Review
Dignified and unsentimental social history. (OBSERVER )
Review
Dignified and unsentimental social history. OBSERVER
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
108 of 109 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was born in the East End in the 1950's, and still live there. However, Jennifer's account has brought to life the tales my parents and grandparents told me about how much a struggle life was for so many people, barely a bus ride from where I was living. Jennifer's portrayal of Mr. Collet's demise in an 'old folk's home', in the 60's, which was little better than the workhouses of 30 years previously starkly reminds us that man's inhumanity to man can come in many different forms, no matter how affluent / civilised / reformed our societies pretend to be. This book should be read by anyone who works in public office, if only to remind them that the attitudes and conditions of the recent past have not gone away; they're still out there and will come back if we allow them to.
Jennifer's comparison of modern East London tower blocks and housing estates taking the place of the old tenements tells us that rather than improving conditions, society has simply torn down the old and replaced them with tacky copies. Jennifer Worth should have gone into politics, for judging from her excellent books, this is one person who would have made a real difference. Next time I travel through Poplar, Limehouse and Stepney, I will now do so with a new interest.
Jennifer's comparison of modern East London tower blocks and housing estates taking the place of the old tenements tells us that rather than improving conditions, society has simply torn down the old and replaced them with tacky copies. Jennifer Worth should have gone into politics, for judging from her excellent books, this is one person who would have made a real difference. Next time I travel through Poplar, Limehouse and Stepney, I will now do so with a new interest.
77 of 78 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you enjoyed Call the Midwife, you will definately enjoy this book, although the content is not midwifery related. There are three parts to the book, each containing stories of people who the author had known through her work.
Her descriptions of the hardship and poverty of early 1900's London, along with personal tragedy and sacrifice will make you weep, and feel thankful to be living in the 21st Century.
- Frank and Peggy, brother and sister, separated from their parents by death and then from each other by the workhouse... courage, hope, joy, and a real tear-jerker ending.
- Joe Collett - this story is a testament to the truly caring and generous spirit of the author - she goes above and beyond the call of duty in my opinion to befriend an old man - and hears a tale of army life and family courage spanning three wars, with more than a touch of tragedy along the way.
Beautifully written, I could not put it down.
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Matthew Parris states in the blurb on the back of the book that reading this made him cry on a crowded train. It managed to make me burst into floods of tears in the middle of Schipol Airport at 6am - not many books manage to make me cry anywhere - let alone in public. It's a wonderfully evocative read, based on Worth's life working as midwife in 1950s London. The fascinatingly detailed descriptions of the housing, the patients, the costermongers and the nuns make the book quite un-put-down-able I found. The story of Sister Monica Joan is poignant yet makes you smile with every other line, whereas the story of Joe is heartbreaking from the off. I can't wait for the next instalment of Worth's memoirs!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
shadows of the workhouse by jennifer worth
brilliant read, same good quality read as Call the midwife, now reading Farewell to the East End
Stories that make you laugh and some that make you feel sad making you... Read more
Stories that make you laugh and some that make you feel sad making you... Read more
Published 1 day ago by nadger
Shadows of the Workhouse
This book held my interest from the minute I picked it up to the very end.
How lucky we are to live after these terrible times when the children`s heads
were all shaved... Read more
How lucky we are to live after these terrible times when the children`s heads
were all shaved... Read more
Published 5 days ago by Frederick Roe
A good insight into our history
This book was an excellent follow on from Call The Midwife. I had heard workhouses mentioned when I was younger, but didn't know anything about them. Read more
Published 7 days ago by Mrs M A Tilbury
Shadows Of The Workhouse
A very enjoyable read this is one book I could not put down, finished it in three days. There is very little written about the paupers as individuals but will remember Jane Frank... Read more
Published 9 days ago by Mary Shilling
shadows of the workhouse
Not as good as the other novels as it tends to stop and start a lot but a good read. Very sad.
Published 11 days ago by jaxtall
Lovely writing, great subject
Jennifer Worth has managed to convey the feel of the broken city of London after the war. It is a city struggling to rebuild without the money to do it properly. Read more
Published 12 days ago by Stuart Townsend
shadows of the work house
Shadows Of The Workhouse: The Drama Of Life In Postwar Londonpurchased this for my wife she enjoyed it very much.She is reading the complete set of books by Jennifer Worth
Published 13 days ago by Mr. R. J. Gilder
Excellent book!
Really, really enjoyed reading this book. Made me incredibly thankful for my life, for NHS hospitals and for the fact that what I see as hard work, is nothing compared to what... Read more
Published 19 days ago by LucyM
Not bad, but not as good as Call the Midwife
This book has many of the well-loved characters from Call the Midfe and so I had high hopes for it. Unfortunately, I have to admit I was disappointed. Read more
Published 21 days ago by big ball
Excellent read
A brilliant follow on from Call the Midwife. Reading the real stories of life in those days, does break your heart, yet uplifts you at the same time with peoples positive outlook,... Read more
Published 23 days ago by rust71
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