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Loading... Shadows of the Workhouse (2005)by Jennifer Worth
   Books Read in 2016 (2,550) No current Talk conversations about this book. Unlike the first Call the Midwife book, this one had just 3 main storylines. They were not directly related to midwifery, either (other than that the writer experienced them during the time she was a midwife). It was slower-paced than the first book, too. There were still some fascinating insights into East London life in the 1950s. (  ) CarolHicksCase | Mar 12, 2023 |  Didn't enjoy it as much as Call the Midwife; there weren't any anecdotes about midwifery in this one. It's clear, though, that Jennifer Worth had a gift for listening to and remembering the stories of the people in her life, and she did a fine job of retelling them. As you can guess by the title, the subject matter was on the depressing side. The stories were gripping, but I'm hoping she gets back to tales of being in a midwife in the next book. (  ) Harks | Dec 17, 2022 | Second book in the series of books that the tv show "Call the Midwife" is based upon. Where in the first book each chapter told the story of a different delivery, this book focused more on the people in the east end of London. There were three parts, the first about Frank, his sister Peggy and their friend Jane, all who had spent their childhood in a workhouse. The second part was about Sister Monica Joan and her trial for theft. The last part was about Joe Collett, an elderly gentleman that Jenny befriends. The book was very enlightening when it came to describing the workhouses and the circumstances of their creation and life inside them. I have also learned a lot about the Cockney speech and even though I still can't say that I understand it, some of it, such as Cockney Rhyming Slang, is actually starting to make sense! ( ) Nefersw | Jan 14, 2022 | Another instalment in the Midwife series. This time focused on the appalling conditions of the workhouses and the poor that lived there. I found this book to be much sadder given the stories of the people who have no choices in life. Profound real life account of how people lived in horrible conditions. ( ) tinkerbellkk | Nov 2, 2021 | Second volume of memoirs of a nurse and stories about the patients she served in London's East End. Moving account of what it was like to be poor in the early to mid 20th century. (  ) Robertgreaves | Oct 31, 2020 | no reviews | add a review
In the 1950s, Jennifer Worth was a district midwife in East London. She worked with an order of nursing nuns, learning how to cope with midwifery in slum conditions. In the course of her training she met many interesting characters, whose stories are told in this book. When the workhouses of Britain officially closed in 1930, there was nowhere for inmates to go. So workhouses merely changed their names and carried on much the same as before. The conditions, rules and lifestyle that continued to be endured by the residents cast their shadows and shame over most of the last century.From the tragic history of dithering Jane, to the larger than life Sister Monica Joan, "the naughtiest old lady" the author had ever met, this is a collection of fascinating lives. No library descriptions found. |
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)305.569094215 — Social sciences Social Sciences Groups of people Class Lower, alienated, excluded classes Poor people History, geographic treatment, biography Europe England & Wales LondonLC ClassificationRatingAverage: (4.03)
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