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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
This volume of Jennifer Worth's memoirs focuses on her experiences with people in her Poplar community whose lives were irrevocably impacted by the workhouses. I feel like this is such important reading, because it's so easy to forget how recently these institutions loomed large in the minds of folks living in poverty. I thought of them as a Victorian institution, and in a way they were, but it's easy to forget that in 1950, the "Victorian era" was astonishingly recent -- and the workhouses did not close until the 1930s. One of the most depressing and disheartening aspects of the stories was realizing the impact it had on the residents of these communities when the workhouses were repurposed as hospitals, asylums, and nursing homes. The idea of someone who had been an inmate of a workhouse returning their at the end of their life… for a lot of people, it must have seemed as though they had never escaped.
This is sobering reading, but the tales are also moving and deftly told.
This is sobering reading, but the tales are also moving and deftly told.
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Jennifer Worth's second memoir, Shadows of the Workhouse, focuses on a handful of people she met during her time as a midwife and health worker in the slums of London in the 1950s. She tells each of their sad stories, all relating to the dreaded workhouses that were England's solution to poverty for over 100 years. While I found the book interesting, it lacked the warmth that I so enjoyed in Call the Midwife. 3.5 stars.
dark
emotional
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
Overall, this book isn’t bad and was quite elucidating to certain subjects, but it wasn’t what I expected. Having seen the show, I decided to read the series because Im interested in the midwifery aspect. This book had hardly even a mention of midwifery.
This book also changed in narration style from the first book. This one followed three distinct stories rather than each chapter or two being about a specific case.
This book also changed in narration style from the first book. This one followed three distinct stories rather than each chapter or two being about a specific case.
I enjoyed this. It took me a long time to read because of the very graphic child abuse midway through the book, had to put it down. There are other very charming, interesting and wonderful stories throughout and it is very thoughtfully told.
In this book, Jennifer Worth tells the stories of three people. In the first story, the author knows three adults who spent their childhoods in workhouses. She explains how that time in the workhouse made them who they are. In the third story, she tells the story of an old man who ends up in an nursing home that used to be a workhouse, and even at the time of the writing of this book, was not much better than a workhouse. The second story didn't seem to have much to do with the workhouse, but it did have to do with how a child experience affected one of the nuns in her declining years.
I also wondered in the first story, especially, if the people gave her all the details included in the story, or if she elaborated on what they told her. I mean, I can understand that her research would allow her to describe the workhouse, but what about all the things that happened personally? I guess I'm wondering how much of this is true and how much is novel?
I enjoyed the stories, though they are definitely not sanitized. This is definitely not a "feel good" book, though I do like how Mrs Worth writes without condemnation or belittling anyone. However, I didn't like this book as much as Call the Midwife.
I also wondered in the first story, especially, if the people gave her all the details included in the story, or if she elaborated on what they told her. I mean, I can understand that her research would allow her to describe the workhouse, but what about all the things that happened personally? I guess I'm wondering how much of this is true and how much is novel?
I enjoyed the stories, though they are definitely not sanitized. This is definitely not a "feel good" book, though I do like how Mrs Worth writes without condemnation or belittling anyone. However, I didn't like this book as much as Call the Midwife.
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Incest
emotional
informative
slow-paced
It really wasn't about midwifery very much at all, it focused on characters impacted by the workhouses somehow, even if the author didn't have much interaction with them
emotional
sad
medium-paced
I haven't watched Call The Midwife in years but I've owned this book since I did. Somehow I read the books out of order and into now I never got round to this one, which is the second in the series. They're only loosely connected though so it didn't really matter. This one isn't really about Worth's midwifery work and instead tells the stories of people she knew. There's certainly nothing outstanding about the writing but I find her books really interesting in terms of learning about parts of British history.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, War
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced