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

Nice followup to "Call The Midwife"

"Call The Midwife" was my favorite book of last year. Although the next two books both stand alone, I would strongly suggest reading it first. Shadows of the Workhouse focuses less on the work of the midwives, rather on the experiences of older neighbors, nuns and patients who either lived in or were strongly effected by the workhouse (poorhouses). You get a vivid insight to the system that damaged families and left many who were still alive in the 1950's scarred by their experiences. I really enjoyed this book: it is tender, humorous, heartbreaking and makes history real. I do genealogy and have found several family members who lived and died in the poorhouses, so it was very personal to me. There remains a James Herriot feel to the books which consists of multiple short stories flowing together around the theme. Sister Monica Joan continues to steal the show with her antics, the book is worth the credit to see her arrested and in court for stealing jewelry. I didn't realize this is now a popular series in Britain by the BBC, you can view it on Netflix.

Back stories, but no birth stories

I have enjoyed Jennifer Worth's books and the "Call the Midwife" TV adaptation. One thing I say jokingly about the TV show is that at some point in each episode, a woman will be screaming in pain as she has a baby. This book has none of that. There are three main stories in this book. First she tells some tragic accounts of people she encountered at Nonatas House who had been orphaned and raised in workhouses. Second, there's the story of Sister Monica Joan and her arrest and trial for shoplifting. The third story concerns an elderly Boer War veteran whom Jenny befriended. The underlying themes are about poverty and isolation and how enlightened people regard the people affected by them.

If you like the PBS series

you will this as well as it sort of fills out the series! So enjoy!

NOT AS GOOD AS THE FIRST OF THIS SERIES

I thoroughly enjoyed "Call The Midwife". This second book.......not so much....... BUT.... I watched the BBC version on television in between listening to this one and the first. The television show had included many of these stories so they were a bit anti-climatic. Also, the writers of the TV series took the very best of Worth's memorable stories and expanded on the plots and gave the characters so much more depth.

This book is a just an average grade follow-up to the first but is made even more sub-standard and redundant if you've already watched it on BBC.

Unfair comparison vs. Book 1 (?)

Loved EVERYTHING about Book 1... probably among my top 5 ever. Nicola Barber raises reading to a true performance art. This one has fewer and deeper stories and therefore seemed to move more slowly for me. Have I already proclaimed my love for the voice (s) of Nicola Barber? This book is a "4". (Book 1 was a "5++"!) Nicola's reading raises the e-book version a full point.

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.

Definitely a departure from the first book.

I wish I had read the other reviews more closely. There is no midwifery in this book but bleak illustration of work house life. I didn’t like the way stories were put together - if this had been a book, I’d have put it down in the first section. It’s beautifully narration is the same as first book. These are important stories to be told but hard to hear.

Dickensonian Historic Account

Gripping backstory to the popular television series. Sometimes appalling, sometimes humorous, always warmly human. Wonderfully and tenderly narrated.

Much darker than the 1st and 3rd installments

I started this and a few chapters in, I couldn't continue. The stories are too painful and full of abuse and graphic child abuse. I had to shut it off.

An easy book to listen to

I really liked the show and so I began listening to the books. There is a bit of repeating of the first book but certainly plenty enough that's new to be able to enjoy it. I'm very fascinated by the poverty and workhouse systems which England endured in its past so I appreciate real life stories of people who experienced this. I definitely cryed at some parts of the book, so keep your tissues handy.