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Original poster

Anyone read/reading "Call the Midwife - A True Story of the East End in the 1950s "?

48 replies

bohemianbint · 31/01/2008 12:50

here

Am half way through and it's fascinating!

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elkiedee · 11/09/2009 00:52

I'm now reading Farewell to the East End. I agree that Workhouse isn't as good as CTM, Farewell is better but not as great, and has some more midwife stories as well as others. But they're still well worth a read.

mamijacacalys · 28/08/2009 14:28

Have just read the 3rd in the series 'Farewell to the East End'.
Again a great read.
Cried buckets.
Wonderful insight into social/women's history.

hkz · 18/01/2009 09:49

Loved this book, was really fascinating, read it in about 2 days!

Turniphead1 · 18/01/2009 09:45

found it amazing. and very interesting that women then would do anything to avoid going to hospital to give birth!

jumpyjan · 18/01/2009 09:37

Yes, have read this last year and thought it was really interesting and very well written.

Found some parts incredibly sad and generally its a very hard book to put down.

bramblebooks · 18/01/2009 09:35

I loved both books and passed them on to mum with a bar of chocolate and a box of tissues.

FourArms · 18/01/2009 09:27

I really really enjoyed the Midwife book. Couldn't put it down and read it in a day or two. My mum also loved it. She got the Workhouse book in hardback for Christmas, but said that it wasn't such a gripping read.

notnowbernard · 18/01/2009 09:19

Mrs Jenkins - blub

The young Irish girl - blub

And the wonferful story near the end (Conchita's premature baby) - blub

notnowbernard · 18/01/2009 09:18

Yes, read it last year

Fascinating (and I used to live in the area which made it all the more interesting)

It made me cry a lot though

mamijacacalys · 18/01/2009 09:14

Have just read this and loved it too.
Agree that the Mrs Jenkins story made me cry.
Coincided with me doing some family history and finding out that my great-great grandfather was brought up in Whitechapel workhouse at a similar time to Mrs Jenkins...
Have ordered the sequel.

lizandlulu · 17/06/2008 21:09

there is another follow on book to this but i dont think it has anything to do with midwifery. but thought it might be worth a read as this one was so good.
its called shadows of the workhouse.

RubySlippers · 17/06/2008 20:58

i have just read the Mrs Jenkins chapter

my heart has been well and truly wrenched

No19 · 17/06/2008 11:39

I love any social history brought to life like this.

RubySlippers · 17/06/2008 11:38

len and conchita

think they had the secret of a happy marriage!

RubySlippers · 17/06/2008 11:37

i am reading this too - she is a great storyteller, if not a great writer

am just up to Mrs Jenkin's story

the squalor is unimaginable and all less than two generations ago

No19 · 17/06/2008 11:32

I did enjoy it, despite complaints. I liked that the descriptions were so much of stuff that you would actually think of - mounds of unwashed female flesh, smells, etc. No romanticising.

WoWWidow · 17/06/2008 11:30

I have read this i thought it was a really good read

No19 · 17/06/2008 11:27

I've been reading this book and while I found the story and the stories interesting and I did enjoy it overall, I didn't think it was well written at all. Also found it riddled with typos which drove me mad, so it clearly hadn't been properly edited.

jenwa · 20/05/2008 16:55

Yes my mother leant it to me, Liked it but it just appeared to end as was not a complete story, more like short stories but def enjoyed reading the difference between then and now.

saltire · 20/05/2008 16:49

No, but I really want to. is aw it advertised on Amazon and it sounded really good. Wil have to wait a while for it though

4andnotout · 20/05/2008 16:48

I loved it, and have passed it on to my nan who was born on the isle of dogs so she was very interested in it. I loved about Conchita's and Lens secret to a happy marriage I think i read it in less than 2 days.

CaptainKarvol · 20/05/2008 16:44

I agree with hamster - I sobbed my heart out over Mrs Jenkins' life. It was a really compelling read - I bought it on Sunday and had finished it by 1.45am on Monday!

wheresthehamster · 20/05/2008 16:41

Finished now. Found the whole book fascinating. I thought the saddest part was the life of Mrs Jenkins . I wasn't expecting it to finish so soon as there was still so many pages left in the book!

notnowbernard · 16/05/2008 21:19

I cried re Mary, Mrs. (? can't remember name) and Conchita's prem baby

wheresthehamster · 16/05/2008 20:53

I've just finished the Conchita and Len story. Agree he was a lovely husband

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