I may be the last one in the world to hear of this series by Jennifer Worth that is now a TV series. You can get the first season at AMAZON.
Me, being the bookish type, read the first book instead of watching the series on TV. The next book is available on January 8 and the third in the series will be available in March.
Holy cows, what a lovely book!
It is Midwife Jennifer Worth's story of delivering babies in the 1950s in the East End of London. She accepts the position before she realizes that she will be working and living with the Convent of Nonnatus nuns who have taken as their life work birthing the babies of the low and middle class East Enders in London.
The story is much more than a baby birthing book. It tells of the poverty, prostitution and overall despair found in this neighborhood.
There is one somewhat graphic description of breech birth that leaves me fairly confident that I could probably deliver a breech birth with this book beside me. Do not tell me I didn't warn you.
The lovely and most surprising element is religious. Jennifer started her work with the Nonnatus nuns as a somewhat irreligious young woman. In the end, she seeks the advice of Sister Monica Joan:
No one can give you faith. It is a gift from God alone. Seek and ye shall find. Read the Gospels. There is no other way. Do not pester me with your everlasting questions. Go with God, child; just go with God. (p. 319).
Other great quotes:
How sweet. Old enough to know it all, and young enough to blush (p. 276).
Now and then in life, love catches you unawares, illuminating the dark corners of your mind, and filling them with radiance. Once in a while you are faced with a beauty and a joy that takes your soul, all unprepared, by assault (p. 313).
Also, in preparation for the Austen Persuasion readalong, did you know:
So, like Jane Austen, who in all her writing never recorded a conversation between two men alone, because as a woman, she could not know what exclusively male conversation would be like... (p. 18).
I posted some other great quotes on new page in my header. Go check them out.
Dare I say, I may have just read one of my best of 2013 already?
Ooooo interesting. I had no idea it was a book.
ReplyDeleteI just had no idea it was a tv show or book. Have you seen the tv show?
DeleteGreat Commentary Belle! Sounds like a terrific book.
ReplyDeleteI am the type who sometimes will wait to read a book before seeing the movie or mini series too!
It is definitely the memoir of a professional nurse and not that of a professional writer, but the stories are lovely.
DeleteAll of my friends have been watching this show! I haven't watched it at all, but now that I know it is a book, and the books is so good, I will definitely read it. It sounds like a book you will have to keep around in case civilization falls- I feel like if I just emulate the Wilder family I would survive anything. Lol.
ReplyDeleteYes, precisely! This is exactly that kind of book. Belle
DeleteI loved the book and Miranda is wonderful in the series as Chummy. As I grew up in London in the 1950s it brings back lots of memories. Good to know another book is coming out.
ReplyDeleteAnn
Ann - 2 actually.
DeleteI must be living under a rock (or it's possibly because we don't have cable), but I hadn't heard of the tv series or the book. Sounds really interesting though! And how fantastic that you started off the New Year with an amazing book :-)
ReplyDeleteTanya Patrice
Girlxoxo.com
How cool is this - I JUST THIS MINUTE found a review of this book (never heard of) on a blog, and just put it on my goodreads list. Great minds and all that.
ReplyDeleteI cannot start watching the show, though - I found Lost and Downtown Abbey on Netflix over Christmas, and my life is now in disarray.
I totally know - TV can be a little addictive. Skip the show. You will really like this book.
DeleteI knew this was a TV series but I didn't know it was a book. I should have known. I've never seen the TV series either.
ReplyDeleteIt's graphic, female parts in detail, but quite good.
DeleteI've been seeing this pop up all over the place but didn't really know what the fuss was. It definitely sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteI'm torn about watching the tv show. The book is quite edifying. There's a great moral lesson to it.
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