Call the Midwife

A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times

By: Jennifer Worth

Narrated by: Nicola Barber

Audie Award Nominee, Solo Narration - Female, 2013

At the age of 22, Jennifer Worth left her comfortable home to move into a convent and become a midwife in postwar London’s East End slums. The colorful characters she met while delivering babies all over London - from the plucky, warm-hearted nuns with whom she lived to the woman with 24 children who couldn't speak English to the prostitutes and dockers of the city’s seedier side - illuminate a fascinating time in history. Beautifully written and utterly moving, Call the Midwife will touch the hearts of anyone who is, and everyone who has, a mother.

©2002 Jennifer Worth (P)2012 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"A charming tale of deliveries and deliverance." ( Kirkus Reviews)

Fantastic Book...

If you could sum up Call the Midwife in three words, what would they be?

The PBS series was fascinating, the book was better.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Call the Midwife?

To find out one of the boys became one of Lady Di's drivers. Not only ar there wonderful stories of birth, but so much history after WW 2.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me smile, with so many stories it told.

Any additional comments?

Think this book is for all.

Outstanding performance by Nicola Barber

I loved the television production and even more loved the audio version of the book. The narrator faced a real challenge with so many different characters and she deserves six stars for her performance.

A memoir of Birth, Joy and hard Times

Would you consider the audio edition of Call the Midwife to be better than the print version?

Probably. Nicola Barber did a commendable job with this book. Some reviewers do have complaints regarding the low whispering tone she takes sometimes, and I found it a little annoying at first, but the short stories in the book were so compelling that I was able to look past the minor annoyance.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Conchita, jennifer (of course), and Chummy.

Which scene was your favorite?

The birth of a baby during Christmas dinner; a tortoise appearing from under the bed! I laughed out loud!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

yes, the births of Conchita Warren's children. I hope to hear more from this family in subsequent books.

Any additional comments?

This book is a wonderful addition to any library. While it primarily addresses women's issues, it details the way life was lived in the 1950s, contrasted with life today... certain things just surprised me about the advances in medical science, and how sometimes human intuition can be as or more beneficial than the most scientific of medical care.

I am thrilled that the other two books in this trilogy are FINALLY available on Audible; I will be reading them shortly!

Enjoyed the book after watching the series

I enjoyed watching the TV series and the book was great, too. I think the narrator did a commendable job and I don't have an complaints about her.

The author paints a very vivid picture of childbirth and midwifery in mid 20th century England, and it seems we certainly have come a long way since then. Her experiences with the birthing mothers, their families, and particularly the nuns make for delightful stories.

I would recommend both the book and the series.

Fascinating, but heart-wrenching in parts

This was an amazing glimpse into nursing care in the 50s. I admired the author's unflinching honesty both of the situations she found herself in and her own character through the trials she experienced.

There were some spots that were so graphically horrid that I had to leave the book for a few days before returning. Again, it was just honestly, but how anyone lived through seeing some of what she saw and heard is beyond my comprehension. I've always had great respect for nurses, but these women were more than nurses, they were heroes and saviors to those they helped.