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Jennifer Worth
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Media
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Audio Book
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Publisher | Orion | ||
ISBN | 9781409101390 | ||
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Audio Extract
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Reviewer
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Vicky
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Synopsis
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 fascinating people she encountered. There's the story of 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. Peggy and Frank's parents both died within 6 months of each other and the children were left destitute. At the time, there was no other option for them but the workhouse. The Reverend Thornton-Appleby-Thorton, a missionary in Africa, comes to visit the Nonnatus nuns and Sister Julienne acts as matchmaker. And Sister Monica Joan, the eccentric ninety-year-old nun, is accused of shoplifting some small items from the local market. She is let off with a warning, but then Jennifer finds stolen jewels from Hatten Garden in the nun's room. The case is taken to court and Sister Monica Joan becomes a cause celebre.These stories give a fascinating insight into the lives of the poor in 1950s London, of the shadow of the workhouse that always hung over their lives but also of the resilience and spirit that enabled ordinary people to overcome their difficulties.
Review
Shadows of the Workhouse read by Anne Reid I have to say took me quite a while to get into, but only because I had enjoyed Stephanie Coles reading of Call the Midwife. Anne Reid's rendition is a lot more sombre but I think that this is because the story she has to tell is a lot more serious, and that is the effects of the workhouse on the children who were forced to go there. She does however do the various accents of the people i.e. Peggy and Frank, Jane, and Jo Cotter extremely well.
The staff of the workhouses were very cruel to the children for what seems no reason at all and even as late as the 1980s there were a lot elderly people who were left terrified every time they had to go to a modern hospital - feeling that they were going back to those horrendous times.
The three stories that are told on this audio cd are those of Frank and Peggy. Jane and Jo Cotter - it left me feeling quite humble as to what they went through and how they survived.
Jennifer Worth has written a very informative book with lots of anecdotes and having met her I can understand just how compassionate she was but also what a wicked sense of humour she was blessed with. And she needed it!
An excellent historical audio cd that I highly recommend.
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