Mumsnet Talk

Call the Midwife
Shadows of the Workhouse
Farewell to the East End?

im working throught them now read bits and bobs

I've read all 3 and loved the first and third - the second one was interesting but not quite as good. She's also written another book about her experiences nursing older people, I only found out about it today, I saw a secondhand hardback copy but it was quite expensive and I think it might be available in paperback quite soon for a similar price.

I have read Call the Midwife and the acount of the non-english speaking lady who refused to let her premature baby be taken to hospital but successfully nurtured him at home has stayed with me.

That's just such a brilliant story, isn't it? Shadows of the Workhouse is worth a read, and Farewell to the East End goes back to the stories of the midwives including the nuns and the other women who weren't nuns working there.

that bit in the last one , talking about backstreet AB, and women who made themselves miscarry. eeuurrgh I had to stop

there arent many things that make me feel physically ill I had to stop Crimson Petal aswell.

I've got "Call the midwife". Haven't read it yet, but look forward to doing so. Being originally from the South, I find the Docklands area of London a very fascinating place and I also like stuff from the 50s which is when its set.

I've loved them all, the characters were so real, they have stayed with me. Really worth reading.

I've read them all, would say I liked the first one the best, but would read them all again. The start of the second one (the workhouse one) had me in floods of tears. The characters are well written, the nuns make an interesting contrast to the patients.

Loved the midwife trilogy.
I've also just got 'in the midst of life' which seems interesting.
Theyre making 'call the midwife' into a BBC drama in the new year

I read the first one, and really enjoyed it.

Read Call te Midwife and blubbed my way through most of it - I recommend

love em

in midst of life very different, quite powerful and thought-provoking.

I now have In the Midst of Life from the library. Just sad there'll be no more as she recently died of cancer aged 75.

Jennifer Worth is dead?

That has made me very sad.

I loved the first two books, and the third is on my to-be-read pile

Love em too!

Call the Midwife is coming to BBC1 soon. Scrips by Heidi Thomas (Cranford, Upstairs Downstairs). Pam Ferris playing Sister Evangelina and Miranda Hart as Chummy. Not sure when it starts but there was a trailer this morning which said 'coming soon'. Can't wait!

Some other links re the TV series here and here.

My mum lent me this trilogy and I've just finished Call the Midwife. Really gritty at times but can't put it down. Will let her know about the TV version, sure she will be keen to watch.

I have just bought call the midwife too . It is a fascinating and unputdownable mix of history and story. The part about the young mum to be with the other 2 kids at home cowering behind a bedroom chair due to voilent father and filthy dirty really affected me . I stopped reading after that part and wondered whether I wanted to carry on as I don't normally do the genre of neglected kids, sad life stories etc and thought this would be a more historical light hearted account but think I iwll pesevere. Hope it doesn't get worse though!