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Shadows of the Workhouse
- The Drama of Life in Postwar London
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
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Publisher's Summary
A fascinating slice of East End life, from the number one best-selling author of Call the Midwife, now a major BBC TV series.
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 six 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 90-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.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio on our Desktop Site.
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What listeners say about Shadows of the Workhouse
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Nora
- 17-08-2022
You won't find a bigger fan!!
As a die hard fan of the television series, this book gave me a much better understanding of the work houses. Jane Sutton was never given a wrap in the show and I am glad the memoirs gave us that.
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- Veronica Thomas
- 26-02-2024
VERY INTERESTING
Great to read of the history of the East End in this period of time 1950-1960.
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- Anonymous User
- 11-05-2022
Harrowingly Mesmorising
Wow! Another beautifully written book by Jennifer Worth. Broken up into 3 parts that follow different people's life stories. Be prepared with tissues, as you will have a few tears. it's hard to believe this all happened less than 100 years ago.
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- Anonymous User
- 16-07-2022
Riveting
Laughed cried and loved this audiobook - great narration of a past time in 50’s Britain
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- Joanne
- 14-05-2022
Won’t download all chapters
Was really good but then with 5 hours to go would not download. Every other book I have purchased downloads.
Sad as great listen
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- Lana P.
- 06-02-2024
A bit strange
it wasn't one story. There were many stories about many people, so it was easy to lose track. It's a bit of a mess.
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