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  • The Wartime Midwives

  • By: Daisy Styles
  • Narrated by: Helen Lloyd
  • Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (130 ratings)
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The Wartime Midwives

By: Daisy Styles
Narrated by: Helen Lloyd
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Summary

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Wartime Midwives by Daisy Styles. 

1939. Mary Vale, a grand and imposing Mother and Baby Home, sits on the remote Fylde coast in Lancashire. Its doors are open to unmarried women who come to hide their condition and find sanctuary. 

Women from all walks of life pass through Mary Vale, from beautiful waitress Emily, whose boyfriend has vanished without trace, to young Isla, cast out by her wealthy family after her first year at university goes horribly wrong. 

Awaiting them is Nurse Ada and Sister Anne who work tirelessly to aid the mothers and safely deliver the babies. But the unforgiving Matron and Head of Governors, Captain Percival, have other, more sinister ideas.

As war looms the women at Mary Vale must pull together for the sake of themselves and their babies, and Ada and Anne must help protect their patients, no matter what the cost.    

©2018 Daisy Styles (P)2018 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"This book brought home wonderfully the vivid camaraderie wartime women shared and their immense sacrifices on the Home Front. Well done Daisy for creating characters that are real women in the best sense. Funny, scheming, loyal and witty, but about all, hardworking and proud. An absolute joy to read." (Kate Thompson, best-selling author of Secrets of the Singer Girls)

"Feisty young women, a country house in wartime and a scheming aristocrat - all ingredients for a cracking story with truly endearing characters." (Annie Murray, best-selling author of Now the War Is Over)

What listeners say about The Wartime Midwives

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

brilliant both in storyline and narration

The Wartime Midwives written by the very talented Daisy Styles for me was a marvellous, emotional read which had me gripped from the first word was narrated by Helen Lloyd.
I loved the Audible version as not only was I blessed with a fantastic storyline the narrator has a gift of narrating each character, giving each one of them their own voice and mannerisms.
The book is based on a group of girls who soon are to become good friends in the most unlikely of places a Mother and Baby Home which is based in the North of England near to Windermere. The home is run by a local community of nuns were the Sisters showed their kindness to the girls unlike a lot of books I have read in the past which was based in and around a mother and baby home. The girls are Gloria, Emily, Shirley and Nancy. There is also Ada who is a Nursing Sister on the wards and her love for her job is clear through the way she lovingly cared for her charges.
I loved how the main storyline continued as it not only showed what life was like for single mothers back in the 1940s, but it also showed the innocence of young girls back then, so different from today’s world. There was a work of evil throughout the storyline which certainly kept me on the edge of my seat and I am so thankful for the audible version as I was able to carry on with my daily tasks but still keep myself engaged in the life of the girls and other inhabitants of Maryvale.
It is a wonderful work of historical fiction which I am extremely happy to recommend. In my honest opinion, five stars are not enough as this book deserves a full ten stars as it is one book which once started it is impossible to set down.
Happy to recommend.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

fab book

great book, very well read with some cliff hangers. A great and listen. Thank you

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

a fantastic listen

I loved listening to this book. The highs & lows . Also Anne Dover is fabulous narrating

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

It’s ok but just okay

Usually I love books about this era and while this one is easy to listen to it never had me gripped or excited to listen to it.
The story and the characters were quite predictable

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I loved this book

This was a story of this that sadly happened or are still happening in our world. I Dearly loved the characters & the relationships formed between them. poor Bertie. Robin was delightful & so very funny. Please say there is a follow up book from this. Narrative excellent & Story. Thanks to Daisy Styles.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Really enjoyed

I struggled at the beginning To get into this book and listened to the first few chapters several times I’m so pleased I persisted as I loved the story as I got into it! The characters came a live and I really came involved with them moving on to book to straight away

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fabulous

Love this book and the narrator was easy to listen to, love the individual stories of each person in the book

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

A fabulous first book series. Loving the characters and there journey. Great narration. I can’t wait to get to book 2

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyed listening to this book

The story is enjoyable to listen to, didn’t want to put it down listen in the car while driving

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The Narator

I liked the story very much but I think the Narator's voice is too deep for the young women.

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