beachbookbabe's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
abiofpellinor's review against another edition
3.0
Call the Midwife is a well known BBC TV series in the UK, well known enough that a few people from other countries might recognise it too! The first series followed the real life events of Jenny Lee as a midwife working from a nunnery in the slums of post-WWII Britain. Heart-wrenching and memory-inducing for those who had lived through these times, she received many letters from readers.
It was quite interesting to read these letters, to learn little tit-bits more about life during this time. However, I didn't enjoy this book overall. It felt like I was invading people's privacy, to be reading their letters to an author. I'm not sure whether the publishing house tried to track each individual down to get their permission.
I also had been expecting to fall into the book like I have with Worth's memoirs and was sadly disappointed. This was an interesting but slow read and at many points I did consider DNFing it and just putting it on my read shelf. But I wanted to push through, and so I did.
If you'd like a complete collection of the Call the Midwife books then this is obviously one to pick up, and it is relatively interesting, however, it's not a book I would recommend because of reading enjoyment and I won't be picking it up again. I have one more of Worth's memoirs to read and I'm far more anticipatory for that.
It was quite interesting to read these letters, to learn little tit-bits more about life during this time. However, I didn't enjoy this book overall. It felt like I was invading people's privacy, to be reading their letters to an author. I'm not sure whether the publishing house tried to track each individual down to get their permission.
I also had been expecting to fall into the book like I have with Worth's memoirs and was sadly disappointed. This was an interesting but slow read and at many points I did consider DNFing it and just putting it on my read shelf. But I wanted to push through, and so I did.
If you'd like a complete collection of the Call the Midwife books then this is obviously one to pick up, and it is relatively interesting, however, it's not a book I would recommend because of reading enjoyment and I won't be picking it up again. I have one more of Worth's memoirs to read and I'm far more anticipatory for that.
tayreads's review against another edition
3.0
This book is a collection of correspondence to and from the author Jennifer Worth about her books and her life. While it was interesting to read peoples reactions to the stories she told, I found myself really missing the stories of her Midwife Trilogy. The only letters in the book that caught my eye were the letters from the nun that her Sister Julienne character is based on. I also enjoyed the introduction by her husband, daughters and grandchildren; their stories about their late wife, mother and grandmother were quite emotional and made me feel quite a connection to their family. Overall, this book wasn't awful but it wasn't what I was expecting. I probably won't be reaching for it the way I'll be reaching for the Midwife Trilogy.
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