Reviews tagging 'Incest'

Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth

15 reviews

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I devoured the first Call the Midwife book in just a few days, could hardly put it down. But I put this one down for several weeks. And it was entirely because of the recounting of the Trial of Sister Monica Joan. It didn't fit with the rest of the book, and focused on such an unlikeable person, that I struggled to push through it.

I liked SMJ in the first two or three seasons of the show, but only because her actress played her as a playful, sympathetic person. The woman described here is not remotely sympathetic, and I hated reading the section about her trial and really any scene in either this book or the first, that she featured prominently in.

If SMJ's trial chapters were cut from this book, it would be so much better.

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A smaller, more solemn collection of stories compared to the first book in this series. I am equal parts intrigued, troubled, and heartbroken by the brief yet impactful window of time dissected in these pages.

The second part felt unrelated to the first and third parts as well as the overarching theme of the book, but the flow was smoother and less disjointed than that of the first book in this series.

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Still on a Call the Midwife kick, I guess, but this one wasn't as good as the first. I get the point of focusing on the workhouses as they were so prevalent in England in the 19th century and were still having huge impacts into the 50s, but it was just such a different story than the first book. I really didn't care for Jane in the show, and the book was no different. So much of the book was devoted to Jane and her story (and then Frank and Peggy), that it felt like it was lacking everyone and everything else.

I'm also starting to see where the books differ from the show. The show definitely toned down some personalities a lot. In the show Jane is plain and a bit lost but not nearly as much as in the book. In the book, Trixie seems to be just plain mean at times, rather than sassy and sometimes blunt, which honestly made her a challenge to read. I'm hoping the last book in the trilogy is a bit better and ties things up!

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I enjoyed the book, Jennifer Worth is a terrific storyteller, but felt the title was misleading which disappointed me. It is essentially three stories in one book, only the first of which (which again, while fascinating) covers the topic of workhouses at length. I think if you've watched the TV show you'd love this, but if like myself you're more interested in the social history it touches on it may not be the best read. 

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