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The Midwife Trilogy #3
Call the Midwife: Farewell to the East End
The last book in the trilogy begun by Jennifer Worth's New York Times bestseller and the basis for the PBS series Call the Midwife
When twenty-two-year-old Jennifer Worth, from a comfortable middle-class upbringing, went to work as a midwife in the poorest section of postwar London, she not only delivered hundreds of babies and touched many lives, she also became the neighborhood's most vivid chronicler. Call the Midwife: Farewell to the East End is the last book in Worth's memoir trilogy, which the Times Literary Supplement described as "powerful stories with sweet charm and controlled outrage" in the face of dire circumstances.
Here, at last, is the full story of Chummy's delightful courtship and wedding. We also meet Megan'mave, identical twins who share a browbeaten husband, and return to Sister Monica Joan, who is in top eccentric form. As in Worth's first two books, Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times and Call the Midwife: Shadows of the Workhouse, the vividly portrayed denizens of a postwar East End contend with the trials of extreme poverty—unsanitary conditions, hunger, and disease—and find surprising ways to thrive in their tightly knit community.
A rich portrait of a bygone era of comradeship and midwifery populated by unforgettable characters, Call the Midwife: Farewell to the East End will appeal to readers of Frank McCourt, Katherine Boo, and James Herriot, as well as to the fans of the acclaimed PBS show based on the trilogy.
When twenty-two-year-old Jennifer Worth, from a comfortable middle-class upbringing, went to work as a midwife in the poorest section of postwar London, she not only delivered hundreds of babies and touched many lives, she also became the neighborhood's most vivid chronicler. Call the Midwife: Farewell to the East End is the last book in Worth's memoir trilogy, which the Times Literary Supplement described as "powerful stories with sweet charm and controlled outrage" in the face of dire circumstances.
Here, at last, is the full story of Chummy's delightful courtship and wedding. We also meet Megan'mave, identical twins who share a browbeaten husband, and return to Sister Monica Joan, who is in top eccentric form. As in Worth's first two books, Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times and Call the Midwife: Shadows of the Workhouse, the vividly portrayed denizens of a postwar East End contend with the trials of extreme poverty—unsanitary conditions, hunger, and disease—and find surprising ways to thrive in their tightly knit community.
A rich portrait of a bygone era of comradeship and midwifery populated by unforgettable characters, Call the Midwife: Farewell to the East End will appeal to readers of Frank McCourt, Katherine Boo, and James Herriot, as well as to the fans of the acclaimed PBS show based on the trilogy.
336 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2009
1071 people are currently reading
12024 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Worth
18 books946 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 1,483 reviews
January 14, 2015
Blimey, this memoir was bleak.
Jennifer Worth's third book about her years serving as a midwife in London's East End in the 1950s was much darker than the first two. It was well-written and the stories were all compelling, but it covered some serious stuff, including babies who died during delivery, botched abortions, children killed by tuberculosis, a father who prostituted his daughter on a ship, and the Contagious Diseases Acts.
I need to pause here to explain how horrified I was to hear about the Contagious Diseases Acts, which was passed by British Parliament in the 1860s. It allowed police officers to arrest any girl or woman they suspected of being a prostitute and to check her for venereal disease. Reportedly some officers took full advantage of this and basically raped the women while doing their "exam." There is such a story in this book, and it is dark, man.
"Any woman of any age could be subjected to this horrifying treatment. At the time the age of consent was thirteen, so a child of that age could legally be regarded as a woman. The Contagious Diseases Act affected only working-class women, because upper-class women never walked in the streets alone, but would be accompanied or in a carriage. Men of any age or class were exempt from arrest and examination, even if caught in the act of soliciting, because the Act of 1864 was specifically designed for the control of women."
The Acts galvanized the women's movement in England, and mercifully the CDA was repealed in 1886.
The case of the sea captain who encouraged his daughter to sleep with every man on ship, including himself, was also shocking. The midwives learned about her because the girl had become pregnant, and good ol' Chummy was the one who helped deliver the baby on board the vessel. The story had a nice coda because that night Chummy met an officer she eventually married.
There are also lively stories of Sister Monica Joan, who discovered the joys of taking a cab ride instead of the bus, and we learn about the woman who ran the local pub. The end of the book discusses how the neighborhood changed in the 1960s, and why the midwives and nuns eventually closed their practice.
"One by one the docks closed; air freight had replaced the old cargo boats, and the dockers became redundant. At the same time demolition of bomb-damaged and slum property started, and people were rehoused out of London in the new towns. For many this was life-shattering, particularly for the older generation who had lived their entire lives within a radius of two or three streets, close to their children and grandchildren. The rehousing programme tore apart the extended family, which had provided the unity and been the strength of East End life for generations."
I listened to all three of Jennifer Worth's Midwife memoirs on audio, read by Nicola Barber, who was an excellent narrator. This third book is filled with a lot of history and social issues of the day, which was interesting, but I had hoped for a little lighter fare. I would still recommend it, just be prepared for some sad tales.
Jennifer Worth's third book about her years serving as a midwife in London's East End in the 1950s was much darker than the first two. It was well-written and the stories were all compelling, but it covered some serious stuff, including babies who died during delivery, botched abortions, children killed by tuberculosis, a father who prostituted his daughter on a ship, and the Contagious Diseases Acts.
I need to pause here to explain how horrified I was to hear about the Contagious Diseases Acts, which was passed by British Parliament in the 1860s. It allowed police officers to arrest any girl or woman they suspected of being a prostitute and to check her for venereal disease. Reportedly some officers took full advantage of this and basically raped the women while doing their "exam." There is such a story in this book, and it is dark, man.
"Any woman of any age could be subjected to this horrifying treatment. At the time the age of consent was thirteen, so a child of that age could legally be regarded as a woman. The Contagious Diseases Act affected only working-class women, because upper-class women never walked in the streets alone, but would be accompanied or in a carriage. Men of any age or class were exempt from arrest and examination, even if caught in the act of soliciting, because the Act of 1864 was specifically designed for the control of women."
The Acts galvanized the women's movement in England, and mercifully the CDA was repealed in 1886.
The case of the sea captain who encouraged his daughter to sleep with every man on ship, including himself, was also shocking. The midwives learned about her because the girl had become pregnant, and good ol' Chummy was the one who helped deliver the baby on board the vessel. The story had a nice coda because that night Chummy met an officer she eventually married.
There are also lively stories of Sister Monica Joan, who discovered the joys of taking a cab ride instead of the bus, and we learn about the woman who ran the local pub. The end of the book discusses how the neighborhood changed in the 1960s, and why the midwives and nuns eventually closed their practice.
"One by one the docks closed; air freight had replaced the old cargo boats, and the dockers became redundant. At the same time demolition of bomb-damaged and slum property started, and people were rehoused out of London in the new towns. For many this was life-shattering, particularly for the older generation who had lived their entire lives within a radius of two or three streets, close to their children and grandchildren. The rehousing programme tore apart the extended family, which had provided the unity and been the strength of East End life for generations."
I listened to all three of Jennifer Worth's Midwife memoirs on audio, read by Nicola Barber, who was an excellent narrator. This third book is filled with a lot of history and social issues of the day, which was interesting, but I had hoped for a little lighter fare. I would still recommend it, just be prepared for some sad tales.
May 6, 2015
This isn't like Jennifer Worth's first two books in the series, The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times and Shadows of the Workhouse. They were sweet memoirs of how hard it was in times gone by, but there were rays of sunshine, love and jollity to enliven the days. The books were fairly faithfully filmed as a sugar-candy feelgood somewhat addictive series.
This last book was filmed in very much the same manner but was not faithful to the book. It was quite a surprise to see that Worth had departed from her rose-tinted glasses stye of writing to author a hard-hitting, horrific picture of the dreadful time those early post-war years for the very poor in a very deprived area of London.
In this book we have a man, a sea captain who not only commits incest but prostitutes his daughter to dozens of men on a daily basis, bloody abortion, infanticide, bigamy, bullying and a nun with a major mental health issue.
If you liked the series be prepared for something different. If you don't like fluffy memoirs and so avoided the Midwife books, this one is worth reading as a well-written sociological memoir of the brutal lives of those who have so little they live on the fringes of society and no one much cares. Jennifer Worth did though, and thought their lives worth documenting.
BookLikes LeafMarks
This last book was filmed in very much the same manner but was not faithful to the book. It was quite a surprise to see that Worth had departed from her rose-tinted glasses stye of writing to author a hard-hitting, horrific picture of the dreadful time those early post-war years for the very poor in a very deprived area of London.
In this book we have a man, a sea captain who not only commits incest but prostitutes his daughter to dozens of men on a daily basis, bloody abortion, infanticide, bigamy, bullying and a nun with a major mental health issue.
If you liked the series be prepared for something different. If you don't like fluffy memoirs and so avoided the Midwife books, this one is worth reading as a well-written sociological memoir of the brutal lives of those who have so little they live on the fringes of society and no one much cares. Jennifer Worth did though, and thought their lives worth documenting.
BookLikes LeafMarks
June 14, 2013
I have been thinking about what I want to say about this series. First of all, I have to give a caution to my friends who my want to read these books. They are not for the feint of heart! They are full of some very descriptive harsh realities of life, particularly for that time and place in history. I was once harshly criticized at a book group because I did not finish a book that was too brutal and ugly. The person who chose the book accused me of having my head in the sand. That book was fiction based on harsh realities, but not on a true story,and it was intended to shock! This book on the other hand, is a memoir. It was written specifically to record the true experiences of the author and the people she worked with. These people were real and these things really happened. Also the handling of this difficult subject matter was very different from a fictional book written for shock value. The author handled these hard topics lovingly and in a way that makes me more aware of human suffering and deeply grateful for my very clean and comfortable and luxurious life. The author also made it clear that for the most part, even in the ugliest of circumstances, that the people were doing the best they could with what they had, even if we do not agree with the choices they made. She obviously saw through her own experience that people are basically good even when they make terrible mistakes.
Overall, I feel that I have been enriched by reading these stories. However if you read them and are shocked by the filth, prostitution, abortion and workhouses, don't blame me. You have been warned.
Overall, I feel that I have been enriched by reading these stories. However if you read them and are shocked by the filth, prostitution, abortion and workhouses, don't blame me. You have been warned.
January 27, 2015
In this third book, Jennifer Worth largely reverts to the format of ‘daily’ life based around the life of the convent, and some of the more memorable, less straightforward, deliveries that she and her fellow midwives were called upon to perform. She doesn’t entirely abandon her portrayal of extreme social hardship, so graphically and vividly portrayed her second book, “Shadows of the Workhouse.’
It is that innate ability flowing forth, to communicate with such graphic, vivid, convincing, and compelling reality; which has firmly grasped, held, and enraptured this grateful reader. Jennifer Worth’s (neé Lee) practical and strongly empathetic observations left me unsurprised to learn that from 1973 she had pursued a successful second career in music. By comparison, fiction as a genre rarely achieves the same realism: with, I feel, the notable exception of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord Of The Rings” – but then to achieve what he did, Tolkien had to create an entire fictional mythology; an absolutely stupendous amount of work!
To review this third book on its own is difficult, because my overall response will likely have been shaped by reading the other two books, and, a year ago, viewing the first BBCTV series. I really loved the very, very, funny (but oh so true to life) account of Chummy & David’s marriage, and the meeting of the two families eyeing each other up in church during the marriage service, and how (up to a point) the monumental differences between the upper and working classes were in part healed at the wedding reception afterwards. I don’t want to give too much away. Read it for yourself.
Suffice to say that like the first two books I found this third book very, very, difficult to put down. What moved me most? It’s hard to say. Chummy climbing up a somewhat dodgy long rope ladder at night to deliver a newborn on board a Swedish ship (yes, work that one out); and, secondly, the identical twins who share a husband. Those, to me, are perhaps the most memorable; and I doubt that the Swedish ship episode will appear on screen as published! The account of the work of a back street abortionist, needed by a very desperate woman, is uncompromisingly and horrifically brutal, and desperately sad, but really should be read by EVERY teenager, girl and boy alike, and objectively and emotionally discussed within the family.
The 2012 Olympic Games in London were marketed to invest in and improve the quality of the physical infrastructure of the East End. On foot I have barely scratched the East End of London: one need go no further than the Whitechapel Bell Foundry and the Museum of Childhood to catch an impression of the area. From a carriage running on the Docklands Light Railway I remember passing (in 2010) tenement buildings in Shadwell that looked like some portrayed in Mrs Worth’s books; excepting that they were open on the fourth side; such that I could see coloured (not white) sheets hanging out to dry on the walkways; though no sign of life. What a success those Games were! I hope that they have raised aspirations, such that residents of the new flats, houses, and local amenities will re-discover a sense of the old pride of the East End.
Two social interactions mentioned by the author which governed life in the old East End, are physical violence and community singing. The former is, alas, still with us, not improved by the use of illegal drugs; the latter has been seen off by the invention of technology which isolates the listening individual from group participation. More striking is her description of the havoc wreaked by disease; two examples being in the tragedy and treatment of tuberculosis (a victory even now, in 2013, not entirely won) and the massive social change resultant from the invention of the chemical contraceptive pill. Throughout the 1950s the Sisters delivered around 100 babies per month; a figure which by 1964 had fallen to 4 or 5 (pg. 313).
That massively rapid fall in birthrate has revolutionised the lives of women, and is something that I am extremely thankful for. I’ve been gifted the time to play, to read, to be educated, to play my part in creating a strong and productive family, and to financially contribute to the economy of my country. Jennifer Worth’s three books can easily be read as though describing an unknown country to those of us who never had direct experience of life during the period she describes, let alone the preceding centuries; and who perhaps even now are guilty of indulging in dreams of gilded fantasy surrounding the apparent charm of aristocratic life before the First World War? Realistically who would choose such a life of unremitting and backbreaking hard work, without privilege and, worse, without power? Who would prefer to live the short, hard, brutal, life of poverty or destitution, as known by the vast majority of the population?
It is that innate ability flowing forth, to communicate with such graphic, vivid, convincing, and compelling reality; which has firmly grasped, held, and enraptured this grateful reader. Jennifer Worth’s (neé Lee) practical and strongly empathetic observations left me unsurprised to learn that from 1973 she had pursued a successful second career in music. By comparison, fiction as a genre rarely achieves the same realism: with, I feel, the notable exception of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord Of The Rings” – but then to achieve what he did, Tolkien had to create an entire fictional mythology; an absolutely stupendous amount of work!
To review this third book on its own is difficult, because my overall response will likely have been shaped by reading the other two books, and, a year ago, viewing the first BBCTV series. I really loved the very, very, funny (but oh so true to life) account of Chummy & David’s marriage, and the meeting of the two families eyeing each other up in church during the marriage service, and how (up to a point) the monumental differences between the upper and working classes were in part healed at the wedding reception afterwards. I don’t want to give too much away. Read it for yourself.
Suffice to say that like the first two books I found this third book very, very, difficult to put down. What moved me most? It’s hard to say. Chummy climbing up a somewhat dodgy long rope ladder at night to deliver a newborn on board a Swedish ship (yes, work that one out); and, secondly, the identical twins who share a husband. Those, to me, are perhaps the most memorable; and I doubt that the Swedish ship episode will appear on screen as published! The account of the work of a back street abortionist, needed by a very desperate woman, is uncompromisingly and horrifically brutal, and desperately sad, but really should be read by EVERY teenager, girl and boy alike, and objectively and emotionally discussed within the family.
The 2012 Olympic Games in London were marketed to invest in and improve the quality of the physical infrastructure of the East End. On foot I have barely scratched the East End of London: one need go no further than the Whitechapel Bell Foundry and the Museum of Childhood to catch an impression of the area. From a carriage running on the Docklands Light Railway I remember passing (in 2010) tenement buildings in Shadwell that looked like some portrayed in Mrs Worth’s books; excepting that they were open on the fourth side; such that I could see coloured (not white) sheets hanging out to dry on the walkways; though no sign of life. What a success those Games were! I hope that they have raised aspirations, such that residents of the new flats, houses, and local amenities will re-discover a sense of the old pride of the East End.
Two social interactions mentioned by the author which governed life in the old East End, are physical violence and community singing. The former is, alas, still with us, not improved by the use of illegal drugs; the latter has been seen off by the invention of technology which isolates the listening individual from group participation. More striking is her description of the havoc wreaked by disease; two examples being in the tragedy and treatment of tuberculosis (a victory even now, in 2013, not entirely won) and the massive social change resultant from the invention of the chemical contraceptive pill. Throughout the 1950s the Sisters delivered around 100 babies per month; a figure which by 1964 had fallen to 4 or 5 (pg. 313).
That massively rapid fall in birthrate has revolutionised the lives of women, and is something that I am extremely thankful for. I’ve been gifted the time to play, to read, to be educated, to play my part in creating a strong and productive family, and to financially contribute to the economy of my country. Jennifer Worth’s three books can easily be read as though describing an unknown country to those of us who never had direct experience of life during the period she describes, let alone the preceding centuries; and who perhaps even now are guilty of indulging in dreams of gilded fantasy surrounding the apparent charm of aristocratic life before the First World War? Realistically who would choose such a life of unremitting and backbreaking hard work, without privilege and, worse, without power? Who would prefer to live the short, hard, brutal, life of poverty or destitution, as known by the vast majority of the population?
March 10, 2014
4.5 stars - Spoilers
Really enjoyed it. The stories were engrossing, the people were fascinating, and the 1950s East End setting was easy to imagine and immerse into.
Random Thoughts:
-I preferred the format of this one compared to the second book, there was a lot more focus on Jenny's experiences, her patients, and midwifery in general.
-I enjoyed getting to know more about Cynthia, she was a bit of a non-character in the earlier books… All that I knew about her was that she was nice and had a calming voice, in this she was a whole other person. I never knew she had mental health problems or that she was very religious. It was great reading more about her life.
-I loved Trixie, she had such a strong and endearing personality. I especially loved her no nonsense attitude and her refusal to pander or listen to anyone else's rubbish… She made a change from the usual doormats in literature.
-The friendships between Jenny, the midwives, and the nuns was wonderful. There was no negative feelings, jealousy, or resentment between them even though they worked such long hours and were constantly under high pressure. They were supportive, caring, and all around good people.
-Meg and Mave's story was riveting. They were middle aged twins who were married to the same man (Sid) - I initially thought Sid was lucky to have two women at his beck and call, but by the end of his/Meg/Mave's story I felt sorry for him — the twins were domineering, bossy, and all round insufferable. I don't know how he put up with them, they were such annoying fishwives.
Meg and Mave were the most smug, irritating, and backwards patients ever. I hated how Meg thought she knew everything about midwifery and medicine just because she read a few out of date books… Mave was so dumb to let Meg push her around and decide what's what even though she was the one that was pregnant. They were both such obstinate, ungrateful idiots, but at least they made for interesting reading. I loved that Trixie didn't let Meg push her around, the push and pull between them was really funny.
-The chapters were Jenny described her own personal experience or those of patients she grew very close to were the most interesting. Whereas the stories about the people she knew second hand from other people read more like fiction than fact and weren't quite as engrossing.
-The story with Hilda/the abortionist/chamber pot baby and the Swedish ship/incest/ship's woman were horrifying. How could a dad let his entire crew (inc. himself) sleep with his daughter for decades just so the men would be happier and work harder? Ugh, the perverted paedo.
I had mixed feelings about Hilda's unwanted pregnancy — she already had loads of kids and the flat her family were living in was a dump, she and her husband couldn't cope with another baby. But what they did to the baby once it was born was awful. They were cruel to just let it drown in a chamber pot full of blood and afterbirth. Why couldn't they have left it at a church or the workhouse? Why did they have to let the baby die in such a horrific way? It was unforgivable what they did, no matter what their circumstances were.
-The tuberculosis/pub/Julie's story was utterly depressing. I felt so sorry for Julie, she lost all her siblings, wasn't really loved by her parents, and then lost her own beloved child. She didn't deserve all that loss and suffering, at least she still had her pub at the end, which was probably some comfort to her.
-Chummy and the police officer romance was lovely, they made a really cute couple. It was great how Chummy managed to follow through with her missionary dreams, I was expecting her to end up being a stay at home mum… But she actually got to live out her dreams and do her missionary and midwife work in Sierra Leone.
All in all, a wonderful conclusion to Jenny's time as an East End midwife.
Really enjoyed it. The stories were engrossing, the people were fascinating, and the 1950s East End setting was easy to imagine and immerse into.
Random Thoughts:
-I preferred the format of this one compared to the second book, there was a lot more focus on Jenny's experiences, her patients, and midwifery in general.
-I enjoyed getting to know more about Cynthia, she was a bit of a non-character in the earlier books… All that I knew about her was that she was nice and had a calming voice, in this she was a whole other person. I never knew she had mental health problems or that she was very religious. It was great reading more about her life.
-I loved Trixie, she had such a strong and endearing personality. I especially loved her no nonsense attitude and her refusal to pander or listen to anyone else's rubbish… She made a change from the usual doormats in literature.
-The friendships between Jenny, the midwives, and the nuns was wonderful. There was no negative feelings, jealousy, or resentment between them even though they worked such long hours and were constantly under high pressure. They were supportive, caring, and all around good people.
-Meg and Mave's story was riveting. They were middle aged twins who were married to the same man (Sid) - I initially thought Sid was lucky to have two women at his beck and call, but by the end of his/Meg/Mave's story I felt sorry for him — the twins were domineering, bossy, and all round insufferable. I don't know how he put up with them, they were such annoying fishwives.
Meg and Mave were the most smug, irritating, and backwards patients ever. I hated how Meg thought she knew everything about midwifery and medicine just because she read a few out of date books… Mave was so dumb to let Meg push her around and decide what's what even though she was the one that was pregnant. They were both such obstinate, ungrateful idiots, but at least they made for interesting reading. I loved that Trixie didn't let Meg push her around, the push and pull between them was really funny.
-The chapters were Jenny described her own personal experience or those of patients she grew very close to were the most interesting. Whereas the stories about the people she knew second hand from other people read more like fiction than fact and weren't quite as engrossing.
-The story with Hilda/the abortionist/chamber pot baby and the Swedish ship/incest/ship's woman were horrifying. How could a dad let his entire crew (inc. himself) sleep with his daughter for decades just so the men would be happier and work harder? Ugh, the perverted paedo.
I had mixed feelings about Hilda's unwanted pregnancy — she already had loads of kids and the flat her family were living in was a dump, she and her husband couldn't cope with another baby. But what they did to the baby once it was born was awful. They were cruel to just let it drown in a chamber pot full of blood and afterbirth. Why couldn't they have left it at a church or the workhouse? Why did they have to let the baby die in such a horrific way? It was unforgivable what they did, no matter what their circumstances were.
-The tuberculosis/pub/Julie's story was utterly depressing. I felt so sorry for Julie, she lost all her siblings, wasn't really loved by her parents, and then lost her own beloved child. She didn't deserve all that loss and suffering, at least she still had her pub at the end, which was probably some comfort to her.
-Chummy and the police officer romance was lovely, they made a really cute couple. It was great how Chummy managed to follow through with her missionary dreams, I was expecting her to end up being a stay at home mum… But she actually got to live out her dreams and do her missionary and midwife work in Sierra Leone.
All in all, a wonderful conclusion to Jenny's time as an East End midwife.
July 25, 2020
Imo, this deserves 3.5 stars, but it felt wrong rounding it up to 4 stars as it was slightly less light-hearted than the first two volumes of the trilogy.
In this 3rd and last volume of the “Call the Midwife” series, Jennifer Worth ties the loose ends of her first two volumes describing the hardships and joys of nursing in the East End in the 1950s.
The author was obviously a firm believer in the progress made in midwifery from the Midwives Act, 1902 onwards. It’s wonderful to think that over the course of a 100 years the loss of a child, then a habitual occurrence, has turned into the epitome of pain, the sole loss parents can no longer fathom, even less recover from.
The writing stays easy, well-paced, and interesting. This book felt like a pot pourri of everything that hadn’t been said in the first two volumes from lost babies, hospitals, infirmaries, backstreet abortions, to the progress in midwifery and medicine. This volume also bears more references and, facts and figures, than the previous two - and short essays. I found it a little solemn at times.
In a nutshell, I would summarise the three volumes as follow (all in the 1950s):
1. Midwifery in the East End with some more youthful moments thrown in like friendships and a crazy night trip to Brighton!
2. The Workhouses and their terrible post-war legacies
3. Lost babies, child mortality, East End brawls, facts and figures, infirmaries, tuberculosis, ship’s women, backstreet abortions, and also uplifting stories of midwifery, and the author’s farewell to the East End and her near and dear.
“... life is made of happiness and tragedy in equal proportions, and we will never change that.”
You have to hand it to Jennifer Worth: through all the hardships she witnessed, she remains upbeat and even humorous in her memoirs. I’m glad I read all three books, and though the last felt a little more dispersed, and a tad more solemn, it also brought tears of joy and sadness to my eyes, and made for a moving finale.
In this 3rd and last volume of the “Call the Midwife” series, Jennifer Worth ties the loose ends of her first two volumes describing the hardships and joys of nursing in the East End in the 1950s.
The author was obviously a firm believer in the progress made in midwifery from the Midwives Act, 1902 onwards. It’s wonderful to think that over the course of a 100 years the loss of a child, then a habitual occurrence, has turned into the epitome of pain, the sole loss parents can no longer fathom, even less recover from.
The writing stays easy, well-paced, and interesting. This book felt like a pot pourri of everything that hadn’t been said in the first two volumes from lost babies, hospitals, infirmaries, backstreet abortions, to the progress in midwifery and medicine. This volume also bears more references and, facts and figures, than the previous two - and short essays. I found it a little solemn at times.
In a nutshell, I would summarise the three volumes as follow (all in the 1950s):
1. Midwifery in the East End with some more youthful moments thrown in like friendships and a crazy night trip to Brighton!
2. The Workhouses and their terrible post-war legacies
3. Lost babies, child mortality, East End brawls, facts and figures, infirmaries, tuberculosis, ship’s women, backstreet abortions, and also uplifting stories of midwifery, and the author’s farewell to the East End and her near and dear.
“... life is made of happiness and tragedy in equal proportions, and we will never change that.”
You have to hand it to Jennifer Worth: through all the hardships she witnessed, she remains upbeat and even humorous in her memoirs. I’m glad I read all three books, and though the last felt a little more dispersed, and a tad more solemn, it also brought tears of joy and sadness to my eyes, and made for a moving finale.
September 8, 2015
I would recommend this series all around. They’ve made me laugh and cry. I love them and hate that they have come to an end.
May 17, 2024
Я не готова попрощаться с этой трилогией, всеми персонажками и моей личной богиней сестрой Моникой Джоан — not gonna lie, я разрыдалась в конце на предложении о ее смерти. Настолько она казалась несгибаемой.
Не перестаю удивляться тому, что это нонфик, потому что об этом вспоминаешь на главах про акушерство и абсолютно забываешь на главах о людях, но все они невероятно увлекательные. Третья часть, кажется, равномерно посвящена как медицинскому делу, так и жителям Лондона, и все это очень хорошо укладывается к предыдущим книгам.
Но это еще и история женщин, которые посвятили часть своей жизни помощи другим женщинам и были с ними рядом в то время, когда беременности и родам уделяли не так много внимания. И когда, в целом, быть женщиной было почти что наказанием. Просто восторг.
Для меня это один из ярчайших примеров автобиографии и исторической прозы. И я влюбилась в эти жанры именно благодаря этим книгам.
Не перестаю удивляться тому, что это нонфик, потому что об этом вспоминаешь на главах про акушерство и абсолютно забываешь на главах о людях, но все они невероятно увлекательные. Третья часть, кажется, равномерно посвящена как медицинскому делу, так и жителям Лондона, и все это очень хорошо укладывается к предыдущим книгам.
Но это еще и история женщин, которые посвятили часть своей жизни помощи другим женщинам и были с ними рядом в то время, когда беременности и родам уделяли не так много внимания. И когда, в целом, быть женщиной было почти что наказанием. Просто восторг.
Для меня это один из ярчайших примеров автобиографии и исторической прозы. И я влюбилась в эти жанры именно благодаря этим книгам.
January 31, 2014
I mistakenly read this one before Shadows of the Workhouse! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which is obviously in the same vein as Call the Midwife. People who love the BBC series should know, however, that not all the stories in the memoir end up as resolved and happy as depicted in the series (which I love). Even some of the disturbing stories are more disturbing when you read them! However, though the essays on the "ship's woman" and back-street abortion are emotionally trying to read, I feel like a smarter, more empathetic person, knowing what other women have gone through and continue to go through. An entertaining and valuable book.
October 10, 2013
This is the last book in the trilogy which has been developed by the BBC into the television show “Call the Midwife”. This book more closely resembles the first one, with an emphasis on stories about the nurses and the nuns of Nonnatus House, who delivered thousands of babies in the slums of London’s East End in the 1950’s.
Although I enjoyed this series very much, I am a little uncomfortable with the author’s intimate narration of events which were outside her personal experience. Since this is billed as a memoir I am assuming all of the stories bear a strong resemblance to real events, but the way they are dramatized from another person’s point of view makes them feel fictionalized.
However, I think the author, who died a few years ago, largely accomplished her stated goal: “to do for midwifery what James Herriot did for vets”.
The television show is well worth watching and is fairly close to the books, although it tends to give the stories happier endings.
Although I enjoyed this series very much, I am a little uncomfortable with the author’s intimate narration of events which were outside her personal experience. Since this is billed as a memoir I am assuming all of the stories bear a strong resemblance to real events, but the way they are dramatized from another person’s point of view makes them feel fictionalized.
However, I think the author, who died a few years ago, largely accomplished her stated goal: “to do for midwifery what James Herriot did for vets”.
The television show is well worth watching and is fairly close to the books, although it tends to give the stories happier endings.
November 17, 2016
I liked this. Even though this is nonfiction, it reads like fiction....and I mean that in a good way. This was fascinating. These midwives working, helping, enduring. This covered so many major issues, like poverty, birth control, abortion, unwanted babies, adoption and more. Life as a woman was hard and they were desperate at times. It was so sad, but this was also surprising and heartwarming. There is always need for service, just because times change, there will always be needs to be met.
October 9, 2015
This book was definitely weaker than the first two, but that's to be expected, as it's an autobiography and I'm sure she already used all the best stories in the first two books. It didn't matter, however, I still found it fascinating.
December 14, 2017
Le ultime levatrici dell'East End è il volume che chiude The Midwife Trilogy iniziata con Chiamate la levatrice e continuata con Tra le vite di Londra.
Se il primo volume si incentra puramente sulla vita della giovane levatrice arrivata a Londra per dare il proprio aiuto, sulla vita a contatto con le gestanti, con neo mamme o più sovente con pluripare e il secondo volume butta l'occhio un po' più in là e abbraccia ospizi, case lavoro e orfanotrofi, l'ultimo volume cerca di mediare tra i due mondi, cercando e riuscendo a dare un quadro completo della Londra di fine anni '50.
La trilogia rappresenta una testimonianza importante e reale, si tratta infatti della diretta esperienza dell'autrice e che sceglie di raccontarcela come se fosse una confidenza, un'amica che racconta avventure e disavventure capitate a lei e alle proprie colleghe levatrici durante gli anni passati presso il convento Nonnatus House.
Se nella propria interezza si potrebbe pensare ad una certa ripetitività di tematiche e scene, in realtà, soprattutto in questo ultimo volume, si ha l'impressione contraria, infatti si affrontano temi importanti svelandone anche verità scomode: e così si approfondisce l'aborto clandestino, la tisi, la prostituzione, le malsane condizioni igieniche, la povertà, la mortalità infantile, il sovraffollamento in appartamenti minuscoli, la violenza famigliare, l'ignoranza e altro ancora.
Il Nonnatus House rappresenta per alcuni una sicurezza in un mondo incerto, dove suore e infermiere mettono a disposizione il solo sapere per aiutare soprattutto i più deboli e poveri, fino però all'arrivo del cambiamento con le macchine, un sistema sanitario e ospedali sicuri, la scomparsa dell'accento cockney lascia un po' da parte il lavoro delle care levatrici che vedranno sempre più la loro professione svoltare verso un imbocco infermieristico.
La Worth utilizza un stile fresco, ricco di dettagli e scorrevole; questo è un memoir, di fatto l'autrice non racconta praticamente nulla della sua vita, fatto di tanti racconti e tante personalità, tutte tratteggiate accuratamente.
La trilogia sulle levatrice rappresenta una testimonianza storica e sociale importante, diverte il lettore con tanti aneddoti simpatici (come dimenticare sorella Monica Joan e Chummy) ma non tralascia gli aspetti importanti di un'epoca che sembra ormai dimenticata.
Se il primo volume si incentra puramente sulla vita della giovane levatrice arrivata a Londra per dare il proprio aiuto, sulla vita a contatto con le gestanti, con neo mamme o più sovente con pluripare e il secondo volume butta l'occhio un po' più in là e abbraccia ospizi, case lavoro e orfanotrofi, l'ultimo volume cerca di mediare tra i due mondi, cercando e riuscendo a dare un quadro completo della Londra di fine anni '50.
La trilogia rappresenta una testimonianza importante e reale, si tratta infatti della diretta esperienza dell'autrice e che sceglie di raccontarcela come se fosse una confidenza, un'amica che racconta avventure e disavventure capitate a lei e alle proprie colleghe levatrici durante gli anni passati presso il convento Nonnatus House.
Se nella propria interezza si potrebbe pensare ad una certa ripetitività di tematiche e scene, in realtà, soprattutto in questo ultimo volume, si ha l'impressione contraria, infatti si affrontano temi importanti svelandone anche verità scomode: e così si approfondisce l'aborto clandestino, la tisi, la prostituzione, le malsane condizioni igieniche, la povertà, la mortalità infantile, il sovraffollamento in appartamenti minuscoli, la violenza famigliare, l'ignoranza e altro ancora.
Il Nonnatus House rappresenta per alcuni una sicurezza in un mondo incerto, dove suore e infermiere mettono a disposizione il solo sapere per aiutare soprattutto i più deboli e poveri, fino però all'arrivo del cambiamento con le macchine, un sistema sanitario e ospedali sicuri, la scomparsa dell'accento cockney lascia un po' da parte il lavoro delle care levatrici che vedranno sempre più la loro professione svoltare verso un imbocco infermieristico.
La Worth utilizza un stile fresco, ricco di dettagli e scorrevole; questo è un memoir, di fatto l'autrice non racconta praticamente nulla della sua vita, fatto di tanti racconti e tante personalità, tutte tratteggiate accuratamente.
La trilogia sulle levatrice rappresenta una testimonianza storica e sociale importante, diverte il lettore con tanti aneddoti simpatici (come dimenticare sorella Monica Joan e Chummy) ma non tralascia gli aspetti importanti di un'epoca che sembra ormai dimenticata.
February 29, 2012
As with the first book, The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times, I enjoyed most of the stories. I have a very different view of some of the issues brought up, and cannot agree with this:
"The Criminal Abortion Act 1803 was repealed in 1967. Knowing that I had been a midwife I was sometimes asked if I approved of it or not. My reply was that I did not regard it as a moral issue, but as a medical issue. A minority of women will always want an abortion. Therefore it must be done properly."
There is a difference between "need" and "want," and morality should come before medicine (even as it allows for medicine). The guillotine comes to mind, a "humane" method of killing ... not asking the question of whether the killing should be done, only how.
"The Criminal Abortion Act 1803 was repealed in 1967. Knowing that I had been a midwife I was sometimes asked if I approved of it or not. My reply was that I did not regard it as a moral issue, but as a medical issue. A minority of women will always want an abortion. Therefore it must be done properly."
There is a difference between "need" and "want," and morality should come before medicine (even as it allows for medicine). The guillotine comes to mind, a "humane" method of killing ... not asking the question of whether the killing should be done, only how.
February 27, 2020
Die mittlerweile in der neunten Staffel befindliche BBC-Serie „Call the Midwife“ ist ja bekanntermaßen meine Lieblingsserie, auch wenn sie in den letzten Staffeln etwas nachgelassen hat (die medizinischen und sozialen Probleme sind irgendwann wahrscheinlich größtenteils abgearbeitet). Grundlage für die ersten Staffeln der Serie waren die dreibändigen Memoiren der früheren Hebamme Jennifer Worth, die 2011 leider verstarb.
Ich habe die ersten beiden Bücher schon geliebt und habe nichts anderes für den dritten Teil erwartet. „Farewell to the East End“ erzählt weitere Geschichten vom harten Leben im Londoner East End. Etwa von der Familie, deren Kinder bis auf eines alle an Tuberkulose starben, oder den unfassbar ungerechten Prostitutionsgesetzen, die es Gesetzeshütern erlaubten, junge Mädchen mit Methoden auf Geschlechtskrankheiten zu untersuchen, die einer brutalen Vergewaltigung gleichkamen.
Doch es nicht alles schlimm in Worths Memoiren, die Anekdoten von einer der interessantesten Nonnen, von denen ich je gehört habe, Schwester Monica Joan, dürften allen Lesern ein Lächeln entlocken.
Es ist eine Freude, Jennifer Worths Sprachstil zu lesen, sie erweckt das East End der fünfziger und frühen sechziger Jahre zum Leben, man ist mittendrin und will immer mehr und mehr von den Geschichten. Zuschauer der Serie werden einige Fälle wiedererkennen, die in der Serie verarbeitet wurden. Doch mit diesem Band beendete Worth ihre Hebammenreihe leider, am Ende erfährt man das weitere Schicksal der wichtigsten Personen, was mir doch die Tränen in die Augen trieb.
Ich werde die Bücher sicher noch mehrmals lesen. Wie könnte ich anders bei Sätzen wie dem folgenden:
„I remember the days of my youth when evverything was new and bright; when the mind was always questing, searching, absorbing; when the pain of love was so acute it could suffocate. And the days when joy was delirious.“ (Seite 3)
Ich habe die ersten beiden Bücher schon geliebt und habe nichts anderes für den dritten Teil erwartet. „Farewell to the East End“ erzählt weitere Geschichten vom harten Leben im Londoner East End. Etwa von der Familie, deren Kinder bis auf eines alle an Tuberkulose starben, oder den unfassbar ungerechten Prostitutionsgesetzen, die es Gesetzeshütern erlaubten, junge Mädchen mit Methoden auf Geschlechtskrankheiten zu untersuchen, die einer brutalen Vergewaltigung gleichkamen.
Doch es nicht alles schlimm in Worths Memoiren, die Anekdoten von einer der interessantesten Nonnen, von denen ich je gehört habe, Schwester Monica Joan, dürften allen Lesern ein Lächeln entlocken.
Es ist eine Freude, Jennifer Worths Sprachstil zu lesen, sie erweckt das East End der fünfziger und frühen sechziger Jahre zum Leben, man ist mittendrin und will immer mehr und mehr von den Geschichten. Zuschauer der Serie werden einige Fälle wiedererkennen, die in der Serie verarbeitet wurden. Doch mit diesem Band beendete Worth ihre Hebammenreihe leider, am Ende erfährt man das weitere Schicksal der wichtigsten Personen, was mir doch die Tränen in die Augen trieb.
Ich werde die Bücher sicher noch mehrmals lesen. Wie könnte ich anders bei Sätzen wie dem folgenden:
„I remember the days of my youth when evverything was new and bright; when the mind was always questing, searching, absorbing; when the pain of love was so acute it could suffocate. And the days when joy was delirious.“ (Seite 3)
September 20, 2012
Another entertaining and insightful book by Worth. Sociological issues are explored, babies are born and some die, and the nuns and midwives persevere. As a whole this was a wonderful series. I really got a feel for the East end of London in the forties and fifties, the poverty, the sickness and the strength of the sisters and the midwives. I am going to miss the antics of Sister Monica Joan, the coarseness of Sister Evangeline and the quiet wisdom of Sister Julienne. This series was such a perfect blending of humor, sadness, the issues of the time and the conditions of the people who lived in the East End and the docks. I am so glad that at the end of the series, Worth takes the time to update the readers on the lives of the characters and the sisters. So sad this trilogy is done.
October 9, 2021
I am so sad to see the end of this trilogy! Jennifer Worth is such a talented writer and she brought the East End of London to life as it was in the 1950’s. The entire Call the Midwife trilogy was less about birthing babies as it was a description of a time and place that no longer exists. This last book included photos and it was great to see an actual photo of Jennifer as a young woman along with many photos of London in the 1940’s and 1950’s. The last chapter provides an update on what happened to Jennifer after she left Nonnatus House and also what happened to her co-workers and the sisters. An outstanding series and I just wish Jennifer Worth had written more.
January 10, 2018
My favorite of the three in the series as it was darker and not as sugary.
Really enjoyed hearing stories of the nuns with Sister Monica Joan in particular who is as entertaining in books as she is on the BBC TV series of Call the Midwife.
Heart wrenching to read at times especially the ship's daughter and also the botched abortion but it made me better appreciate the fact I was born female in the late 60s.
Really enjoyed hearing stories of the nuns with Sister Monica Joan in particular who is as entertaining in books as she is on the BBC TV series of Call the Midwife.
Heart wrenching to read at times especially the ship's daughter and also the botched abortion but it made me better appreciate the fact I was born female in the late 60s.
October 18, 2015
Von den drei Büchern der Reihe hat mir dieses wohl am wenigsten gefallen. Trotzdem hat es mir sehr gut gefallen und die letzten beiden Kapitel haben mir Tränen in die Augen getrieben. Es hat sich ein bisschen so angefühlt, als ob ich einen lebenslangen Freund verloren hätte.
Fazit: Ich kann diese Reihe nur empfehlen!
Fazit: Ich kann diese Reihe nur empfehlen!
April 11, 2019
Heartwarming, heart wrenching,informative,insightful...an absolute delight!
Read
March 28, 2018non so che voto dargli, so solo che la serie tv mi era piaciuta un sacco.
April 24, 2018
Such an amazing series. I'm so sad to say good-bye to Nonnatus House and its lovely midwives.
November 6, 2013
In the Call the Midwife series it was hard to finish the 3rd and final book in the trilogy. I wanted to turn the page and still be able to read the next story. Each chapter was a mini-story; I easily wanted more.
But the 3rd book will bring back the crazy, unexpected births that you read about in the first book. Jennifer Lee saw some amazing things living in the poor, East End Docks of England right after World War II. From an utterly poor woman, with no clothes, or bed to her name, giving births to triplets, an older woman who is surprised to give birth to twins and has the most complicated, bloody birth (I don't know if C-sections were not all that common, but this baby was surprisingly not delivered that way!!), anything you can imagine, and CAN'T imagine, these midwives saw. And the awkward midwife, Chummy, will have a very happy ending.
The author did a great job of wrapping the story up. With the midwives-in-training moving on to other jobs, and the nuns that they lived with in the convent living out their days.
I was still very surprised about the conditions they were living in still by the 1950s. And after birth control became accessible in the 1960s, births went down from 100 a month to 4 or 5 a month, greatly changing the need of nuns to be midwifes. How interesting the effects of human life on the needs of jobs.
From a last chapter in the book, said by the author, Jennifer Lee:
"Why does God so often cause good people to suffer so greatly? It is a question I have often asked myself. Sister Julienne turned the question the other way, and said, 'God loves greatly those whom he requires to suffer greatly.' This is a riddle wrapped in a mystery we cannot comprehend."
But the 3rd book will bring back the crazy, unexpected births that you read about in the first book. Jennifer Lee saw some amazing things living in the poor, East End Docks of England right after World War II. From an utterly poor woman, with no clothes, or bed to her name, giving births to triplets, an older woman who is surprised to give birth to twins and has the most complicated, bloody birth (I don't know if C-sections were not all that common, but this baby was surprisingly not delivered that way!!), anything you can imagine, and CAN'T imagine, these midwives saw. And the awkward midwife, Chummy, will have a very happy ending.
The author did a great job of wrapping the story up. With the midwives-in-training moving on to other jobs, and the nuns that they lived with in the convent living out their days.
I was still very surprised about the conditions they were living in still by the 1950s. And after birth control became accessible in the 1960s, births went down from 100 a month to 4 or 5 a month, greatly changing the need of nuns to be midwifes. How interesting the effects of human life on the needs of jobs.
From a last chapter in the book, said by the author, Jennifer Lee:
"Why does God so often cause good people to suffer so greatly? It is a question I have often asked myself. Sister Julienne turned the question the other way, and said, 'God loves greatly those whom he requires to suffer greatly.' This is a riddle wrapped in a mystery we cannot comprehend."
July 8, 2018
Gone are the happy baby stories, gone are the bitesize glimpses into a past full of amazing titbits that are so fun to read. The first two books focus on the joy of babies being born with some tears but mostly laughs and fun of Nonatus house
The writing style changes, the outlook changes the length of the stories changes............and I love it. This book is filled with essays about the East End.
Essays about how devastating tuberculosis really is in an wonderful intergenerational story. It has a focus on the tragic impact of poverty. It shows the kafkaësk situations that lead to devastation.
The truth about the horrid horrid back alley, illegal abortion and shear desperation of women falling pregnant.
It also shows the decline of mental health and how, despite written in a fun way, it devastates and causes a lot of issues. It describes the end of an era with melancholy, wistful remembering but at the same time the author underlines the need for change, the improvements and what we have gained since then.
Yet through all these stories Jennifer Worth shows an ability for compassion and a huge sense of humour. Within two paragraphs the mood can change from wanting to laugh to wanting to cry with the author. This book is a bittersweet farewell not only to a recent part of history, but also a way of living and her own young self.
Personally I think this is the best of the three books and some the stories impacted me on many levels and that is why I gave it 5 stars
The writing style changes, the outlook changes the length of the stories changes............and I love it. This book is filled with essays about the East End.
Essays about how devastating tuberculosis really is in an wonderful intergenerational story. It has a focus on the tragic impact of poverty. It shows the kafkaësk situations that lead to devastation.
The truth about the horrid horrid back alley, illegal abortion and shear desperation of women falling pregnant.
It also shows the decline of mental health and how, despite written in a fun way, it devastates and causes a lot of issues. It describes the end of an era with melancholy, wistful remembering but at the same time the author underlines the need for change, the improvements and what we have gained since then.
Yet through all these stories Jennifer Worth shows an ability for compassion and a huge sense of humour. Within two paragraphs the mood can change from wanting to laugh to wanting to cry with the author. This book is a bittersweet farewell not only to a recent part of history, but also a way of living and her own young self.
Personally I think this is the best of the three books and some the stories impacted me on many levels and that is why I gave it 5 stars
March 18, 2013
I'm in love!!! Wow what a fantastic way to end the trilogy. One thing grab tissues if you watch the PBS show then tissues are a must. I fell in love with the show and was running to my kindle when I found out it was a book. I read it in a two day span devouring every page. I gave it as a gift to everyone I love and reads like me. Book two was ok not great dragged a bit but now I get why. It paved the way for the final installment. Each page made me either laugh, cry, laugh some more or it just wanted me to not sleep and keep reading. There are books out there that are good but this book was more than good it was phenomenal I have two kindles I read like crazy but very rarely will I say a must read run out grab all three books just like I did with the hunger games. With this trilogy I urge you to fall in love grab tissues and watch the PBS version of it because this amazing author transported me back to a time that I could picture it all in my head. The ending well if u watched the show you will bawl if you haven't but have read all the books you will still bawl I wonder how many books out there can still manage to be filled with simplicity and make a mom like me want to give birth with a nun and a nurse during the 1950 s with no drugs??? Not many but this is a must read and as for the show a must watch
February 23, 2017
This is a review of all three books in her memoir series.
Things I Liked:
These stories are incredible! I wish I'd read the books before watching the series, but I was still blown away! It is absolutely amazing and awful and beautiful the kinds of conditions these women who were giving birth lived in. The midwives are incredible as well, but I read some of these stories and just felt almost embarrassed at how much I have and how whiny I can be about it. A wonderful look at a specific time and place and the women who played such a vital role. The first book was the most interesting to me, being more of a general collection of stories from Worth's experiences. The second and third were more general and had fewer stories of midwifery and the interesting people she met. Still, all of them were worth every minute reading. Can't recommend it enough and I adore the series as well (though not as much with Nurse Lee gone from the scene).
Things I Didn't Like:
It's been quite some time since I read these, and I don't remember anything in particular I disliked. It is pretty frank about sex and childbirth, so not exactly light reading. Also, abuse and other awful circumstances.
Full review at One Librarian's Book Reviews.
Things I Liked:
These stories are incredible! I wish I'd read the books before watching the series, but I was still blown away! It is absolutely amazing and awful and beautiful the kinds of conditions these women who were giving birth lived in. The midwives are incredible as well, but I read some of these stories and just felt almost embarrassed at how much I have and how whiny I can be about it. A wonderful look at a specific time and place and the women who played such a vital role. The first book was the most interesting to me, being more of a general collection of stories from Worth's experiences. The second and third were more general and had fewer stories of midwifery and the interesting people she met. Still, all of them were worth every minute reading. Can't recommend it enough and I adore the series as well (though not as much with Nurse Lee gone from the scene).
Things I Didn't Like:
It's been quite some time since I read these, and I don't remember anything in particular I disliked. It is pretty frank about sex and childbirth, so not exactly light reading. Also, abuse and other awful circumstances.
Full review at One Librarian's Book Reviews.
July 25, 2019
4 out of 5 stars
This is the third book in the series which I didn’t realise until after I started it which makes sense as it’s so different from the first one. The call the midwife first book is mainly about the job of the maternity nurse from the east end post war and all that entails focusing on birth and the author starting out in nonnatus house but this one is so different and focused on more hard hitting things that affected the east end such as TB and backstreet abortions which makes this a harder read for me as it’s so tough to hear all those things. The writing is incredible and the midwifes and medical professionals were so strong💜I loved the midwifes especially chummy who broke the straight laced upbringing to become a warm, hard worker. I’m definitely going to have to read the second book in the series and see if that ties the books together.
This is the third book in the series which I didn’t realise until after I started it which makes sense as it’s so different from the first one. The call the midwife first book is mainly about the job of the maternity nurse from the east end post war and all that entails focusing on birth and the author starting out in nonnatus house but this one is so different and focused on more hard hitting things that affected the east end such as TB and backstreet abortions which makes this a harder read for me as it’s so tough to hear all those things. The writing is incredible and the midwifes and medical professionals were so strong💜I loved the midwifes especially chummy who broke the straight laced upbringing to become a warm, hard worker. I’m definitely going to have to read the second book in the series and see if that ties the books together.
August 3, 2013
After watching the first season of Call the Midwife on Netflix, I very much wanted to read Jennifer Worth's memoirs upon which the show is based. They did not disappoint although I will say that bits of it are rough reading. Some of the situations that the midwives of Nonnatus House came upon were just absolutely horrific and stomach churning. With that in mind, I highly recommend this as a read, especially if you are interested in the period/subject.
This is the third installment so if you are a stickler for reading this in order (which I usually am but didn't realize my mistake until afterwards), pick up the first two parts.
This is the third installment so if you are a stickler for reading this in order (which I usually am but didn't realize my mistake until afterwards), pick up the first two parts.
January 3, 2016
As always Worth's book does nothing but excel. I loved it, as I loved the previous 2 books. It had all of the characteristic charm and fun, while still having the stories that were sad and touching. I particularly loved the story about the "ships woman" as it led to Chummy meeting her future husband, while also revealing the dirty secrets of some ships. I also loved Meg and Mave and their constant raving about "crossed tubes" and other such crazy illnesses.
It was tied up quite well, giving a brief but touching story about how the lives of each entertaining character ended. Overall it was a wonderful book that gave tribute to the books that came before it. This was another great read.
It was tied up quite well, giving a brief but touching story about how the lives of each entertaining character ended. Overall it was a wonderful book that gave tribute to the books that came before it. This was another great read.
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