Autobiography

Call the Midwife (Midwife Trilogy #1)

Author: Jennifer Worth

Average Rating:  3.67 / 5

Trigger Warnings:

“Terri Coates finished her article [Impressions of a Midwife in Literature] with a lament for the neglect of such an important profession. I read her words, accepted the challenge, and took up my pen.”

Enter the rough world of London’s East End in the 1950’s. Living quarters are tight and personal hygiene is a luxury. Abandoned bombed lots are where children play and trash is dumped. Buildings that were condemned 15+ years ago still house hundreds, even thousands of people who have nowhere else to go. And yet the people of the East End manage to be as good humoured as they are tough.

Jennifer Worth, or Jenny, was unprepared for the realities of life in the East End when she entered Nonnatus House as a young trainee midwife. She was also unprepared for her habit-bound roommates. Expecting a small community hospital, instead she found a convent where trained nurses and skilled nuns work to serve the community around them. Jenny’s eyes will be opened to a whole new world as she learns more about the resilience of people, the fierceness of a mother’s love, the open and loving hearts of the nuns, and about herself than she could possibly imagine. 

Corinna : 4/5 

I really enjoyed reading the memoir style of writing. It felt really authentic, and reminiscent, perfect for the subject matter and written as one would remember it. As a nurse myself, I am always intrigued with finding out how things used to be done and how much has changed, as well as what has not. The value of compassion, humanity and empathy in nursing has not changed and it made me smile to read of how the nuns would personalize their care to each patient. The extraordinary circumstances that the midwives would find themselves in, to help usher a new life into the world, or to take care of an elderly patient, portrayed the resilience of not only the midwives but also the women of East End. The lovable characters were portrayed so well, and each endearing in their own way. Some might find the stories graphic in nature, but I found that Worth found a good balance between authentic portrayal without being grotesque. I am specifically a NICU nurse, so the story of Conchita’s premature baby was of great interest to me. There are actual studies done on how important skin to skin contact is for premature babies, and how it improves temperature regulation and neurological outcomes. We also feed these babies small amounts and more often than a larger baby. Conchita’s motherly instincts after having so many children helped her take care of her littlest baby in a very similar way to what we now do in the NICU. While still a very unlikely circumstance, it was a fantastic case study to read about. Definitely worth a read.

Lydia : 3/5

Perhaps it’s the style in which this memoir was written, but I unfortunately found the writing and stories hard to track and a bit boring. 

Worth chooses certain stories to expand on in detail, however none of them were what I was interested in reading about. The ones she quickly goes over are the ones I was desperate for more information on. For example, she spends a very long time explaining the prostitution rings and the group sex scenes, etc, but never really circles back to anything. I found it all unnecessary and it left me wanting more.

I have to admit that I am biased in that I’ve watched and loved the PBS show version and it’s very hard not to compare the two. In this particular case, I prefer the show (*audible gasps ensue*).

What I did like was that we were able to see the development of Jenny’s relationship with the older nuns and midwives and see her character grow throughout. I also liked Worth’s use of imagery and her ability to take me to the streets with her younger self. Overall it’s worth the read (but you should really watch the show as well).

Sharaya : 4/5

I was delighted by this book! I love the tv show and I was so pleased to find that the hilarious characters of Chummy and Sister Monica Joan were real people in Jenny’s life. Or that the quiet support and love of Sister Julienne was authentic. The character who was the most different was Sister Evangelina, and I was sad that Shelagh didn’t make an appearance (although Dr. Turner was around briefly). I think that the show is a great representation of the book, both in the humour and the heartbreaking experiences that these people endured. You’ll also see anecdotes and storylines that were included in the show. And just like the show, I found myself both laughing and tearing up. There are definitely some difficult to read sections because of the graphic depiction of suffering and pain.

One thing that I appreciated was that this book was first published in 2002 and Worth does a great job of comparing medical knowledge, conditions, and realities of both then and now. She’s very candid about things that weren’t known back then, how things have improved, and perhaps when we’ve taken medical capabilities too far. I found her reflections on these topics to be interesting and even-handed. 

The style of writing that Worth employed may not be everyone’s cup of tea. There was limited continuity. Instead, she mostly chose topics (like Chummy, or The Workhouse) and wrote about them in that one chapter. I didn’t mind this style, as it felt very authentic to how memories are recalled and therefore how Jenny would tell stories over tea later in her life. 

This is technically the first in a trilogy of memoirs, but you could definitely read just this one. If you love the show, I highly recommend you give this a shot.

To access a printable list of 10 book club questions, please click here.