The Complete Call the Midwife Stories Jennifer Worth 4 Books Collection Collector's Gift-Edition (Shadows of the Workhouse, Farewell to the East End, Call the Midwife, Letters to the Midwife)

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There was no house by the sea any more. It had been sold to one of my aunts, but Jennifer and I never went there again.”

Christine’s book, The Midwife’s Sister, charts the years, including her mother’s second marriage – which brought more unhappiness for her daughters – her father’s new wife and the arrival of two half-sisters. I preferred the format of this one compared to the second book, there was a lot more focus on Jenny's experiences, her patients, and midwifery in general. It is that innate ability flowing forth, to communicate with such graphic, vivid, convincing, and compelling reality; which has firmly grasped, held, and enraptured this grateful reader. Jennifer Worth’s (neé Lee) practical and strongly empathetic observations left me unsurprised to learn that from 1973 she had pursued a successful second career in music. By comparison, fiction as a genre rarely achieves the same realism: with, I feel, the notable exception of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord Of The Rings” – but then to achieve what he did, Tolkien had to create an entire fictional mythology; an absolutely stupendous amount of work!For the working class, life was nasty, brutish and short. Hunger and hardship were expected. Men were old at forty, women worn out at thirty-five. The death of children was taken for granted. Every new birth was my favorite experience, just the joy, the thrill, the privilege of bringing a new life into the world. I’ve had hundreds of “favorite experiences.” What a wonderful life. All that said, it is an interesting read and I am having a hard time putting it down. I plan to finish it and read the others in the series. I just have some issues. Giving it three stars because I am actually enjoying reading it for the most part. It's not perfection, I doubt I'll want to re-read it, and it's definitely not James Herriot. James Herriot made it sound like tramping around in a freezing cold barn armpit deep into a cow's vagina was still somehow a good time. Worth does not have that skill.

That is a very deep question, and I do not readily wear my heart or my faith on my sleeve. Call the Midwife I watched the BBC series Call the Midwife before I read this, and knew I would not be able to be objective about it. I already knew all the beautiful people in the book before I started. I wouldn't know where to start if I were to enumerate all of them. Some are nuns, some are young midwives, some are courageous mothers doing their best in impossible situations, some amazing fathers providing and caring for their family in horrendous circumstances, and some piteous brave children surviving the unendurable. Written in response to an article in The Midwives Journal lamenting the notable absence of midwives in literature, Call the Midwife offers a riveting look behind the scenes at one of the world’s earliest and most little–known professions. Worth’s memoir of her early years at Nonnatus House is alternately heartwarming and heart–wrenching and the stories she shares will fascinate anyone who enjoys a good yarn—but especially anyone who has ever had or plans to have a child.As such, this book might usefully be required educational reading for every budding social worker, nurse, and care worker. Jennifer Worth was a midwife in London's East End in the 1950s. This is the second book in her "Call the Midwife" series, and while the first one focused on stories of pregnant mothers, this one had hardly any childbirth scenes and instead revolved around the memories of those who spent time or grew up in the workhouses. Frank and Peggy's relationship was engrossing to read about. They were siblings and also lovers, they didn't read as creepy or perverted though as their love came across as rather pure and beautiful. It wasn't a surprise they ended up being lovers, they didn't grow up together but since they only had each other and had no other love in their life the natural thing for them was to get together, it was the only thing that kept them going day to day. So yea, I was rooting for them to be happy, they should have been allowed that bit of peace. I was pissed that they had such a sad and somewhat bittersweet end. We who live comfortable, affluent lives in the twenty-first century cannot begin to imagine what it must have been like to be a pauper in a workhouse. We cannot picture relentless cold with little heating, no adequate clothing or warm bedding, and insufficient food. We cannot imagine our children being taken away from us because we are too poor to feed them, nor our liberty being curtailed for the simple crime of being poor... The second part of the book tells the story of Sister Monica Joan, a 90-year-old nun who is accused of shoplifting. The third part is about the friendship that Jennifer develops for an elderly blind man who loses his home due to urban development.

I loved Trixie, she had such a strong and endearing personality. I especially loved her no nonsense attitude and her refusal to pander or listen to anyone else's rubbish… She made a change from the usual doormats in literature. Asthma has always been part of my life, but never eczema. I was fifty seven when it started, just two little itchy patches on my legs. I thought nothing of it. They were so small - nothing could have told me of the horror that was to come. Q. That sounds like a formidable list. What was the attrition rate among young midwives you have worked with?I set aside the month of March for spring cleaning, college basketball and reading books by and about women in recognition of Women’s History Month. The spring cleaning has yet to begin, and March Madness, especially for us UNC Tar Heel fans, has stolen more reading time than I expected this month. Plus, I’m simply reading slower than a snail’s pace these days. BUT, even though Call The Midwife is my only read this month, it was an outstanding choice. It is a series of collected memories and stories about the experiences of British nurse Jennifer Worth during her time working as a midwife in the East End of London during the 1950’s. Worth’s high spirit and dedication to her profession shine throughout this first installment, and I intend to complete her trilogy during the coming months.