I’m a huge fan of the TV series Call the Midwife based on this trilogy of books. For those who don’t know, these books are the experiences of a young midwife working in Poplar, a poor neighbourhood in East London following WWII. She is one of a team of midwives who worked out of a nunnery called Nonnatus House, and who served the women of Poplar before the advent of the National Health Service (NHS). Poverty was common and living conditions were abysmal. Many homes had neither running water nor reliable electricity. Large families were crammed into one bedroom apartments because there just wasn’t any other option. Children often didn’t have enough to eat, illnesses that have now been largely eradicated ran rampant, and in the days before birth control and legalized abortion, women often had more children than they could manage or afford.
But in spite of all of this suffering and scarcity, there are stories that show how much the nuns and midwives of Nonnatus House cared for the mothers in their community. And there are stories of how much love can make up for. There are stories that break the heart, but also stories that mend it. There are stories of horrifying pain and loss, but also of redemption and miraculous survival.
I’m reviewing these three books together because they really are one long piece. I read them back to back, and I can no longer remember where one ended and the next began. Like the TV show, there are several short stories of particular patients or personalities, but most are longer. There’s more detail (often devastatingly so) and characters are given more time than in the TV show, but there will be some who are familiar to those who have watched the show. If you are a fan of the show, you will probably enjoy the books as well. I will say that, particularly in Shadows of the Workhouse, these stories are quite dark, and because they’re given more time, they really will stick with you on a deeper level than in the show. I was okay with that, but be warned, it isn’t easy going!
I enjoyed learning more about Worth’s time and experiences. This was my grandmother’s England, and my father was born there during the timespan covered by these books. I always love learning more about what life was like at that time, even though they weren’t from this area and didn’t have quite such a hard time as is described here.
One of the main things that struck with me from reading these books is how much we have now. The idea of living in a house with no toilet, no running water, infested with lice or bedbugs or rats, covered in mold, without heat or light… I can’t even imagine it. We are so incredibly lucky to have all the conveniences we do in North America, and it’s so easy to take it all for granted. The idea that, to be a married woman, you had to be popping out children without any control over when or how many, and then that you had to work so much harder just to keep everyone fed and in somewhat clean clothes, let alone in a house fit to live in… I have so much more respect for what women had to suffer through. It makes me understand how lucky I am not only to be born in a time when I have control over my reproductive system, but the ability to take any time for myself at all, largely thanks to the conveniences I have in my home that make my work, though still tedious at times, so much easier. These books will definitely give you a lot to be grateful for!
I don’t know if I’ll go back to these books again – I think once might have been enough – but at the same time I am so glad I did read them. It’s easy to forget how far we have come and all the simple things that make up the fabric of our lives. It’s good to be reminded of that sometimes, particularly when things feel hard. Compared to what the mothers of East London had to contend with in the 1950s (multiple pandemics like polio and TB with no way to maintain hygiene or distance), what we’re dealing with isn’t anywhere near as bad as it could be. It also helps me imagine what people in other parts of the world are dealing with right now, because while I am lucky enough to have all of these conveniences and access to almost everything I need, most people in the world do not.
If you are someone who is interested in the history of women’s reproductive experiences, rights and suffering, this series will be illuminating. If you’re someone who benefits from reading books about even harder times in tough times, this will definitely fill that bill. But if you’re someone who is looking for some light relief to distract you from the stresses of our current situations… maybe save this and circle back later! Don’t forget though. Because it really is worth the effort.
Call the Midwife is a most extraordinary book and should be required reading of all students of midwifery, nursing, sociology and modern history. It tells of the experiences of a young trainee midwife in the East End of London in the 1950’s and is a graphic portrayal of the quite appalling conditions that the East Enders endured. – Call the Midwife on Goodreads
In this follow up to Call the Midwife, Jennifer Worth, a midwife working in the docklands area of East London in the 1950s tells more stories about the people she encountered.
There’s Jane, who cleaned and generally helped out at Nonnatus House – she was taken to the workhouse as a baby and was allegedly the illegitimate daughter of an aristocrat. Peggy and Frank’s parents both died within 6 months of each other and the children were left destitute. At the time, there was no other option for them but the workhouse. The Reverend Thornton-Appleby-Thorton, a missionary in Africa, visits the Nonnatus nuns and Sister Julienne acts as matchmaker. And Sister Monica Joan, the eccentric ninety-year-old nun, is accused of shoplifting some small items from the local market. She is let off with a warning, but then Jennifer finds stolen jewels from Hatton Garden in the nun’s room.
These stories give a fascinating insight into the resilience and spirit that enabled ordinary people to overcome their difficulties. – Shadows of the Workhouse on Goodreads
This final book in Jennifer Worth’s memories of her time as a midwife in London’s East end brings her story full circle. As always there are heartbreaking stories such as the family devastated by tuberculosis and a ship’s woman who ‘serviced’ the entire crew, as well as plenty of humour and warmth such as the tale of two women who shared the same husband! Other stories cover backstreet abortions, the changing life of the docklands, infanticide, as well as the lives of the inhabitants of Nonnatus House. – Farewell to the East End on Goodreads
Book Title: Call the Midwife/Shadows of the Workhouse/Farewell to the East End
Author: Jennifer Worth
Series: Yes
Edition: Audiobook
Published By: Weidenfeld & Nicolson/Phoenix
Released: 2002/2005/2009
Genre: Non-Fiction, Women’s Studies, Post WWII, History
Pages: 340/294/336
Date Read: June 30-July 1, 2021/July 1-3, 2021/July 3-4, 2021
Rating: 7-8/10
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.13/5 (65,703 ratings)/4.15/5 (21,597 ratings)/4.28/5 (14,968 ratings)
Very good review. I love the show, too, though it does go a bit woke on occasion, lol. I have the books on kindle iirc and have planned to read them. Maybe I’ll actually do it? The black hole of the Kindle does exist.
I think if you liked the show and are okay with darker storylines that last longer, the books will feel familiar but still offer more than the show did. Might as well try!