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Call the Midwife

A True Story of the East End in the 1950s

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Call the Midwife

By: Jennifer Worth
Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
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About this listen

Jennifer Worth's tales of being a midwife in 1950s London, now a major BBC TV series.

Jennifer Worth came from a sheltered background when she became a midwife in the Docklands in the 1950s. The conditions in which many women gave birth just half a century ago were horrifying, not only because of their grimly impoverished surroundings, but also because of what they were expected to endure. But while Jennifer witnessed brutality and tragedy, she also met with amazing kindness and understanding, tempered by a great deal of Cockney humour. She also earned the confidences of some whose lives were truly stranger, more poignant and more terrifying than could ever be recounted in fiction.

Attached to an order of nuns who had been working in the slums since the 1870s, Jennifer tells the story not only of the women she treated, but also of the community of nuns (including one who was accused of stealing jewels from Hatton Garden) and the camaraderie of the midwives with whom she trained.

Funny, disturbing and incredibly moving, Jennifer's stories bring to life the colourful world of the East End in the 1950s.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2007 Jennifer Worth (P)2020 Orion Publishing Group Medical Professionals & Academics Funny Midwife
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I don't know what to write. just a great book and to think the practices described in this book only happened a mere 60 years ago in my mother's time.

great read

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A great listen and a nice voiced actor. The tales of these wonderful women, both midwife and mother is beautiful and humbling. Really puts life into perspective. I adore them all the more that they were really people doing real work. Midwifery is so important and I love to hear tales of its growth and respectability.

Beautiful and Humbling

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A young midwife's service to the impoverished and discovery that we are blessed when and through whom we least expect. Her journey to finding God and his almighty love.

Unveiling of extraordinary lives of service

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What a tale. Heart wrenching and hilarious. The narration was spot on. The accents hahaha so good.

Marvellous

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I love the TV series, but the book gives Jennifer's thoughts that are not always narrated, which adds an extra something to the narrative.

There were also stories that had to be adapted for the screen that were horrible to think about. For instance, Cable Street, and all the misery and crime that it enabled. I could smell the stench of the rotting rubbish and human waste.

I felt outraged by the bureaucratic stupidity and hope that this couldn't happen in these times. So much suffering could have been nipped in the bud, but the poorest of poor obviously didn't have a voice or clout in the various levels of government.

Juliet's narration was pretty well spot on.

I will definitely be getting the rest of the series.

Better than the TV series?

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The characters were visual and the stories involving and complex. Such an insight into a midwifery journey

A wonderful glimpse of time past

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as a show watcher I thought it time to delve a little deeper. I enjoyed the pacing of the story and the extra detail the book gave to most of the early season of call the midwife. it was wonderful to learn more about sister Monica and sister Evangelina and Jennyst journey

enjoyable insight

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Fantastic stories. What a brilliant insight into midwifery of the 1950s. I hope (and don’t want them) to all be true. Great, seamless narration that splits between toffee and cockney English. Worth a listen.

Amazing stories of a time gone by

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excellent book well worth your listening time . memories of my mother and her delivery at home of 7 children.

brought back memories of my childhood

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Amazing, simply beautiful, enlightening, and again, amazing. The narrator did a wonderful job! Well done!

Love love love

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