The Midwives of Lark Lane

An Absolutely Heartbreaking Historical Family Saga

By: Pam Howes

Narrated by: Liane-Rose Bunce

All’s fair in love and war…but what happens when the war is over?

After the heartbreak of World War Two, newlywed midwife Cathy hoped Liverpool life would offer some joy. But a terrible miscarriage and the escape of her abusive stepfather Jack from prison make happiness hard to find.

Meanwhile, Cathy’s beloved granny is ailing. Whilst at the hospital, Cathy sees her midwifery friends, who are planning to open a home for unmarried mothers. After losing a baby of her own, Cathy would love to help, but for now, she must take care of her grandmother.

As her granny’s health worsens, she writes Cathy a letter. The day her grandmother dies, Cathy goes home and opens the envelope: Thank you for giving me a reason to live. Everything I have in the world is yours now, my darling. Cathy is devastated but determined to honor her granny’s memory, hoping the maternity home can be her legacy.

Just as Cathy and her friends are about to open their doors to the first expectant mothers, Jack is spotted in Liverpool. It’s only a matter of time until her cruel stepfather catches up with her, determined to pay her back for getting him locked up in prison. Can Cathy keep herself and her grandmother’s legacy safe, and see Jack sent away for good at last?

The Midwives of Lark Lane is a heart-wrenching saga about how the best friendships can help you through the worst of times. If you’re a fan of Nadine Dorries, Diney Costeloe, and Kitty Neale, you’ll love Pam Howes!

©2020 Pam Howes (P)2020 Bookouture

Critic reviews

"An emotional roller coaster of a read that captivated me, and had me on the edge of my seat.… The story had me so engrossed that I couldn’t get on with my everyday life until I had finished it. If you enjoy a heart-warming saga that makes for a compulsive read, then look no further than this author’s books. They are truly wonderful." (By the Letter Book Reviews)

Only to the prologue

I have enjoyed these books quite a bit. The one part I have not liked is the intimacy details. I am not a fan of this narrator at all. One thing that has bugged me so far is the was she says Gianni and Jonny…they sound very similar and it’s difficult to distinguish between the two people. Wish the other narrator had done this one too.

Very disappointing narrator

The narrator was so disappointing . Different to the first 2 books in the series. She mispronounced names from the previous stories and had a very different tone for voices. . wouldn't bother listening except for the first 2 books.

The narration was so horrible!

Having a different narrator for this story wasn’t the best idea. Georgia McGuire did a far superior job with the 3 previous books, and it would’ve been nice for her to narrate the final book in the series. The narrator for Midwives seems as though she’s trying a little to hard. It almost made me wonder if she’s truly British or if she’s an American trying to speak with a Liverpool accent.

change of narrator is too jarring

having listened to the first three books back to back having this one with a different narrator is too jarring. I'm not sure I'll be able to finish listening to this book. the way she pronounces names and the fact that the Italian family now have weird Cockney accents is proving to be too much for me. I wish she would have taken the time to listen to the previous narrator to learn how to say the names and what the accent should sound like. I am trying to listen to the rest and unfortunately the narrator gets worse as it goes on. somehow fair becomes fur sometimes, but not always, and other words with similar sound suffer same fate. again not always. care becomes cur, there becomes thur. it's odd and hard to listen to. also the whole Johhny/Gianni thing makes it hard to know who's being discussed.