The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times (The Midwife Trilogy #1)

Most reviewers seem to think that it is their job to outline the plot of the book that they are reviewing. I’m not going to do that. What I am going to do is tell you that I am an avid reader. I am 69 years old and I read about 3 books a week. Sometimes more. I have now read all three of Jennifer Worth’s books and I have found all of them to be outstanding! If you’re like me, you will learn an incredible amount about Post-War life in the lower East side of London. I had no idea that such abject poverty existed there during my lifetime. When I was little, whenever the bills came in, my father would always moan, “Off to the poor house!” I had not a clue that there really were such things, nor could I have imagined the horrors that they held within. Worth writes eloquently about life before the Pill, the Polio vaccine, and indoor plumbing. All things that we take for granted.

I can’t imagine a novel being any more captivating than these memoirs. The characters all come alive–they literally seem to leap off the pages and you can almost smell the streets of the lower East side as the midwives furiously pedal to assist their next mother-to be. I think what amazed me the most was the quality of the writing. Often memoirs are ghost-written, or they are interesting but the writing is amateurish. In this case, the author is one of the midwives and I have to say that her writing is as good as any accomplished author. Her stories are mesmerizing, heart-wrenching, at times humorous, but always beautifully written. Jennifer Worth died recently and I am so sorry that I never had the chance to write to her and tell her how much I loved her books.

I returned it. The first few chapters were fascinating and I loved them, then it turned pornographic with vivid details of prostitute sex. I could not stomach that, I stopped reading and returned it. Just be warned!

Middle-class Jenny comes to Nonnatus House to do her midwife training and finds her world is upended, as well as enriched. This book, at times is an analytical research expose of the stark, gritty life around the area of the London Docklands at the time of the 1950s. The Docklands were a tightly populated area, which had been heavily bombed during WW2 with many of the buildings condemned, but because of the scarcity of affordable housing were still in use. Here families were large, often between 10-12. Conchitas story is enlightening with her birth of 24 children and in a later chapter, she gives birth to a premature infant, Jenny believes is dead, but lives because of the tenacity of the mother.
Positive: You have many interesting stories of life in this area of London, many stories show the positive influence of the extended family and the community. We were given the contrast of pregnancy & birth prior to WW2, in the 1950s, and current times. It also showed the commitment of the Anglican nuns to their mission of caring for the women of their community, showing Gods love via their vocation. This came through powerfully.
Negative: Most of the book is informative, real, but not graphic, obscene, or degenerately disgusting, but that ends at Chapter 19 Cable Street and continues into Chapter 20 Caf Life. The downward spiral starts with Chapter 18 Zakir. There should have been a WARNING under the synopsis of the book concerning this swerve into smut. After some digging, I found some one-star reviews, which revealed that Chapters 19 and 20 were actually graphic, gratuitous, and pornographic. I would have rated this book a 4, but this type of literature should not be given anything but a negative rating. I deleted it from my Kindle. Season 1 of the made for TV series did not sink into the sewer. Interestingly, I usually find that a book is far better than the film mode.

All my friend were talking about a television series called Call the Midwife and praising it, so when the book the series was based on turned up for $2.99 I figured it was worth a try. I wasn’t wrong. This well written memoir from one of the midwives of Nonnatus House is full of delightful stories about being a midwife in a area of the docks of east London.

Her stories are full of fascinating characters among the nuns of Nonnatus House, her clients and families, and the other midwives. They work hard, sometimes nearly around the clock. Babies don’t respect shift work and come when they’re ready. If you are on call, you go. No wonder these women had the respect and protection they needed to go out alone along the dock at all hours of the day or night.

Life was hard for the dock workers and pay was low. In spite of this, men and women stayed together and children were loved and cared for by large extended families. Material goods were few, but there was always nearly always enough love to go around. When there wasn’t, a good home could be found for a newborn.

These are gripping stories of a time gone by. The slums have been pulled down and the people scattered. The author left midwifery to pursue her dream of music. Fortunately for us, before she left, she preserved the memory of a life filled with joy and hard times.

This was a choice for our book club. We all agreed this was a significant book. Jennifer Worth was a trained midwife in England, and writes of people she knew, and her experiences, using pseudonyms.. She includes details that inform the reader about the history of this profession, life in the workhouse, and the nursing professionals convent where she lived. This is a memoir of actual experiences, so the character sketches are even more fascinating. It is not a novel, but short stories of specific people or situations. Humor, candor, and history make this a most enjoyable read. It is not for the faint of heart as there are graphic descriptions of medical situations. This is the first of 3 volumes of Call the Midwife. A PBS series is based on her books.

Galaxyaudiobook Member Benefit

- Able to comment

- List watched audiobooks

- List favorite audiobooks

- Bookmark will only available for Galaxyaudiobook member