Call the Midwife: Shadows of the Workhouse
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more
Flip to back
Flip to front
Call the Midwife: Shadows of the Workhouse Paperback – January 22, 2013
See all 21 formats and editions
Hide other formats and editions
| Amazon Price | New from | Used from |
|
Audio CD, Audiobook, Unabridged
"Please retry"
|
$19.95 | $20.50 |
$11.98
FREE Shipping on orders over $35.
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Gift-wrap available.
NO_CONTENT_IN_FEATURE
Start reading Call the Midwife on your Kindle in under a minute.
Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
Step right into Neil Patrick Harris's shoes in an exciting, interactive autobiography that places the reader squarely in the driver's seat. Learn more
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?.
|
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Barber delivers all the author’s compassion, frustration, and humor in a genuine, convincing manner. . . . A moving and memorable account of a special time and place.”
—AudioFile
“The quality and pacing of the audio is excellent. The narrator, Nicola Barber, is a perfect match for the memoir and vividly recounts the hardships and poverty that Worth encountered during that time.”
—Library Journal
About the Author
Jennifer Worth trained as a nurse at the Royal Berk-shire Hospital in Reading, and was later ward sister at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital in London, then the Marie Curie Hospital, also in London. Music had always been her passion, and in 1973 she left nursing in order to study music intensively, teaching piano and singing for about twenty-five years. Jennifer died in May 2011 after a short illness, leaving her husband, Philip; two daughters; and three grandchildren. Her books have all been bestsellers in England.
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
83 of 84 people found the following review helpful
By
Afternoon Attic Reader
on September 24, 2012
Format: Paperback
Comment
Sending feedback...
In her first book, Jennifer Worth introduced us to the life of a midwife in London's East End in the 1950's, and in this second book, we take up the stories of some secondary characters from the first book (Jane, Frank & Peggy, and Sister Monica Joan) as well as the story of an old soldier by the name of Joseph Collett. This book contains much less of Worth's own experiences and more of the stories of others that she encountered while working as a midwife. Some of the stories within have more to do with the institutional workhouse than others, but most have some connection thereto. I enjoyed the layout of the stories, logically arranged into three parts and appreciated the author's reflective, non-judgmental voice throughout the telling never condemning a person for actions or choices that were clearly a product of the times and the situations people found themselves in. Wonderful read and an excellent continuation of the first book in this series!
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
39 of 42 people found the following review helpful
By
A. Penwell
on March 7, 2012
Format: Hardcover
Comment
Sending feedback...
I just finished reading this book and I can say I loved it! It was painfully hard to read in many parts, especially parts about brutality towards children. the story needs to be told though, even the hardest parts because we have to acknowledge what a painful time this was and how not to repeat these mistakes.
there are several different stories throughout. All interwoven. All painful and joyful.
if you like to see into peoples lives and hear their stories, this is the books for you. Amazing.
there are several different stories throughout. All interwoven. All painful and joyful.
if you like to see into peoples lives and hear their stories, this is the books for you. Amazing.
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
18 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By
Whitney
on February 10, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition
Verified Purchase
1 Comment
Sending feedback...
If you are thinking of picking up Shadows of the Workhouse because you've seen the BBC series and or read a Memoir of Birth Joy and Hard times, don't expect it to be the same. This book is clearly less a memoir than an extrapolation of stories she heard and gathered while working as a midwife. There are details she clearly could not know presented as fact and there is not much at all about being a midwife. I did enjoy the portion about Joe the ex-military gentleman with ulcers on his legs (presented in the BBC series), but overall it doesn't measure up to the original Call the Midwife book.
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
22 of 27 people found the following review helpful
By
Heather Arthur
on May 12, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
Verified Purchase
Comment
Sending feedback...
This is an amazing book and very well written. I could not put it down!The workhouses of early last century and before, were terrible places.
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By
Carpe Librum
on July 25, 2013
Format: Paperback
Comment
Sending feedback...
'Shadows of the Workhouse' is a brilliant memoir by Jennifer Worth that carries on her story of working as a nurse in the East End in the 1950s which began in her first installment, 'Call the Midwife.' Her descriptions of hardships endured by those who were forced to enter the workhouses near the turn of the century are heart-wrenching. Though she points out that in terms of social welfare they were well ahead of their time, that doesn't change anything for those people who suffered under the system. The first section especially focuses on people she encountered who grew up in the workhouse system. I found it curious that the second section centered on a woman who had never entered the workhouse, though she would have worked with people who were its victims. The third, and final, section tells the story of a man who entered the workhouse only in his old age after it was converted into a home for the elderly. Therefore, the title is somewhat misleading, but the stories are still amazing.
The story of Jane, Frank, and Peggy growing up in the workhouse together, and the long-term emotional effects that it had on them was full of emotional highs and lows. The reader cheers for their successes and cries for them when they are hurt. This story was the most relevant to the author's theme of the effects of the workhouse on those who were still alive two decades after they were officially closed. (Officially only because it would be impossible to just release thousands of poor people into the streets, so the workhouses carried on under other names with only slightly improved conditions for decades.) After this third of the book, I was ready to give it five stars.
The second portion of the book tells the story of Sister Monica Joan being on trial.Read more ›
The story of Jane, Frank, and Peggy growing up in the workhouse together, and the long-term emotional effects that it had on them was full of emotional highs and lows. The reader cheers for their successes and cries for them when they are hurt. This story was the most relevant to the author's theme of the effects of the workhouse on those who were still alive two decades after they were officially closed. (Officially only because it would be impossible to just release thousands of poor people into the streets, so the workhouses carried on under other names with only slightly improved conditions for decades.) After this third of the book, I was ready to give it five stars.
The second portion of the book tells the story of Sister Monica Joan being on trial.Read more ›
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By
Elizabeth
on September 6, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
Verified Purchase
Comment
Sending feedback...
Wonderful series. having watched the DVDS . I was eager to read the books. I loved this book and the way jennifer has detailed historical facts and laws to explain the way people lived in the East End in the era. Literary genius
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
11 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By
The 3 Hares
on May 2, 2009
Format: Hardcover
Verified Purchase
1 Comment
Sending feedback...
An illuminating visit into the world of post-war Britain. A great read for social historians or for simply anyone who is interested in how people manage to cope with extreme poverty.
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
19 of 27 people found the following review helpful
By
Carol
on May 26, 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
Verified Purchase
2 Comments
Sending feedback...
After avidly reading Call the midwife,I looked forward to reading Shadows of the workhouse,expecting it to be just as good as it's predecessor. However,this was not the case-although Jennifer's account of life in the workhouse was gripping and extremely sad,I felt almost like I was reading a book that focussed entirely on this-I was expecting to read more stories about the women in Jennifer's care and the midwives' daily activities,but alas,there was'nt a lot relating to this.I finished the book feeling a little bit let down,although I cannot say I did'nt like the book-I did,but it was'nt quite what I was expecting.
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Most Recent Customer Reviews
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
