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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
I love the show and books, but I don't think I would have liked this book as much if I hadn't watched the show first. This one didn't have any midwife stuff, and that's my favorite, although the stories of workhouse life, and war life, were interesting.
There was far less condescension in this installment, as the author focused more on telling the personal stories of four individuals encountered in her young career. There was less of her own POV and experience, so there were fewer opportunities for her to interject with the snobbishness that was rampant in the first book in the series. to As such, I enjoyed this second book more than the first! This one was both heartbreaking and beautiful. It gave me a lot to think about, as the author prompted readers to consider both the "positives" and negatives of such institutions as the workhouse, the military, and social services in 1900s England. I hope the final book is more of the same, though I'm not hopeful as it seems to be more about the author's own personal experience.
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, War
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual assault
This book was not as fascinating to me as the first book because it primarily focuses on the history of the workhouse and it's impact on the people of the East End. This is a very important topic and it was interesting to read about but I was missing the stories from the first book.
Doesn’t always flow in a way that makes sense, but overall really enjoy the stories and experiences shared
Loved this book! Just like the first novel, Worth paints a picture of 1950's London that is humorous, heart-breaking, and at times horrifying. It is hard to believe that just a generation ago, people lived under these conditions and survived. I have ordered the last book in the series and cannot wait to read it.
This was a very interesting history and I still enjoyed the writing style, but it was about an older generation of patients and friends that Nurse Lee encountered in Poplar. There is no midwifery or babies, which was my favorite part of Book 1. I hope we get to see more patient visits, particularly maternal, in the next book.
Much harder to listen to (audiobook) than the first one. Birth stories are so much happier! Some parts of this were very unsettling. BUT, the longer I listened, the more I appreciated getting little vignettes -- and even some longer biographies -- of the everyday common person.