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Shadows of the Workhouse
http://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Shadows-of-Workhouse-Jennifer-Worth/9780297853268
The Drama of Life in Postwar London
By
Jennifer Worth
This item is unavailable.We will email you if this item comes back into stock. | Rating: | | | Format: | Hardback, 304 pages | | Other Information: | Illustrations | | Published In: | United Kingdom, 29 March 2008 |
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 fascinating people she encountered. There's the story of 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 6 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, comes to visit the Nonnatus nuns and Sister Julienne acts as matchmaker. And Sister Monica Joan, the eccentric ninety-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 Hatten Garden in the nun's room. The case is taken to court and Sister Monica Joan becomes a cause celebre. These stories give a fascinating insight into the lives of the poor in 1950s London, of the shadow of the workhouse that always hung over their lives but also of the resilience and spirit that enabled ordinary people to overcome their difficulties. |
About the AuthorJennifer Worth was a nurse, midwife, ward sister and night sister from 1953 until 1973, working mainly in London. Her first passion was - and still is - music, and she is a Fellow of the London College of Music. She taught piano and singing for about twenty-five years and still sings in choirs all over England and Europe. She plays her piano (a 1904) Bluthner) daily, and is at present studying the entire keyboard works of J.S. Bach. She has been married for forty-five years and has two daughters and three grandchildren. PrizesDoes for midwifery what James Herriot did for veterinary medicine. Stories about people struggling in the face of tremendous poverty and deprivation - as such will appeal to the large audience for 'misery' memoirs and stories of triumph over tragedy. Jennifer is a natural born storyteller and is full of opinions about the loss of our communities. She'll be perfect for publicity. Matthew Parris picked up Jennifer's stories in the Spectator 'Worth's book made me cry in a railway carriage' Reviews'Worth is a vivid writer with a talent for the sting in the tail... a highly readable book - and a must for social planners.' EVENING STANDARD 'Jennifer Worth has a gift for storytelling and a keen eye for the evocative' BBC WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? 'These are powerful stories delivered with sweet charm and controlled outrage.' TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
| Publisher: | Weidenfeld & Nicolson | | ISBN: | 0297853260 |
| EAN: | 9780297853268 | | Dimensions: | 19.0 x 12.0 x 2.0 centimeters (0.44 kg) |
| Age Range: |
15+ years |
|
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