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Shadows of the Workhouse
- The Drama of Life in Postwar London
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
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Summary
A fascinating slice of East End life, from the number one best-selling author of Call the Midwife, now a major BBC TV series.
In this follow up to Call the Midwife, Jennifer Worth, a midwife working in the docklands area of East London in the 1950s, tells more stories about the people she encountered.
There's Jane, who cleaned and generally helped out at Nonnatus House - she was taken to the workhouse as a baby and was allegedly the illegitimate daughter of an aristocrat. Peggy and Frank's parents both died within six months of each other, and the children were left destitute. At the time, there was no other option for them but the workhouse.
The Reverend Thornton-Appleby-Thorton, a missionary in Africa, visits the Nonnatus nuns, and Sister Julienne acts as matchmaker. And Sister Monica Joan, the eccentric 90-year-old nun, is accused of shoplifting some small items from the local market. She is let off with a warning, but then Jennifer finds stolen jewels from Hatton Garden in the nun's room. These stories give a fascinating insight into the resilience and spirit that enabled ordinary people to overcome their difficulties.
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What listeners say about Shadows of the Workhouse
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- Jynx07
- 04-01-21
Brilliant but at times tough
I'm not even finished it yet and whilst it is really good, Janes' story was really tough to listen to.
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3 people found this helpful
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- K. Francis
- 16-12-22
Sequel to Call The Midwife
This is the second of Jennifer Worth's books on which the BBC TV show, Call The Midwife is based. A true account about what life was like in the workhouses in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It is at times both shocking and heartbreaking. It also gives you an insight into many of the colourful characters portrayed in the various episodes of the TV show.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Kim
- 02-08-22
Good book
really enjoyed it, narrator was excellent and it was the first time using audio
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1 person found this helpful
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- janet peach
- 20-06-22
Excellent
Really enjoyed listening to this. I could not wait for the next chapter to begin.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Tedbar
- 21-05-22
Not as good as the first book
I loved the first book and found the second a little underwhelming but Juliet Stevenson's narration was fantastic.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Bev Hawkes
- 11-05-22
Great story
Brilliant narration.. Hard listening at times but truth and facts from old days. Each character bought to life wonderfully.. Reccomend
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1 person found this helpful
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- Ross
- 11-03-22
Fantastic
Brilliant reading of Jennifer Worth's book without falling into the trap of trying to imitate Call the Midwife. I highly recommend
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1 person found this helpful
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- Marie
- 18-02-22
Factual, fascinating and humbling.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. The narration was excellent and really made the book come to life. The historical detail was very interesting and also very sad to listen to at times. But even though these families lived in desperate poverty, they were grateful for what they had. The author gave detailed accounts of the different characters and Juliet Stevenson, the narrator did a wonderful job of portraying them. I was particularly touched by Part 3 and the story of Mr Collitt. I would definitely recommend this book.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Jacqueline
- 08-02-22
A delight
Fans of Call the Midwife may enjoy this… it’s about people that she met while working in Poplar… quite sad but also heartwarming…and a brilliant piece of social history… just life…as it was…
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1 person found this helpful
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- Teeny D.
- 07-02-22
Fantastic
I’m so delighted these true events have been put into book and TV
You won’t be disappointed .
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1 person found this helpful