Call The Midwife: A True Story Of The East End In The 1950s

Paperback Published on: 05/01/2012
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Synopsis

'Unforgettable' GUARDIAN

'Poignant, funny and enlightening' DAILY EXPRESS

'Gripping, moving and convincing from beginning to end . . . a powerful evocation of a long-gone world'LITERARY REVIEW

THE BESTSELLING BOOK THAT INSPIRED THE AWARD-WINNING BBC TV SERIES

In this extraordinary account of life as midwife in 1950s London, Jennifer Worth recounts her experiences - and those of the women she helped - in all their stark, colourful and at times shocking reality.

Life in London's East End in the 1950s was tough. The brothels of Cable Street, the Kray brothers and gang warfare, the meths drinkers in the bomb sites - this was the world that Jennifer Worth entered when she became a midwife at the age of twenty-two. Babies were born in slum conditions, often with no running water.

In Call the Midwife, Worth describes the romance and beauty of London as well as the bug-infested tenements, the spectre of disease, the sense of community and the incredible resilience of women who often bore more than ten children. Funny and moving, it brings to life a world that has now changed beyond measure.

'Superbly moving but also witty' CLOSER

'The characters . . . stay with you for a long time'WOMAN MAGAZINE

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
  • ISBN: 9780753827871
  • Number of pages: 368
  • Dimensions: 132 x 199 x 24 mm
  • Weight: 270g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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Call The Midwife
Call the Midwife
I loved this book, it gave a good insight into what we now take for granted.
Suky
Call The Midwife
simply brilliant
Brilliant could not put it down. I had watched the TV series and wondered if it may have spoiled it, but not at all. Have reccomended it to all my friends.
cazi
Call The Midwife
Call the Midwife
I think that the book started about the experience of being a midwife in 1950s in London's East End and turned into a book of short real life stories. I d... READ MORE
Olga Dai
Call The Midwife
Just brilliant!
This is a fascinating insight into a period of English history which is still within many people's own lifetimes, but yet seems so alien from how people li... READ MORE
kendrafortune
Call The Midwife
Call the midwife
Very enjoyable read and very true to life as it must have been back in the 1950s. The book is written in a way which is easy to read and which expresses th... READ MORE
Tillibud
Call The Midwife
A great buy
Amazing book, I love this book and the program was lovely too.
vickie
Call The Midwife
what a read!
Just the sort of book that i like. it certainly opened my eyes as to the post war conditions in the London docks region. I found i was helped visually by w... READ MORE
low wick
Call The Midwife
Call the Midwife
This was a brilliant read with smiles and tears, and holds many details of how people coped through the highs and lows of London war time.
MichelleKT
Call The Midwife
AMAZING!!!!!
This book is maybe my favourite book ever, its so inspiring - I cant believe these things really happened. I would recommend this book to anyone, its so be... READ MORE
Jasmine Barker
Call The Midwife
Excellant
a wonderful book, well written stories and a clear narrative, would recommend this to anyone :)
Norabumblebee
Call The Midwife
Call the Midwife
this is indeed a very insightful read and makes me ever thankful for the maternity care we now have as a result of women like jennifer worths efforts.an ex... READ MORE
gemma campbell
Call The Midwife
Gave me hours of pleasure
As a visually impaired person, hearing Stephanie Cole's voice was a joyful way to follow the story.
Reita of Bowmore
Call The Midwife
excellent
If you enjoy social history, as I do, it gives a wonderful look in to the lives of females in the 1950's, a time when my mother was actually having babies,... READ MORE
farmerswife
Call The Midwife
Fascinating!
This book was a real treat. The social history in it is the stuff that needs to be passed on from generation to generation! It made me cry at times, smile ... READ MORE
Wildflower
Call The Midwife
Heartwarming and wonderful
Jennifer Worth, from the start, has a fascinating and engaging literary style; she's knowledgeable in her craft, and speaks with passion and authority on i... READ MORE
austen
Call The Midwife
Call The Midwife
bookworrmfever
Call The Midwife
Call the Midwife
This book was a beautiful read which made me laugh and cry. Being a nurse myself it was a great insight into nursing in the 50's. The characters such as ... READ MORE
Toni Maunders
Call The Midwife
Call the Midwife
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT. MAKES YOU REALIZE HOW LUCKY WE ARE IN THIS DAY AND AGE. SOME SAD STORIES BUT ALSO SOME LAUGH OUT LOUD ONES.COULDNT PUT IT DOWN JUST H... READ MORE
Anne Spuhler
Call The Midwife
Call the Midwife
I agree with all the previous comments about this being such a great and at times moving book to read but I very nearly didn't pick it up to buy as the fro... READ MORE
Veronica Morrison
Call The Midwife
Call the Midwife
As an account of life and work in 50s East End, this is truly fascinating. Howerver, I was deeply upset by some of the stories. One of these tearjerkers ... READ MORE
Susan Evans
Call The Midwife
Inspired
Just an inspiration to a lot of people I think. Brillant. And the series is such a credit. I mean wow everything about this book. I am really glade I read.... READ MORE
Maxine BLaylock
Call The Midwife
Call the Midwife
Sensitively written, an easy read and endlessly fascinating. Funny, sad, entertaining and sometimes startling. A very affectionate look at the East End in ... READ MORE
Cardholder Reviews
Call The Midwife
Call the Midwife
A fantastic insight into what it was like being a midwife in 1950's London, I found it so interesting I could hardly put it down
emma suart
Call The Midwife
Call the Midwife
An interesting and eye opening memoir about life in the London Docklands of the 1950s where back streets and bomb sites served as playgrounds, large famili... READ MORE
Doris