about childbirth and women. The book is heart-warming, alarming and nostaligic, all at the same time. Just a lovely read! I don't know how women survived before modern medical care, birth control and increased opportunities that we have now. Plus, changes in public opinion on some things -- like teenage and single mothers. Unwed mothers are no longer shunned in our western culture and left with nothing, their babies sometimes adopted out without consent. I hope that sort of horror never comes back!
The audiobook I listened to (HighBridge Company) is just over 12 hours long & unabridged. Nicola Barber narrates. Because of my hearing loss, I sometimes have problems hearing and understanding female voices, but I was able to completely understand Barber's narration. She reads at an even pace with great tone and animation in her voice. I loved the audiobook! I kept seeing Chummy wrecking her bicycle, Fred with his pigs and all the action from the TV series in my head as I listened. :)
I will definitely be reading (or listening) to the rest of the series! Especially since my reading goal for the new year is to read more books off my shelves. The Midwife series might be a bit of a cheat.... I borrowed the books months ago. And I hate hate hate it when people borrow my books and take ages to bring them back. So, I am going to return my SIL's books.....and borrow the books online to read. I'm still counting them as backlist off my shelf, but giving them back immediately because they belong to someone else. :) Sort of a cheat -- but not really. :)
Given the subject matter....this book does talk a lot about child birth, vaginas, STDs, medical procedures, family problems, etc.....and might not be something to listen to in front of very young children, unless you want to be answering questions. lol. My son is 13...walked into the room, listened for a moment and ducked out of the kitchen. I heard him telling his dad "Oh mom is doing the dishes and listening to some book about vaginas.'' LOLOLOL If all it takes to keep the men out of my kitchen when I'm working is to listen to books on vaginas.....I'm going to find more! ha ha
All in all, a great book! I will definitely be reading/listening to the rest of the series!
Jennifer Worth was a midwife in the East end of London in the 1950s. She and the other midwives rode bicycles to prenatal exams, deliveries and other midwife duties, providing care for the poor women that lived there. The book has tales about problem deliveries, dealing with STDs, vermin and other concerns, domestic violence, large families and antiquated opinions about childbirth and women. The book is heart-warming, alarming and nostaligic, all at the same time. Just a lovely read! I don't know how women survived before modern medical care, birth control and increased opportunities that we have now. Plus, changes in public opinion on some things -- like teenage and single mothers. Unwed mothers are no longer shunned in our western culture and left with nothing, their babies sometimes adopted out without consent. I hope that sort of horror never comes back!
The audiobook I listened to (HighBridge Company) is just over 12 hours long & unabridged. Nicola Barber narrates. Because of my hearing loss, I sometimes have problems hearing and understanding female voices, but I was able to completely understand Barber's narration. She reads at an even pace with great tone and animation in her voice. I loved the audiobook! I kept seeing Chummy wrecking her bicycle, Fred with his pigs and all the action from the TV series in my head as I listened. :)
I will definitely be reading (or listening) to the rest of the series! Especially since my reading goal for the new year is to read more books off my shelves. The Midwife series might be a bit of a cheat.... I borrowed the books months ago. And I hate hate hate it when people borrow my books and take ages to bring them back. So, I am going to return my SIL's books.....and borrow the books online to read. I'm still counting them as backlist off my shelf, but giving them back immediately because they belong to someone else. :) Sort of a cheat -- but not really. :)
Given the subject matter....this book does talk a lot about child birth, vaginas, STDs, medical procedures, family problems, etc.....and might not be something to listen to in front of very young children, unless you want to be answering questions. lol. My son is 13...walked into the room, listened for a moment and ducked out of the kitchen. I heard him telling his dad "Oh mom is doing the dishes and listening to some book about vaginas.'' LOLOLOL If all it takes to keep the men out of my kitchen when I'm working is to listen to books on vaginas.....I'm going to find more! ha ha
All in all, a great book! I will definitely be reading/listening to the rest of the series!
August 6, 2013
I decided to read this book because I recently watched the BBC/PBS show "Call the Midwife", which is based on the memoirs by Jennifer Worth. I absolutely fell in love with the TV show-- it has a perfect mix of happy and sad, with great characters.
That being said, I actually came away from the book "Call the Midwife" feeling a little unsatisfied. I certainly enjoyed the stories that she told. Some were heart-breaking, some sweet or funny. I enjoyed the subplot about Jenny discovering a profound faith in God (though I found her a little unrevealing about other aspects of herself-- who is this man she loved so much?). The religious subplot is, sadly, conspicuously absent from the TV series.
Unfortunately, I found that overall the book really lacked a cohesive narrative thread. Maybe that is the nature of memoirs. I also felt a few of the main stories -- particularly Mary's went on a bit long. I was a little disappointed that there weren't more stories about the people she worked with. I did enjoy the book, and I am interested in reading the other two-- but I didn't fall in love with it like the TV series.
**Disclaimer** I have seen many other reviews mention this and I will too. The chapter Cable Street can easily be skipped. It takes a look into the life of prostitution and has a shockingly graphic group sex scene. The detail that the author goes into was unnecessary. I can get the idea without the detail. If you read that chapter just be forewarned that that scene is in there.
That being said, I actually came away from the book "Call the Midwife" feeling a little unsatisfied. I certainly enjoyed the stories that she told. Some were heart-breaking, some sweet or funny. I enjoyed the subplot about Jenny discovering a profound faith in God (though I found her a little unrevealing about other aspects of herself-- who is this man she loved so much?). The religious subplot is, sadly, conspicuously absent from the TV series.
Unfortunately, I found that overall the book really lacked a cohesive narrative thread. Maybe that is the nature of memoirs. I also felt a few of the main stories -- particularly Mary's went on a bit long. I was a little disappointed that there weren't more stories about the people she worked with. I did enjoy the book, and I am interested in reading the other two-- but I didn't fall in love with it like the TV series.
**Disclaimer** I have seen many other reviews mention this and I will too. The chapter Cable Street can easily be skipped. It takes a look into the life of prostitution and has a shockingly graphic group sex scene. The detail that the author goes into was unnecessary. I can get the idea without the detail. If you read that chapter just be forewarned that that scene is in there.
April 19, 2020
Call the Midwife, the first of a trilogy by Jennifer Worth, née Lee, is a memoir of the author’s work as a midwife, working with the nuns of “Nonnatus House”, in the East End during the 1950s. It is a collection of comical, sad, mischievous, happy, and unexpected true tales of poverty-stricken large families living in post-war London, often in squalid tenements, deemed unfit for human habitation.
In this educational, warm, easy, and humane book, the reader gets a glimpse of sleeping by the Cut, pig breeding, boys never found in secret hideouts, the discrete lives of nuns, and the maddening heartbreak of poverty, adoption, and brutal loss.
There has always been something about Cockneys, which is perfectly portrayed here: rough around the edges, fundamentally kind, and always up for a good laugh!
This book really worked well for me, at times I was thoroughly engrossed, checking the map of London, reading up on workhouses, Cable Street (what has this street not been privy to?), and reading up on the bits and pieces that needed filling in. I hope others enjoy it as much as I did!
** Note **
This beautiful edition is vividly illustrated.
In this educational, warm, easy, and humane book, the reader gets a glimpse of sleeping by the Cut, pig breeding, boys never found in secret hideouts, the discrete lives of nuns, and the maddening heartbreak of poverty, adoption, and brutal loss.
There has always been something about Cockneys, which is perfectly portrayed here: rough around the edges, fundamentally kind, and always up for a good laugh!
This book really worked well for me, at times I was thoroughly engrossed, checking the map of London, reading up on workhouses, Cable Street (what has this street not been privy to?), and reading up on the bits and pieces that needed filling in. I hope others enjoy it as much as I did!
** Note **
This beautiful edition is vividly illustrated.
March 31, 2019
In a reversal of my usual practice, I began watching this PBS series via Netflix last year, then decided to read the book it was based on. It's the memoir of a young girl who became a midwife in the slums of England's East End in the 1950's. The series has been very true to the stories in this book, including brilliant casting of the nuns and the midwives of Nonnatus House. Both the book and the series are excellent, and I now find that this is actually a trilogy, so I have more to come. Wonderful.
December 29, 2014
As a series of vignettes about a very interesting profession in a fascinating historical moment, this book was quick and fun to read. However, I would hesitate to recommend it to friends, because it is not very well written.
Insight is not Worth's strength. The book is sprinkled with tired old saws about men, women, and their relationships. Her obvious compassion for the poor shines through, but does not lead her to recognize or question many of her internalized prejudices; the way she writes about other racial and ethnic groups, though usually not overtly negative, is particularly discomfiting to today's reader. I found her observations about womanhood and motherhood especially disappointing; her position on the latter is unmitigated sunshine, happiness and womanly fulfillment, which is rather shocking coming from a midwife in an area where, due to their lack of power in relationships and access to contraceptive measures, many women had many more children than they wanted or could afford.
Additionally, when Worth wants to make a moral point, she tends to ruin it by showing and then also telling, in very didactic terms. The story of her changing attitude toward religion is also predictable, superficial, and ultimately unsatisfying.
That said, she's good at narration and pacing, and the drama of the stories can't be beat. A lot of other reviewers really seemed to dislike the sex scene in the vignette on prostitution, but I didn't think it was out of place (though it was disturbing); she is honest about the conditions of life in that time and place, and coerced prostitution was part of that. Overall, I learned a lot about East London in the 1950's and about the history of midwifery.
Insight is not Worth's strength. The book is sprinkled with tired old saws about men, women, and their relationships. Her obvious compassion for the poor shines through, but does not lead her to recognize or question many of her internalized prejudices; the way she writes about other racial and ethnic groups, though usually not overtly negative, is particularly discomfiting to today's reader. I found her observations about womanhood and motherhood especially disappointing; her position on the latter is unmitigated sunshine, happiness and womanly fulfillment, which is rather shocking coming from a midwife in an area where, due to their lack of power in relationships and access to contraceptive measures, many women had many more children than they wanted or could afford.
Additionally, when Worth wants to make a moral point, she tends to ruin it by showing and then also telling, in very didactic terms. The story of her changing attitude toward religion is also predictable, superficial, and ultimately unsatisfying.
That said, she's good at narration and pacing, and the drama of the stories can't be beat. A lot of other reviewers really seemed to dislike the sex scene in the vignette on prostitution, but I didn't think it was out of place (though it was disturbing); she is honest about the conditions of life in that time and place, and coerced prostitution was part of that. Overall, I learned a lot about East London in the 1950's and about the history of midwifery.
May 22, 2013
Oh, that I could have six stars to give. . .
Having originally been smitten with this wonderful British TV series, I am now head over heels in love with the book. It's the first of a trilogy which pleases me to no end. I must get my book club to read this.
One of my favorite chapters is about a friendship between Chummy and an adolescent boy. It's barely touched upon on TV. The luncheon party where
Jennifer's three male friends are invited to dine at the convent is pure comic genius. The premature baby chapter is another beautiful story, but honestly, I love them all.
Two areas which are explored much more deeply and disturbingly in the book are prostitutes and workhouses.
A profoundly moving book that can be placed alongside the finest of contemporary memoirs such as Angela's Ashes and The Glass Castle.
Having originally been smitten with this wonderful British TV series, I am now head over heels in love with the book. It's the first of a trilogy which pleases me to no end. I must get my book club to read this.
One of my favorite chapters is about a friendship between Chummy and an adolescent boy. It's barely touched upon on TV. The luncheon party where
Jennifer's three male friends are invited to dine at the convent is pure comic genius. The premature baby chapter is another beautiful story, but honestly, I love them all.
Two areas which are explored much more deeply and disturbingly in the book are prostitutes and workhouses.
A profoundly moving book that can be placed alongside the finest of contemporary memoirs such as Angela's Ashes and The Glass Castle.
June 16, 2017
I didn't think I had that much interest in 1950's East End London or midwifery but after watching the Netflix show on which these novels are based I can say that I find both to be absolutely fascinating. After watching the first two seasons of Call the Midwife which I love, love, love ( I especially adore Chummy) I wanted to know more about Jennifer Worth's life so I picked up this novel, the first in a series of three. The novel did not disappoint. I was pleasantly surprised to find that many of the cases in the book were turned into episodes of the show. While some of the characters that I found endearing like Chummy and Jimmy are only briefly mentioned in the book they get a much expounded upon life in the television series. Even though the show stretched some things to make a full length television show out of a relatively short book, the TV show still feels very true to what was related in the book.
I know some readers took exception with a vividly described scene of a young girl's induction into prostitution. This was also a very memorable episode arc in the show. I think Jennifer Worth is to be commended for showing how gritty life could really be in the East End. While the show never attempts to shy away from the harsh realities that people were living in at the time, it's Jennifer Worth's words that really drive home the spirit of what the East End women really endured. No matter how harsh the realities are, new life endures, and with it, new hope.
The TV show and the book compliment each other perfectly. It is very enjoyable to watch the talented actresses bring to life the memorable people and stories in the book. The casting director did a fantastic job. I highly recommend this series and look forward to viewing season 3 as well as reading Shadows of the Workhouse.
I know some readers took exception with a vividly described scene of a young girl's induction into prostitution. This was also a very memorable episode arc in the show. I think Jennifer Worth is to be commended for showing how gritty life could really be in the East End. While the show never attempts to shy away from the harsh realities that people were living in at the time, it's Jennifer Worth's words that really drive home the spirit of what the East End women really endured. No matter how harsh the realities are, new life endures, and with it, new hope.
The TV show and the book compliment each other perfectly. It is very enjoyable to watch the talented actresses bring to life the memorable people and stories in the book. The casting director did a fantastic job. I highly recommend this series and look forward to viewing season 3 as well as reading Shadows of the Workhouse.
February 20, 2016
This was a wonderful memoir of a young woman's new life into the midwifery world. It is quite candid in its approach to midwifery, the struggles of women (mostly the poor), and dawn of modern medicine. It is hard to believe that there were never maternity wards in hospitals until the 1950's.
Birth control, or rather the lack of it, was such a dilemma for women who were single, overworked, poor, ill, and/or exhausted.
Birth control, or rather the lack of it, was such a dilemma for women who were single, overworked, poor, ill, and/or exhausted.
October 25, 2022
I love the the PBS/Netflix series so I thought I would read the book. The book did not disappoint! It was fantastic and so well written. The stories in this book were very similar to the series. I look forward to reading Jennifer's next two books in the series.
December 5, 2019
A fascinating read, probably more for women. I learned so much about the conditions at that time in general, and for women having children in particular in that area of the country.
September 14, 2019
What a good book!
Call The Midwife was funny, tender, and shocking by turns. Set in the 1950s in London, this is the debut of Jennifer Worth's series. A memoir of the beginning of Jennifer's career, this book is a series of anecdotes about all that is midwifery.
However, it is also a glimpse of what the poor went through during that time frame. Mostly living in tenements or council housing, huge families lived in just a couple of rooms. Many of the women gave birth to more than TEN children—of course many didn't survive childhood, but it wasn't uncommon for women to have 13 or 14 births and ten kids to take care of. One woman in the book had the midwives out for her 24th birth!! This same woman, despite not speaking a word of English, instinctively hit on a modern treatment for premature babies, which was to “wear” the baby next to her skin in a sling. We now know that this helps the baby stay warm which means it uses fewer calories and needs less oxygen, but at the time, premature babies were generally whisked away and put in incubators with no cuddling or love.
The children in poor families were working to help support their families. From an early age, they worked in the home, helping their mothers who were dressmakers or laundresses. Ten year olds were taking care of all of the younger children for women who went out to work. Frequently ten year olds were working full time themselves in factories, or sewing, or cleaning.
While this sounds horrific, these kids were much better off than the orphaned ones. They went to “the workhouse”, where they were separated from their siblings and raised in what was the equivalent of prison.
Many of the families lived in areas that were full of brothels, and the pregnant prostitutes occasionally become patients for the midwives. This was rare though, because unless they escaped, the prostitutes were physically forced into being butchered in back alley abortions.
The midwives that Jennifer trained and worked with were mostly nuns. Some were peaceful, some were fierce. One nun, Sister Monica Joan, was very elderly and becoming senile, retired in Nonnatus House, where the nuns lived and operated. There were several funny anecdotes about her—at least they are funny now as they are read, I'm sure they were incredibly frustrating at the time!
Well before the author wrote any books, she had the instincts of a journalist, and had an unending curiosity about her patients' lives. She is able to draw them out to find out these jewels of stories, which are incredible to read in modern times. This book is the first in a series about Jennifer's life, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest!
Call The Midwife was funny, tender, and shocking by turns. Set in the 1950s in London, this is the debut of Jennifer Worth's series. A memoir of the beginning of Jennifer's career, this book is a series of anecdotes about all that is midwifery.
However, it is also a glimpse of what the poor went through during that time frame. Mostly living in tenements or council housing, huge families lived in just a couple of rooms. Many of the women gave birth to more than TEN children—of course many didn't survive childhood, but it wasn't uncommon for women to have 13 or 14 births and ten kids to take care of. One woman in the book had the midwives out for her 24th birth!! This same woman, despite not speaking a word of English, instinctively hit on a modern treatment for premature babies, which was to “wear” the baby next to her skin in a sling. We now know that this helps the baby stay warm which means it uses fewer calories and needs less oxygen, but at the time, premature babies were generally whisked away and put in incubators with no cuddling or love.
The children in poor families were working to help support their families. From an early age, they worked in the home, helping their mothers who were dressmakers or laundresses. Ten year olds were taking care of all of the younger children for women who went out to work. Frequently ten year olds were working full time themselves in factories, or sewing, or cleaning.
While this sounds horrific, these kids were much better off than the orphaned ones. They went to “the workhouse”, where they were separated from their siblings and raised in what was the equivalent of prison.
Many of the families lived in areas that were full of brothels, and the pregnant prostitutes occasionally become patients for the midwives. This was rare though, because unless they escaped, the prostitutes were physically forced into being butchered in back alley abortions.
The midwives that Jennifer trained and worked with were mostly nuns. Some were peaceful, some were fierce. One nun, Sister Monica Joan, was very elderly and becoming senile, retired in Nonnatus House, where the nuns lived and operated. There were several funny anecdotes about her—at least they are funny now as they are read, I'm sure they were incredibly frustrating at the time!
Well before the author wrote any books, she had the instincts of a journalist, and had an unending curiosity about her patients' lives. She is able to draw them out to find out these jewels of stories, which are incredible to read in modern times. This book is the first in a series about Jennifer's life, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest!
July 31, 2023
Three and a half stars.
A frank and unsentimental view of the conditions of the East End in 1950s London. Conditions were deplorable with overcrowding, poverty and large families with women producing more children each year. This was all before the Pill and other forms of contraception. Attitudes too were very closely aligned to gender and what was considered women’s work and what was men’s work. Rarely did those lines cross or even blur.
I admit to skipped through bits that described behaviour in the brothels. Too much info there that I did need to know. Didn’t need it to be graphically described how Mary got into prostitution.
Some of the characters didn’t come across as quite the same as in the TV series. Others like Sister Julienne came across so clearly. Sister Monica Joan provides a number of moments of amusement.
It took me a while to read this interspersed with other books. The main reason was the print is very small in the paperback copy I have and could only read in good strong light for any length of time.
Call the Midwife is one of my favourite TV shows and one that invariably reduces me to tears. The book did not have the same effect. However it is an interesting and informative read It made me thankful for the country, time period and circumstances in which I live and the medical advancements that have been made. While I am glad I read the book, I just enjoyed the TV show more.
A frank and unsentimental view of the conditions of the East End in 1950s London. Conditions were deplorable with overcrowding, poverty and large families with women producing more children each year. This was all before the Pill and other forms of contraception. Attitudes too were very closely aligned to gender and what was considered women’s work and what was men’s work. Rarely did those lines cross or even blur.
I admit to skipped through bits that described behaviour in the brothels. Too much info there that I did need to know. Didn’t need it to be graphically described how Mary got into prostitution.
Some of the characters didn’t come across as quite the same as in the TV series. Others like Sister Julienne came across so clearly. Sister Monica Joan provides a number of moments of amusement.
It took me a while to read this interspersed with other books. The main reason was the print is very small in the paperback copy I have and could only read in good strong light for any length of time.
Call the Midwife is one of my favourite TV shows and one that invariably reduces me to tears. The book did not have the same effect. However it is an interesting and informative read It made me thankful for the country, time period and circumstances in which I live and the medical advancements that have been made. While I am glad I read the book, I just enjoyed the TV show more.
November 14, 2021
I loved reading about this period of history as seen through the eyes of the author. She is a young midwife in service to a community that is both welcoming and set in their ways. She gets prickly. She is human. The East End is a world away from the London I've imagined. The description of living conditions sound more like the nineteenth century than the twentieth. The degree of poverty is brutal. I have seen a few seasons of the PBS series and enjoyed it. The book feels like a memoir of place and time. It's edgier than the TV series, which I appreciated. I would highly recommend both, with PBS leaning more into lovely character development and warmth and the book is more historical.
March 3, 2013
I alternated between wishing I'd had this kind of care and thanking God I hadn't.
February 24, 2014
4.5 stars - Spoilers
I absolutely love the tv show, it's brilliant. I'm so obsessed with it that I decided to check out the book even though I never read non-fiction. I'm really glad I picked it up because it turned out to be a fascinating, heartbreaking, and lovely read.
Random thoughts:
-Summary: Jennifer Worth's memoirs of her time as a midwife in the East End of London in the 1950s. There's stories of herself, her patients, and the nuns she lives and works with… And they're all great.
-I really enjoyed Jenny's narration, she wasn't particularly nice or likeable but she was engaging and honest. Because Jenny was a nurse and midwife I was expecting her to be more heroine-like… I thought she would be endlessly compassionate, understanding, and helpful. She rarely showed those sort of warm traits, instead she was very much a normal, flawed individual. Most of the time she came across as cold, harsh, and judgmental, she had a tendency to look down at the people she encountered. I didn't mind Jenny's negative thoughts though, I actually found them refreshing in that they were brutally honest. Most people in Jenny's situation would have been just as disgusted and snobby when faced with tramps, poor housing, and weak/desperate people. If her reaction had been all unicorns and rainbows I would have just rolled my eyes. I quite liked that she was no perfect little Mary Sue who tried to save everyone she came in contact with, like the majority she sometimes went above and beyond to help others but most of the time she just did the bare minimum. I guess it was easy to forgive her more negative qualities as she had just as many admirable qualities, she wasn't all good or all bad… Most nurses/midwives are usually depicted as one or the other in literature. It was good how Jenny's memoirs showed nurses/midwives as humans and not cliches.
-Pretty much every chapter focused on one of Jenny's patients or work colleagues. It was rather amazing the range of people she met whilst working in the East End, they all had such different stories. Some were depressing to read about whilst others were wonderfully uplifting.
Mary, Mrs Jenkins, Conchita's, and Ted/Winnie's story were the most moving and impactful for me. Conchita was amazing to cope with so many pregnancies, and Ted was the best husband and father ever — their stories put a huge smile on my face. But reading about Mary and Mrs Jenkins was so sad and upsetting, they had such terrible hardships and it was clear that they never got a happy ending in life… They deserved much more than what they got.
-Sister Monica Joan was meaner than I expected, she was actually kind of a bully to Sister Evangeline. In the tv show she's far more lovable and everything she says and does seems harmless, in this she was horrible.
-The workhouses were awful to read about, they sounded worse than prisons.
-It did get a bit preachy and religious towards the very end, but I should have expected that since Jenny lived in a convent with a bunch of nuns.
-The 1950s East End setting, atmosphere, and people were captured perfectly. The Cockney dialogue was also done well.
All in all, a wonderful look into the life of midwives and East Enders in the 1950s. I'll definitely be checking out the sequels.
I absolutely love the tv show, it's brilliant. I'm so obsessed with it that I decided to check out the book even though I never read non-fiction. I'm really glad I picked it up because it turned out to be a fascinating, heartbreaking, and lovely read.
Random thoughts:
-Summary: Jennifer Worth's memoirs of her time as a midwife in the East End of London in the 1950s. There's stories of herself, her patients, and the nuns she lives and works with… And they're all great.
-I really enjoyed Jenny's narration, she wasn't particularly nice or likeable but she was engaging and honest. Because Jenny was a nurse and midwife I was expecting her to be more heroine-like… I thought she would be endlessly compassionate, understanding, and helpful. She rarely showed those sort of warm traits, instead she was very much a normal, flawed individual. Most of the time she came across as cold, harsh, and judgmental, she had a tendency to look down at the people she encountered. I didn't mind Jenny's negative thoughts though, I actually found them refreshing in that they were brutally honest. Most people in Jenny's situation would have been just as disgusted and snobby when faced with tramps, poor housing, and weak/desperate people. If her reaction had been all unicorns and rainbows I would have just rolled my eyes. I quite liked that she was no perfect little Mary Sue who tried to save everyone she came in contact with, like the majority she sometimes went above and beyond to help others but most of the time she just did the bare minimum. I guess it was easy to forgive her more negative qualities as she had just as many admirable qualities, she wasn't all good or all bad… Most nurses/midwives are usually depicted as one or the other in literature. It was good how Jenny's memoirs showed nurses/midwives as humans and not cliches.
-Pretty much every chapter focused on one of Jenny's patients or work colleagues. It was rather amazing the range of people she met whilst working in the East End, they all had such different stories. Some were depressing to read about whilst others were wonderfully uplifting.
Mary, Mrs Jenkins, Conchita's, and Ted/Winnie's story were the most moving and impactful for me. Conchita was amazing to cope with so many pregnancies, and Ted was the best husband and father ever — their stories put a huge smile on my face. But reading about Mary and Mrs Jenkins was so sad and upsetting, they had such terrible hardships and it was clear that they never got a happy ending in life… They deserved much more than what they got.
-Sister Monica Joan was meaner than I expected, she was actually kind of a bully to Sister Evangeline. In the tv show she's far more lovable and everything she says and does seems harmless, in this she was horrible.
-The workhouses were awful to read about, they sounded worse than prisons.
-It did get a bit preachy and religious towards the very end, but I should have expected that since Jenny lived in a convent with a bunch of nuns.
-The 1950s East End setting, atmosphere, and people were captured perfectly. The Cockney dialogue was also done well.
All in all, a wonderful look into the life of midwives and East Enders in the 1950s. I'll definitely be checking out the sequels.
March 31, 2022
I set aside the month of March for spring cleaning, college basketball and reading books by and about women in recognition of Women’s History Month. The spring cleaning has yet to begin, and March Madness, especially for us UNC Tar Heel fans, has stolen more reading time than I expected this month. Plus, I’m simply reading slower than a snail’s pace these days. BUT, even though Call The Midwife is my only read this month, it was an outstanding choice. It is a series of collected memories and stories about the experiences of British nurse Jennifer Worth during her time working as a midwife in the East End of London during the 1950’s. Worth’s high spirit and dedication to her profession shine throughout this first installment, and I intend to complete her trilogy during the coming months.
“Jenny Lee,” as she was known then, lived in a convent called Nonnatus House among the Midwives of St. Raymund Nonnatus, a religious order of Anglican nuns devoted to bringing safer childbirth to the poor. East End was a neglected, overcrowded area of London near the docks, filled with deep poverty and dangerous, unsanitary slums. Families there were large, living quarters were small (sometimes as small as two rooms for 10+ people), and almost all childbirth took place at home. Some of these “homes” lacked running water, much less clean birthing sheets. The nuns of Nonnatus and their students worked night and day, under sometimes hostile and often filthy, conditions, bicycling several miles in some cases and balancing a delivery bag filled with supplies, to tend these women and their newborns.
Initially, I was worried this would be 350 pages of birth throes and woes but was pleasantly surprised by the variety of stories Worth chose to include from her memory bank: clumsy, overweight Nurse “Chummy” learning to ride a bicycle with the steadfast assistance of a young street tough named Jack (who eventually became a bodyguard for Princess Diana); the heartbreaking chapters about beautiful young Mary and the horrors and fallout of the prostitution trade; the dynamics of the Nonnatus sisters’ relationships with each other and their staff, and their individual backstories and personalities; and Worth’s own professional and spiritual evolution. A special shoutout to Sister Evangelina who was grossly misunderstood and underappreciated: “Well, that wasn’t too bad. No worse than a fart in a colander.” A memoir written by a woman mostly about other women, but any reader of any gender can find something in this book to relate to and will most likely learn a few things along the way, as I did. Recommended to all.
“Jenny Lee,” as she was known then, lived in a convent called Nonnatus House among the Midwives of St. Raymund Nonnatus, a religious order of Anglican nuns devoted to bringing safer childbirth to the poor. East End was a neglected, overcrowded area of London near the docks, filled with deep poverty and dangerous, unsanitary slums. Families there were large, living quarters were small (sometimes as small as two rooms for 10+ people), and almost all childbirth took place at home. Some of these “homes” lacked running water, much less clean birthing sheets. The nuns of Nonnatus and their students worked night and day, under sometimes hostile and often filthy, conditions, bicycling several miles in some cases and balancing a delivery bag filled with supplies, to tend these women and their newborns.
Initially, I was worried this would be 350 pages of birth throes and woes but was pleasantly surprised by the variety of stories Worth chose to include from her memory bank: clumsy, overweight Nurse “Chummy” learning to ride a bicycle with the steadfast assistance of a young street tough named Jack (who eventually became a bodyguard for Princess Diana); the heartbreaking chapters about beautiful young Mary and the horrors and fallout of the prostitution trade; the dynamics of the Nonnatus sisters’ relationships with each other and their staff, and their individual backstories and personalities; and Worth’s own professional and spiritual evolution. A special shoutout to Sister Evangelina who was grossly misunderstood and underappreciated: “Well, that wasn’t too bad. No worse than a fart in a colander.” A memoir written by a woman mostly about other women, but any reader of any gender can find something in this book to relate to and will most likely learn a few things along the way, as I did. Recommended to all.
March 15, 2017
Tę książkę pochłonęłam w kilka dni. Napisana prostym, bezpretensjonalnym i autentycznym językiem wciąga czytelnika od pierwszych stron. Jennifer Worth opowiada o swoich pierwszych krokach w zawodzie położnej. Szlify zdobywała pod okiem zakonnic z Domu Św. Nonnata, który mieścił się w najbardziej robotniczej dzielnicy Londynu czyli w dokach. Pocz ątkowo spodziewałam się szczegółowych opisów porodów oraz praktyki i nauki autorki, ale ta książka to coś więcej.
Worth opisuje oczywiście porody - wszystkie odbywają się w domu i są bardzo różne: niektóre proste i bezproblemowe, inne skomplikowane. Podczas wszystkich zaskakuje spokój sióstr, które towarzyszą rodzącym w roli położnych. Ich głównym celem jest towarzyszenie kobiecie, nawet jeśli fazy porodu trwają kilkanaście godzin. Nie dążą do przyspieszania, medykalizacji, strasu, roztaczają spokój, pewność i poczucie fachowej opieki.
Ciąg dalszy: http://przeczytalamksiazke.blogspot.p...
Worth opisuje oczywiście porody - wszystkie odbywają się w domu i są bardzo różne: niektóre proste i bezproblemowe, inne skomplikowane. Podczas wszystkich zaskakuje spokój sióstr, które towarzyszą rodzącym w roli położnych. Ich głównym celem jest towarzyszenie kobiecie, nawet jeśli fazy porodu trwają kilkanaście godzin. Nie dążą do przyspieszania, medykalizacji, strasu, roztaczają spokój, pewność i poczucie fachowej opieki.
Ciąg dalszy: http://przeczytalamksiazke.blogspot.p...
June 15, 2012
Can't believe what hard lives many of these people lived. Such an interesting book, chronicling the life of one Midwife in the 1950's in the East End of London. Dockworkers and their families living in tenements, woman having baby after baby. Another book that makes one glad they live in this period of time. These woman had it so hard, trying to feed their families with no indoor plumbing or water and very little money. One old lady who lived in an abandoned building actually had toenails that were 12 inches long and an inch thick, supposedly they are still part of a museum exhibit. Anyway really glad to have read this, to truly appreciate the sisters and midwives who gave these poor people medical attention, they were truly angels of mercy.
December 9, 2017
by Andrea Renee Cox
While I enjoyed the insight into the lives of several midwives during the 1950s, I was disappointed that there were so many inappropriate things in this book. Nudity, expletives, crude talk, graphic sexual content, alcohol, tobacco usage, etc. really dampened my enjoyment of this book. I also didn't appreciate that the author believed older women should be allowed to be crass and rude simply because they'd lived a long life. Since when does longevity grant anyone the right to belittle or degrade other people? In Titus 2, older women are advised to "be reverent in behavior... that the word of God may not be blasphemed."
I was not compensated for my honest review.
While I enjoyed the insight into the lives of several midwives during the 1950s, I was disappointed that there were so many inappropriate things in this book. Nudity, expletives, crude talk, graphic sexual content, alcohol, tobacco usage, etc. really dampened my enjoyment of this book. I also didn't appreciate that the author believed older women should be allowed to be crass and rude simply because they'd lived a long life. Since when does longevity grant anyone the right to belittle or degrade other people? In Titus 2, older women are advised to "be reverent in behavior... that the word of God may not be blasphemed."
I was not compensated for my honest review.
May 2, 2019
This memoir of a midwife during the '50s in a very low income area of England is the basis for the series Call the Midwife. There are several really hard to read stories, but also several that did the heart good to read. One of my favorites involved a family with 25 kids, which I know, sounds appalling, but they were all so loving that I wished that all families could be like theirs. The only drawback was that with many of the chapters, you only hear about that family for that one chapter with no followup later on as to what happened to them. With some of them, I really wanted to find out what became of them. I also wished that I knew more about the midwife herself. Overall, a really good read.
April 16, 2015
I watched the BBC series Call the Midwife before I read this, and knew I would not be able to be objective about it. I already knew all the beautiful people in the book before I started. I wouldn't know where to start if I were to enumerate all of them. Some are nuns, some are young midwives, some are courageous mothers doing their best in impossible situations, some amazing fathers providing and caring for their family in horrendous circumstances, and some piteous brave children surviving the unendurable.
My heart was full of joy and sometimes heartache the whole time I was reading, just like when I watch the series. I threw my heart and soul into the book just like I do the show.
Living and working as a midwife in the 1950s in the docklands (East End) of London was hard work...tough people in tough circumstances. Crowded, dirty, violent. However, the midwives were universally respected. Nurses and policemen always have a rapport, especially in the East End. It's interesting, I reflect, that they always go around in pairs for protection. You never see a policeman alone. Yet we nurses and midwives are always alone, on foot or bicycle. We would never be touched. So deep is the respect, even reverence, of the roughest, toughest docker for the district midwives that we can go anywhere alone, day or night, without fear.
Side Notes:
I loved the Cockney dialect. And the appendix addressing her problems in writing it phonetically was really interesting. I was struggling to express the Cockney accent in written form, until a professor of English literature said to me, "You will not succeed, because it cannot be done. People have been trying since the fifteenth century, but it has never been successful." I learned about it's origins. Many Cockney speech forms--idioms, grammar and syntax--which today are considered flawed, are, in fact, very ancient speech forms that can be traced back to Tudor times.
Conchita and Len and their extremely premature baby (their 25th child) - this story about did me in. So beautiful..there are no words. Her love and determination (backed by her lovely husband) defied medical knowledge of the time. Amazing.
Ted's story did me in as well. What a beautiful man. In the Russian Orthodox Church there is the concept of the Holy Fool. It means someone who is a fool to the ways of the world, but wise to the ways of God. I think that Ted, from the moment he saw the baby, knew that he could not possibly be the father. It must have been a shock, but he had controlled himself, and sat thinking for a long time as he held the baby. Perhaps he saw ahead. Perhaps he understood in that moment that if he so much as questioned the baby's fatherhood, it would mean humiliation for the child, and might jeopardize his entire future. Perhaps, as he held the baby, he realized that any such suggestion could shatter his whole happiness. Perhaps an angel's voice told him that any questions were best left unasked and unanswered.
My heart was full of joy and sometimes heartache the whole time I was reading, just like when I watch the series. I threw my heart and soul into the book just like I do the show.
Living and working as a midwife in the 1950s in the docklands (East End) of London was hard work...tough people in tough circumstances. Crowded, dirty, violent. However, the midwives were universally respected. Nurses and policemen always have a rapport, especially in the East End. It's interesting, I reflect, that they always go around in pairs for protection. You never see a policeman alone. Yet we nurses and midwives are always alone, on foot or bicycle. We would never be touched. So deep is the respect, even reverence, of the roughest, toughest docker for the district midwives that we can go anywhere alone, day or night, without fear.
Side Notes:
I loved the Cockney dialect. And the appendix addressing her problems in writing it phonetically was really interesting. I was struggling to express the Cockney accent in written form, until a professor of English literature said to me, "You will not succeed, because it cannot be done. People have been trying since the fifteenth century, but it has never been successful." I learned about it's origins. Many Cockney speech forms--idioms, grammar and syntax--which today are considered flawed, are, in fact, very ancient speech forms that can be traced back to Tudor times.
Conchita and Len and their extremely premature baby (their 25th child) - this story about did me in. So beautiful..there are no words. Her love and determination (backed by her lovely husband) defied medical knowledge of the time. Amazing.
Ted's story did me in as well. What a beautiful man. In the Russian Orthodox Church there is the concept of the Holy Fool. It means someone who is a fool to the ways of the world, but wise to the ways of God. I think that Ted, from the moment he saw the baby, knew that he could not possibly be the father. It must have been a shock, but he had controlled himself, and sat thinking for a long time as he held the baby. Perhaps he saw ahead. Perhaps he understood in that moment that if he so much as questioned the baby's fatherhood, it would mean humiliation for the child, and might jeopardize his entire future. Perhaps, as he held the baby, he realized that any such suggestion could shatter his whole happiness. Perhaps an angel's voice told him that any questions were best left unasked and unanswered.
November 21, 2016
I listened to this as an audio book, having made good on my intention to use the time spent in the car (of which there is far too much) more productively. Two daily round trips to a school 40 minutes away takes its toll, and this book served the purpose of making the time behind the wheel less onerous admirably well. Rather than being flooded with dreary despair at the thought of yet again getting into the car, I actually looked forward to it, and was even slightly regretful on Fridays at the thought of having to take a couple of days break from the story. I could only listen to it 50% of the time, as my son refused to listen to it with me, which is just well really, as I think it's a little too heavy on the placentas and other grisly matters for a 13 year-old boy. But it wasn't the content that bothered him, but a quality to the narrator's voice that he found unbearable. I myself found that the voice took some getting used to, but fortunately persevered and stopped noticing it. I hadn't seen the series, and was intrigued at the different and presumably largely vanished world of the East End docks that Jennifer Worth presents. My only real complaint is that I'm quite sure that many episodes were fictional -- I do not believe in the existence of Conchita Warren or (this one hurts) Chummy. Worth probably met someone like Mary, but I found the kidnapping episode appended to her story highly suspect. Despite knowing that many memoirs make slight rearrangements of facts for the purposes of an engaging, flowing narrative, I still find myself feeling indignant and a little betrayed when I feel that an author has misled me.
April 11, 2013
3.5 stars.
I'm a sucker for babies, birth stories, and midwives tales, so I was all set to love this. I found it kind of lacking in coherence, though. It's a collection of loosely linked vignettes and I think it would have benefitted from a better editor.
Some of the stories kind of stood alone, some connected, and there was not much arc connecting the whole book. I found it interesting -- certainly I learned things about London that I had never known before, and much of it was shocking -- but I was left wanting something more. Some of the stories are actually really difficult to read, because they involve SO much trauma and pain and humans being inhumane to each other. I felt sick at a few points.
I also found myself a little grated upon by certain moments of the author's privilege on display. The passages about her love for fancy clothes, contrasted with the poverty around her, just turned me off. Her trips across town to drink with her well-heeled, clearly well to do childhood friends, also rubbed me the wrong way somehow. I suppose the British class system is on full display in this book, but ultimately not really challenged at all.
I'm a sucker for babies, birth stories, and midwives tales, so I was all set to love this. I found it kind of lacking in coherence, though. It's a collection of loosely linked vignettes and I think it would have benefitted from a better editor.
Some of the stories kind of stood alone, some connected, and there was not much arc connecting the whole book. I found it interesting -- certainly I learned things about London that I had never known before, and much of it was shocking -- but I was left wanting something more. Some of the stories are actually really difficult to read, because they involve SO much trauma and pain and humans being inhumane to each other. I felt sick at a few points.
I also found myself a little grated upon by certain moments of the author's privilege on display. The passages about her love for fancy clothes, contrasted with the poverty around her, just turned me off. Her trips across town to drink with her well-heeled, clearly well to do childhood friends, also rubbed me the wrong way somehow. I suppose the British class system is on full display in this book, but ultimately not really challenged at all.
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