Call the Midwife: The Official Cookbook

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Some of the characters didn’t come across as quite the same as in the TV series. Others like Sister Julienne came across so clearly. Sister Monica Joan provides a number of moments of amusement.

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Written in response to an article in The Midwives Journal lamenting the notable absence of midwives in literature, Call the Midwife offers a riveting look behind the scenes at one of the world’s earliest and most little–known professions. Worth’s memoir of her early years at Nonnatus House is alternately heartwarming and heart–wrenching and the stories she shares will fascinate anyone who enjoys a good yarn—but especially anyone who has ever had or plans to have a child. The way the chapters are prepared is just real life - you don't know what is around the corner. This read has been hard to leave alone for very long so I will be buying the other two books in the series soon AND putting the boxed set of Call the Midwife on my 'Santa' list!The midwives that Jennifer trained and worked with were mostly nuns. Some were peaceful, some were fierce. One nun, Sister Monica Joan, was very elderly and becoming senile, retired in Nonnatus House, where the nuns lived and operated. There were several funny anecdotes about her—at least they are funny now as they are read, I'm sure they were incredibly frustrating at the time! Since its recognition as a practice in Britain at the start of the 20th Century, midwives have made a critical impact to the health, wellbeing and safety of mums and newborn babies. Additionally, when Worth wants to make a moral point, she tends to ruin it by showing and then also telling, in very didactic terms. The story of her changing attitude toward religion is also predictable, superficial, and ultimately unsatisfying. Ted became a loving and wonderful father to Edward without actually being his biological father. How important is biology in the parent–child relationship?

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Worth retired from nursing in 1973 to pursue her musical interests. In 1974, she received a licentiate of the London College of Music, where she taught piano and singing. She obtained a fellowship in 1984. She performed as a soloist and with choirs throughout Britain and Europe. With Mother’s Day coming up in the UK this Sunday, it sounds like a perfect gift for your mum – or for yourself, of course! Should Doris have allowed Cyril to send away the baby she bore illegitimately? Did she have a choice? That is a very deep question, and I do not readily wear my heart or my faith on my sleeve. Call the Midwife There was a particularly fascinating (and disturbing) section on prostitution in the area, which Worth had to deal with when she befriended a young girl who had been lured into a brothel. Worth also mentions the horrible workhouses in London, which she learned about while caring for a traumatized patient who had lived there for decades. When Worth asked an older nun about the workhouses, she was told: "Humph. You young girls know nothing of recent history. You've had it too easy, that's your trouble." I think Worth's later memoirs talk more about this, so I expect to hear many more horror stories.

There was more great news for Call the Midwife fans last month, when the BBC revealed that the show will continue for another three seasons! Q. That sounds like a formidable list. What was the attrition rate among young midwives you have worked with? I watched the BBC series Call the Midwife before I read this, and knew I would not be able to be objective about it. I already knew all the beautiful people in the book before I started. I wouldn't know where to start if I were to enumerate all of them. Some are nuns, some are young midwives, some are courageous mothers doing their best in impossible situations, some amazing fathers providing and caring for their family in horrendous circumstances, and some piteous brave children surviving the unendurable. Every new birth was my favorite experience, just the joy, the thrill, the privilege of bringing a new life into the world. I’ve had hundreds of “favorite experiences.” What a wonderful life.

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Discuss the Church’s decision to take away Mary’s baby. Would she have been able to provide for it without turning to prostitution?

How accurate is the TV series to the books?

The children in poor families were working to help support their families. From an early age, they worked in the home, helping their mothers who were dressmakers or laundresses. Ten year olds were taking care of all of the younger children for women who went out to work. Frequently ten year olds were working full time themselves in factories, or sewing, or cleaning. My heart was full of joy and sometimes heartache the whole time I was reading, just like when I watch the series. I threw my heart and soul into the book just like I do the show. There are also further recollections penned by Jennifer herself, including an entertaining passage about the time she spent in Paris. Jennifer Worth seems to be a lady of many depths and talents, and I'm sure her husband and family will be thrilled at how many people have been inspired by her writing, and the awareness she raised in profiling midwifery." Who was Jennifer Worth? While the TV series has been based on Worth's memoirs, depicting the lives of nurses, nuns and women in the community dealing with issues of abortion, miscarriage, poverty and race, there are some differences. I wanted to read the rest of the series but I think I can probably find another book to read about life in the workhouses.