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  • Shadows of the Workhouse

  • Call the Midwife, Book 2
  • Written by: Jennifer Worth
  • Narrated by: Nicola Barber
  • Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (47 ratings)

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Shadows of the Workhouse

Written by: Jennifer Worth
Narrated by: Nicola Barber
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Publisher's Summary

When twenty-two-year-old Jennifer Worth, from a comfortable middle-class upbringing, went to work as a midwife in the direst section of postwar London, she not only delivered hundreds of babies and touched many lives, she also became the neighborhood';s most vivid chronicler. Woven into the ongoing tales of her life in the East End are the true stories of the people Worth met who grew up in the dreaded workhouse, a Dickensian institution that limped on into the middle of the twentieth century.

Though these are stories of unimaginable hardship, what shines through each is the resilience of the human spirit and the strength, courage, and humor of people determined to build a future for themselves against the odds. This is an enduring work of literary nonfiction, at once a warmhearted coming-of-age story and a startling look at people's lives in the poorest section of postwar London.

©2005 Jennifer Worth (P)2014 HighBridge Company
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What listeners say about Shadows of the Workhouse

Average Customer Ratings
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Good Book

I really enjoyed this second book by Jennifer Worth although some stories were repeated from the first book. The stories were developed well and Nicola Barber did an excellent job with the various characters. I recommend this book to anyone.

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Heartbreaking and Moving

What a wonderful book, yet filled with the sadness of heartbreak, abuse, hardship and poverty, but all overthrown by the depth of love and commitment. My grandmother and her siblings were admitted to a workhouse in east London in the 1920’s, and my fathers sister was born in the workhouse. It breaks my heart to read about the awful conditions and wretched abuse my family and these people and children endured.

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  • Overall
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Rich in detail

Such a good memoir, lots of detail, excellent for those who enjoy history and real-life stories.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Different Style from Book 1, but Still Great

I really enjoyed Call the Midwife, Book 1, so I purchased this second book. Where the first book was very much about the author's life as a midwife, this second book is more about the people she encounters with entire chapters devoted to specific people or families.

As I started the audiobook, I was briefly disappointed since I was expecting more of a continuation of the first book, but I very soon changed my mind as I listened to these compelling stories of the people Jenny Lee encountered. Some of these stories were touched on in the first book, and you get just enough of a reminder about them to make that connection without feeling like you're hearing the same story again.

I went on to listen to Book 3, and it is also a winner. The same narrator reads all three books, and her voice and style are very enjoyable.

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4 people found this helpful

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Excellent!

This is the second book I've listened to in this series. The narrator sounds just like Jenny from the show just as many of the other characters do. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who's interested in the history of England. Even if you don't watch Call the Midwife which is based on these books, I would still recommend it.

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Hard to hear the harsh and graphic reality of how and what people had to do to survive.

I was shocked by some of what I heard. It was good that those section were interspersed with less graphic accounts. It helped that it was read by a kind female voice. The violence and cruelty will stay with me for a long time.

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a good sequel

it is a very good book although I do find that the first book was better this was an excellent book would definitely listen to again really pulls on your heartstrings

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1 person found this helpful