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Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times Audiobook
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(4.00) - 6,120 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Jennifer Worth’s account of her experiences as a midwife in 1950s is a fascinating slice of social history.
At the age of twenty-two, Jennifer Worth left her comfortable home to move into a convent and become a midwife in postwar London’s East End slums. The colorful characters she met while delivering babies all over London—from the plucky, warm-hearted nuns with whom she lived to the woman with twenty-four children who couldn’t speak English to the prostitutes and dockers of the city’s seedier side—illuminate a fascinating time in history.
Beautifully written and utterly moving, Call the Midwife will touch the hearts of anyone who is a mother and everyone who has a mother.
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"This book chronicles the life of a midwife serving alongside nuns in one of London's poorest neighborhoods in the 1950s. I had a really difficult time reading many of these stories: childbirth (with explicit details), prostitution, poor families living in squalor and filth, etc. Fortunately, there was just enough beauty between the pain to keep me intrigued. The old adage, "truth is stranger than fiction" is definitely shown throughout the pages of this book. While you'll find plenty of depressing and heartbreaking tales, there are glimpses of life that will surprise: large HAPPY families (25 kids!), couples whose relationships seem destined for destruction but persevere, quirky nuns, survivor stories, and the gradual (unexpected) development of the author's faith. If your stomach is not weak (or if you don't mind speed reading through labor and delivery scenes), Call the Midwife is an interesting read."
— Megan (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Nicola Barber uses a rich Cockney accent to deliver an insightful portrayal of Jennifer Worth’s memoir of nursing and midwifery in the East End of London in the 1950s…Graphic descriptions of sex, prostitution, and a brothel leave nothing to the imagination. Still, this is a rare and moving listening experience.”
— AudioFile -
“Funny, disturbing, and incredibly moving, Call the Midwife opens a window onto the fascinating and colorful world of the East End in the 1950s.”
— Mature Times -
“Worth is indeed a natural storyteller…Gripping, moving and convincing from beginning to end…a powerful evocation of a long-gone world.”
— Literary Review -
“This uplifting story is about love, that of mothers for their children, and the love of God that compelled the nuns to dedicate their lives to the well-being of the poor.”
— The Tablet
Awards
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A 2013 Audie Award Finalist for Best Female Solo Narration
Call the Midwife Listener Reviews
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Dalia Diaz, 6/11/2024
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Sharon, 8/5/2015
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" This was a wonderful book. I just finished watching the series based on this book on PBS. It is fascinating! Its a memoir written about a young midwife, nurse in the 50's in the East End of London. She lives with nuns who are midwifes to the poorest of the poor in London. I loved the stories of love and warmth among living conditions we have never even imagined. I do have to put in a disclaimer. There are two chapters on the hoar houses and the practices there that i wish i had not read. It is very descriptive and although i know it is real and true and people experienced this, I don't want to read that much detail. It's amazing what these people went through, and even more amazing the lessons of the Love of God the nuns help these young nurse midwives learn. "
— Laurie, 2/12/2014 -
" A fantastic book and a stark reminder of how hard women had it during the 50's and early 60's in the tenements of east end London. A reminder of just how easy we have it today. Filled with vibrant colourful characters from Sister Monica Joan to Conchita and her family of 25 and poor Irish Mary who's baby was taken with out her permission. Jennifer Worth's book is open, honest, and above all positive for despite the circumstances of her patients they all seemed to be happy with their lot. "
— Shell, 1/31/2014 -
" Tis is wonderful. It is like going back in time and getting a true understanding of another time their society, problems, lifestyle joys, hopes. The east end of London in the 1950's would have been such a hard place to live for women but they just seemed to accept the multiple pregnancies, large families with good humor. Some of the stories are heartbreaking some joyous and some just complacent "
— Nicole, 1/31/2014 -
" Enjoyable read...scary thought being pregnant, in the East End in the 1950's...glad pregnancy care has progressed! "
— Jacqui, 1/25/2014 -
" For anyone who's seen the TV Series, or has even a passing interest in Medicine or Midwifery, this book is pretty much a must! Not only is it extremely funny, it's also a great insight into what life was like in the East End of London in the 1950s... "
— Alexandra, 1/22/2014 -
" Easy but interesting read. I have enjoyed the tv show but the book is better! Interesting perspective on poor folks from the 1950s in London's East End. "
— Laurie, 1/14/2014 -
" Loved it. It reminded me of "All Creatures Great and Small" only with humans. "
— Susan, 1/7/2014 -
" good insight into midwives of the 50s "
— Cat, 1/1/2014 -
" Loved it!! Was even better than the tv series. "
— Jane, 12/14/2013 -
" Just a wonderful book and I'm looking forward to reading the other two books in this series. "
— Laurie, 11/10/2013 -
" Eloquent, touching, enlightening and impactful. I wat thrilled to receive this book and thrilled to read every page. I don't think one must even be interested in birth or midwifery to enjoy reading this book. Pick it up, you won't regret it. "
— Nicole, 10/21/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this book and would totally recommend it. I just started her second book called Shadows of the workhouse, and second chapter in and I'm hooked and loving it. "
— Stacy, 9/15/2013 -
" I wish Jennifer Worth was still alive so I could thank her for this fascinating and entertaining account of London life in the 1950s. Her ability to recall the phrasing and sayings of those around her really made this book sing. "
— Colette, 8/28/2013 -
" I really loved this book. After falling in love with the series on PBS, I felt I already knew many of the characters. Although some of the stories are hauntingly sad, I loved the whole book. "
— Adelina, 8/8/2013 -
" Wonderful reading, but don't expect all the stories of the other nurses from the TV series. These are the stories of the people of the East End of London in the late 1950's. Mrs. Worth was an excellent storyteller! "
— Mary, 8/2/2013 -
" A little too sentimental at times for my taste, but other than that, I really enjoyed it. "
— Laura, 7/21/2013 -
" I really liked this book. It was interesting to see the role of the midwife in England post WWII "
— Karen, 5/4/2013 -
" Loved the book & poignant stories! Followed it up with season 1 of the BBC series which was incredibly well done! "
— Tiffany, 3/9/2013 -
" Charming stories well told of an era long ago. Reminded me of James Herriot and Patrick Taylor. "
— Betsy, 3/3/2013 -
" The PBS show got me to read this book. Loved it. Jennifer does such a great job telling about the work she did but also the people she met. A must read. "
— Nancy, 12/10/2012 -
" very interesting and engagingly written.. eyes opened to poverty and strength, happiness nonetheless... while the situation for the poor in bombed out London (this novel) overlooked 20 + years after the war... topic often overlooked, too "
— Sue, 11/28/2012 -
" I really liked this book, didn't want it to end. I liked her writing style "
— Amanda, 10/26/2012
About Jennifer Worth
Jennifer Worth (1935–2011) trained as a nurse at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, England, 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 twenty-five years. Her books have all been bestsellers in England.
About Nicola Barber
Cassandra Campbell has won multiple Audie Awards, Earphones Awards, and the prestigious Odyssey Award for narration. She was been named a “Best Voice” by AudioFile magazine and in 2018 was inducted in Audible’s inaugural Narrator Hall of Fame.