Shadows of the Workhouse

Call the Midwife, Book 2

By: Jennifer Worth

Narrated by: Nicola Barber

Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

When twenty-two-year-old Jennifer Worth, from a comfortable middle-class upbringing, went to work as a midwife in the direst section of postwar London, she not only delivered hundreds of babies and touched many lives, she also became the neighborhood';s most vivid chronicler. Woven into the ongoing tales of her life in the East End are the true stories of the people Worth met who grew up in the dreaded workhouse, a Dickensian institution that limped on into the middle of the twentieth century.

Though these are stories of unimaginable hardship, what shines through each is the resilience of the human spirit and the strength, courage, and humor of people determined to build a future for themselves against the odds. This is an enduring work of literary nonfiction, at once a warmhearted coming-of-age story and a startling look at people's lives in the poorest section of postwar London.

©2005 Jennifer Worth (P)2014 HighBridge Company

Heart-breaking but riveting.

Fantastic depiction of life in poverty and hardship in London's East End in the first half of the 20th century. Really well written and well read. Could not put it down.

life changing

once again creating perspective in my life that causes me to make different choices and passionately and gratefully live

Heart warming memories!

I loved every single minute of this book, I hated for it to end! Fantastic book!

Such history!

I absolutely loved this story! The author is smooth and Timely. I've watched Call the Midwife television shows and it is so nice to hear the Original Stories. I have finished the Second Story and will soon start the next. I do wish there was more!

I am enjoying this book so much that rationing it!

Truly, each chapter is saved for an extra soul-grinding week or bad pain. Helps every time!

A Must Read

These books are fantastic. I learned so much about everything as well as a history of what it was like in the poorer sections of London during the late 1800's and 1st half of the 20th century. What a terrific read.

Best of the Call the Midwife books

I love the stories told in "Shadows of the Workhouse". I've read this book, watched the series that dramatizes these stories, and now have listened to them. I love them in every form.

Jennifer Worth has given us a magnificent gift by sharing the stories of the men & women who endured the worst of times of 1930s & 40s East End London, yet lived their lives with love and passion.

The end of this book (prior to the epilogue) is breathtaking and is not to be missed.

My favourite of the series.

The stories are quite meaningful and moving. I'm still thinking about them days later, even after I finished the next book of the series. The narrator is excellent, as usual.

Excellent Continuation of Call the Midwife

Would you listen to Shadows of the Workhouse again? Why?

yes. It is a deep look at an institutional setting that is rarely, if ever, acknowledged in history. It is the continuation of stories from characters in Worth's first biography, Call The Midwife. While much less personal than CTM, it is still a compelling, if difficult (in parts), read.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Shadows of the Workhouse?

There wer emany, but I would have to say Jane's courtship. How beautiful that love can and does infuse someone with such confidence.

What about Nicola Barber’s performance did you like?

She did a wonderful job! My main quibble with CTM was with her narration (occasionally whiny and whispery). There were certain portions of that here, but those were moments where nicola Barber was depicting fear or sadness - very appropriate times for such expression. Her accents were beautifully done as well. Perhaps having several years' more experience under her belt made this a much better listen than it would have been when CTM was released.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! The stories are continuations, 1-3 hours each, but interwoven with Worth's own journey. You can pick them up and put them down as you wish, but the book was so compelling I just wanted to keep reading!

Any additional comments?

Don't let the narrator reviews from Call the Midwife discourage you! Nicola Barber is a talenter narrator, and she pulled out all the stops in this second biography in the trilogy.

Loved every moment. Learned a lot and cried too.

I learned a lot. We have so much to be thankful for! I highly recommend!