Chapter by chapter Worth reveals the personal stories of the people she encountered in the course of her early career. Such was the level of knowledge amongst them all, things were managed at home with the local midwife and GP if needed. People couldn't afford to get a doctor for the delivery of a baby, and as mothers grandmothers, aunts and any older woman about could tell you, you didn't really need one. Most families kept clean and tidy homes, but descriptions of some who lived in squalor- piles of human waste indoors, flies, half naked dirty children- astounded me. Most families lived packed into small 2 room places, and it was the norm to have at least 5 or 6 kids. Just how poor and crowded the area was shocked me. 1950s East End London was a poor and rough place but her nurses uniform afforded her respect. The author went from nursing into midwifery training under the care of Nuns, and even though she wasn't religious, lived in the convent while practicing.

Being a midwife really gets you in amongst the real lives of people, and it shows with this book. I’m sure that my devotion to the TV series helped, because I clearly pictured the scenes/actresses from the show. These are not included in the audio version.Nicola Barber does a fine job narrating the audiobook. I think she did a good job of honestly recollecting her experiences during this time frame.The printed book includes a Appendix that addresses the difficulties of “writing the Cockney dialect” and a glossary of terms. I felt that the gritty reality of her experiences added to the memoir.She also makes time to show the tenderness of a loving marriage, parents who are devoted to raising their children despite their limited resources, and friends / colleagues on whom one can rely. Times were hard, many buildings were still in dilapidated condition following damage sustained in WW2, prostitution was rampant, and tenements were crowded. She was working in an impoverished area of London, in the 1950s. But I was not particularly bothered by this. Worth has been criticized for how brutally honest and graphic some of these recollections are. She got an excellent education, more practical experience than she bargained for, and an appreciation for the spiritual beliefs that helped the sisters cope with the realities of their work. And in case you haven’t seen the TV show, the subtitle is really all the synopsis you need.Worth was a 22-year-old young woman, with no particular religious affiliation, who found herself assigned to Nonnatus House, a convent, for her training as a midwife. This was renamed to coincide with the popular television series. Originally titled: The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy and Hard Times. Digital audiobook narrated by Nicola Barber.

Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth