Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth

Attached to an order of nuns who had been working in the slums since the 1870s, Jennifer tells the story not only of the women she treated, but also of the community of nuns (including one who was accused of stealing jewels from Hatton Garden) and the camaraderie of the midwives with whom she trained. She also earned the confidences of some whose lives were truly stranger, more poignant and more terrifying than could ever be recounted in fiction. But while Jennifer witnessed brutality and tragedy, she also met with amazing kindness and understanding, tempered by a great deal of Cockney humour. The conditions in which many women gave birth just half a century ago were horrifying, not only because of their grimly impoverished surroundings, but also because of what they were expected to endure. Jennifer Worth came from a sheltered background when she became a midwife in the Docklands in the 1950s. The spine remains undamaged.A fascinating slice of social history - Jennifer Worth's tales of being a midwife in 1950s London, now a major BBC TV series. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting.

The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. These stories give a fascinating insight into the resilience and spirit that enabled ordinary people to overcome their difficulties.

She is let off with a warning, but then Jennifer finds stolen jewels from Hatton Garden in the nun's room. And Sister Monica Joan, the eccentric ninety-year-old nun, is accused of shoplifting some small items from the local market. The Reverend Thornton-Appleby-Thorton, a missionary in Africa, visits the Nonnatus nuns and Sister Julienne acts as matchmaker. At the time, there was no other option for them but the workhouse. Peggy and Frank's parents both died within six months of one another and the children were left destitute. There's Jane, who cleaned and generally helped out at Nonnatus House - she was taken to the workhouse as a baby and was allegedly the illegitimate daughter of an aristocrat. In this follow up to CALL THE MIDWIFE, Jennifer Worth, a midwife working in the docklands area of East London in the 1950s tells more stories about the people she encountered.

Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth