Basic Information : Synopsis : Characters : Expectations : Thoughts : Evaluation : Book Group : New Words : Book References : Good Quotes : Table of Contents : References
Basic Information:
Author: Jennifer Worth
Edition: ePub on Libby from the Los Angeles and Sacramento Public Libraries
Publisher: Penguin Group
ISBN: 9780143116233 (ISBN10: 0143116231)
Start Date: February 16, 2023
Read Date: February 28, 2023
320 pages
Genre: Biography, Short Stories, Book Group
Language Warning: Low
Rated Overall: 3 ½ out of 5
Synopsis:
The author talks about various stories of her time as a midwife with a group of Anglican nuns. Some are humorous, few are slapstick. Several are very serious and have a point to them. But all are her experiences when she worked the London East End in the 1950’s.
Cast of Characters:
- Jenny Lee-Lee is the maiden name of the author. Main character in this book.
- Chummy Browne (Camilla Fortescue-Cholmeley-Browne)-tall, awkward, aristocratic background, friendly, soft and sweet, near-sighted. Parents had tried everything to get he to fit n But the only thing she took to was nursing. Parents were happy that she was happy.
- Cynthia Miller-outgoing, makes everyone one feel warm
- Trixie Franklin
- Sister Julienne-Senior nun in charge. Has a way around her which says she has authority without having to actually use it.
- Sister Evangelina-very tight around the rest of the nun’s, but has a way with the locals.
- Sister Monica Joan-an eccentric older nun. Probably a bit senile and a bit malicious. Worth finds that she is in awe of her and how she is in her 90’s and has served her God.
- Sister Bernadette-very experienced nurse/midwife
- Mrs B.-The cook
- Mrs. Jenkins-an old woman who was once in the workhouse and lost her children there.
- Fred-the repairman who is constantly scheming to make money.
- Len Warren-Father, married to Conchita. Father of 24. Good natured.
- Conchita Warren-mother of 24. Spoke no English, only Spanish
- Mary-Irish girl, pregnant, prostitute
- Zakir-a person who seduced Mary into prostitution.
- Father Joe Williamson. Vicar of St Paul’s in the Dock Street. Dedicated his life to helping East End families.
- Recommendation: Jessie from Book Group
- When: February 11, 2023
- Date Became Aware of Book: Well before then due to the BBC series
- How come do I want to read this book: Book Group
- What do I think I will get out of it? Series of short stories
Thoughts:
A note about naming. When I speak of the author, I will say Worth. But at the time of the book, she was Jennifer Lee. Lee being her maiden name.
Most of the stories are one chapter, but there are some which have two, three or five of them. On those multiple chapter ones, be alert to what Worth is trying to say.
There is a subtext to Worth’s religious development. It starts with the shock of being an intern in a convent. She had not realized that religious people could have vocations aside from the church. And then on Christmas Eve when she assisted in a hard birth with Sister Bernadette. The Sister would both provide competent care and on the side, discreetly attend to her various hours of devotion. The Sister in charge, Sister Julienne had a way about her-authority and compassion which startled Worth. Finally, there was the oldest Sister, Sister Monica Joan. It was hard to look beyond her eccentricity, approaching senility, and sometimes malice. But when you did, you saw love and care and a life of devotion and service and love. This set Worth on the course of examining what is this thing called Christianity.
Preface
In January 1998, the Midwives Journal published an article by Terri Coates entitled “Impressions of a Midwife in Literature”. This opening begs several questions. Why were stories not made about midwives? Do they not make a good story? Were they unimportant?
Obviously, the author thinks that there should be a story about them. Worth was one and took up the challenge.
Introduction
Nonnatus House located in the London Docklands. Nonnatus House is a pseudonym. The group Worth ws with is Sisters of St. John the Divine. The House is named after St. Raymond Nonnatus. He is the patron saint of the midwives (along with childbirth, children, pregnant women, and priests defending the confidentiality of confession). Non natus is Latin for “not born”
Worth describes the area as densely populated, mostly stationary with extended families either living with each other or close by. It was an area which was bombed heavily in World War II and the scars had not been healed yet. Fights and knifings were common. But I never heard of gratuitous violence children or towards the elderly; there was a certain respect for the weak.
Sexual morality was held high. If an unmarried girl got pregnant, the man who did it, better make good. Divorce was almost non-existent. Men worked and mothers stayed home.
I did not see a single TV set during my time in the East End, which may well have contributed to the size of the families.
This was an area where the seamen came, so there were brothels. But they were apart from the main part of the area. And the seamen kept to that part. Worth’s comment was that by confining prostitution to the brothels, it kept the streets clean for the people who lived there.
In the 1950’s, there was an attempt to clear up the slums. This had the adverse effect of causing families to split. Most of them had not not known anyplace else and had nowhere else to go.
The Pill was introduced in the early 1960s and modern woman was born. She talked about what the Pill meant-women were no longer tied to their period. In the 1950’s the midwives responded to 80-100 delivers each month. In 1963 it was 4-5 a month.
By 1980, the docks had closed after centuries of work. The ships no longer came. The workers were no longer needed.
Florence Nightingale changed nursing from an unrespectable profession to one with standards. By the 1950’s it was recognized as someplace where dedicated groups of nurses were. One such group was the Midwives of St Raymund Nonnatus, This house was associated with Anglican nuns, who were devoted to bringing safer childbirth to the poor.
Call the Midwife
Opening of the life of a midwife-having to go out no matter what the weather or time or how much you have previously worked. Who would do such a job? Worth notes that she was not in this because of the desire to heal or do-good.
She is riding a bicycle to a client at 2:30 in the morning. A couple of policemen wave and call out their greetings; the human contact raises my spirits no end. The police always travel in pairs in this area. But nurses and midwives never do. We would never be touched. So deep is the respect, even reverence, of the roughest, toughest docker for the district midwives that we can go anywhere alone, day or night, without fear.
She arrives and there is a gaggle of women looking after the mother to be. Worth does an examination to make sure everything is good. She then gets prepared, laying out her equipment and putting maternity pads – “bunnies -- under her. There is a description of the birthing process with a midwife. the relief of a safe delivery is so powerful.
And then there is the afterbirth to get all of the placenta out.
The author asks the question, why aren’t midwives lauded? Held in high esteem? They say it takes seven years of practice to make a good midwife
My mother and all her siblings were delivered by an untrained woman, usually called the “goodwife” or the “handywoman.
Why did Worth become a midwife? The war disrupted life. Then a passionate love affair did not complete. So, for purely pragmatic reasons, my choice was nursing. And after a year, Never, never, never. I wouldn’t swap my job for anything on earth. In the 1960’s, she became a palliative nurse. Then in the 1970’s she did swap out her job. To study music.
Nonnatus House
Worth did not know that Nonnatus House was a covenant before she arrived.
She talks about the Cockney accent in English. See the chapter towards the end of the book.
She is met by Sister Monica Joan, a very eccentric older nun. Worth is not sure she is at the right place as it seems like the Sister is mad. They have tea and cake, all of the cake. The rest of the nun’s arrive and are going to eat when they discover that the cake has been eaten, all of it. Sister Evangelina is upset and knows that Sister Monica Joan has eaten a good share of it. There is going to be an ongoing conflict between the two throughout the book.
She meets two of her fellow intern midwives: Cynthia and Trixie. She would be friends with them, especially Cynthia.
She meets with Sister Julienne. First, the Siser notes that strange things happen with Sister Monica Joan. There would be no more mention of the cake. Sister Julienne spoke about the routine Worth would have over her time there. Instead of feeling weighed down by the Sister in charge, there was a feeling of lightness. The impact Sister Julienne made upon me – and, I discovered, most people – was out of all proportion to her words or her appearance
Morning Visits
Worth returns from her delivery of the first chapter. She needs to clean up and write up her notes first, before eating or taking a nap. She got four hours of sleep before having to go out again.
She goes on her rounds with three visits, including the one delivered last night. She describes the typical flat. 150 years ago, they were considered luxurious. Now they are slums. There were usually 10-12 people in two or three rooms. Social law seems to suggest that the poorest families are often the ones that produce the greatest number of children, and the tenements were always teeming with them. This creates a hotbed for disease and violence.
Her first visit was with Edith who had given birth ten days ago and was getting close to the end of her convalesce. Two weeks was then considered good practice. The Sisters did not advocate formula, feeling breast milk was better for the baby and mother. In looking around the tenements, Worth could see the practicality of breastfeeding as there would be no place to either refrigerate the milk or sterilize the bottles. I had not taken into account the social conditions in which the Sisters worked. The lecturers [at school] were not dealing with real life.
The next visit was with Molly. Worth interrupted an argument with the husband. Molly was pregnant with her third. The usual thing was for mothers to visit the clinic regularly. Molly had not been in three months and now was in her ninth month.
She went on to Muriel who had delivered the night before. But before, she met a person which Worth despises-Mrs Jenkins [see the chapter Mrs Jenkins]. Mrs Jenkins seemed to know when a birth had happened and would always show up. She alway inquired about the mother and child. Worth thought she was a nuisance. The baby and mother were doing well. Worth would visit again that evening.
It was not until about a year later, when I was a general district nurse, that I learned more about Mrs Jenkins…and learned a little humility.
Chummy
Talks about Chummy Browne. Talks about learning to ride a bicycle. It was not easy. As an adult, it is hard to learn to ride a bike. She suffered through many crashes. She did not give up; Chummy was made of sterner stuff. She knocked over a policeman.
Molly
Molly was one of the mothers to be in the Morning Visits chapter. Molly had not done any followup visits to the clinic to be checked on. When a site visit had happened four months previous, everything seemed satisfactory. Now it was a dump. Molly’s mom was the reason-she had been picking up everything and cleaning.
Worth visit’s Molly’s mother, Marjorie. The place is clean and airy. The mother gives out the history. Then she met her husband-to-be and things degenerated. After hearing the story, a hospital delivery was arranged without Molly’s consent.
The delivery was made in a hospital and three weeks later,the Midwives got a call asking if they could do a postnatal visit. Molly had given birth and walked out after three days instead of the full two weeks. Sister Bernadette did the home visit.
Worth did twice a day home visits. There was no answer one day. She returned later and still no answer. When she looked through a mail slot, she saw a paraffin heater which could start a fire. No Molly. Marjorie says Molly's gone on the game, (having sex for money). The police were picking the locks. They got in and the husband came about that time. He tried to act all innocent.
He also tried to intimidate Worth and cozy up to her. Worth days that Few men can withstand a woman’s lock of utter contempt. All had to leave as the father exercised his rights to the children and the apartment. Worth left which much to think about.
The Bicycle
Chummy eventually learned how to ride a bicycle. A 13 year old becomes her champion. He drove away the jeering kids. A friendship was born.
Worth notes that neither Jack or Chummy saw defeat as a possibility. So Chummy learned.
But that was the extent of their friendship. Chummy wanted to keep the friendship going as well as show her appreciation. Sister Julienne noted that just giving a small gift, while it would be appreciated, it would not show Jack the extent of Chummy’s gratefulness. It should be something he would value and something she could afford. She gave him a bicycle. He still was her protector. This being a protector was something which he put to good use: he was Lady Diana’s bodyguard.
Antenatal Clinc
Worth did not like the antenatal clinic. This was a weekly time where the moths would come in for checkup. The thing was that there was not good hygiene in the area. So there was a concentration of smells which overwhelmed Worth. Other midwives did not seem to mind it. This was done in a church hall. There was heating by a coke furnace. Also a gas jet was there so that urine tests could be done. Primitive by 2020’s standard, but pretty good for the 1950’s.
Lil Hoskin has her first visit. There were seven children before and they all came and were active. The mother was dirty and stank. The woman had syphilis. Worth was revulsed. Lil needed penicillin for ten days. A novice nun who was experienced provided guidance. Worth made the house calls each day and realized that this disgusting person was different at home. Still a mess and dirty, but much more relaxed and loved the kids. Worth noted that How she had come to pick up syphilis was none of my business. I was there to treat the condition, not to judge. This is an interesting statement. I am not to judge sin, that is God’s business. I am to be there as a person of compassion.
The next day when Worth came, Lil was not there. She had been taken to the hospital. The baby was dead.
Rickets
The pioneer in this branch of obstetrics was a Dr J. W. Ballantyne of Edinburgh University. Worth talks about how there was opposition to obstetrics.The midwife practice was only certified in 1903.
Worth is back at the clinic for the Tuesday afternoon checkups. Brenda comes in with rickets. Rickets is a vitamin D deficiency. It means that it is hard to give birth and many times the baby dies. Sometimes the mother also. Brenda was going to have a C-section to get around this problem-her four previous pregnancies had ended in the death of the baby. But this one was carried full term and the baby was born alive.
Eclampsia
By 1975, well after the stories in this book take place, only 1% of babies were born at home. Sally’s grandmother made sure that Sally’s baby was born at home. But as the pregnancy continued, there were warning signs. This is eclampsia. Worth’s diagnosis was checked out and Sally was taken to the hospital where she got complete bed rest until the end of her pregnancy.
Worth tells about the first meeting of a mother with eclampsia. She died. This death left a deep impression on her. Her husband’s take was I am just thankful that I knew her at all. If we had not met, or if we had met and just passed each other by, all the great literature of the world, all the poets, all the great love stories would have been meaningless to me. This has got to be the best statement in the book. Before his whole life was filled with work/science. When love entered, he was overwhelmed.
Fred
Fred was the handyman which Sister Julienne relied on for all sorts of things and Fred was the type who was happy to help. Everybody loved Fred, except Mrs. B who ruled the kitchen, which sometimes Fred forgot that fact.
Fred was a widower with a live at home daughter. He tried to make money to tend to them. He sold onions and potatoes. He was selling chickens until the authorities figured out he kept them in his home. AT the convent, he also cleaned out drains. Fred, a poet with rod and suction, was not to be discouraged. Each money making idea came to an end, but he continued to try to figure out another means.
A Christmas Baby
Betty lived a life of luxury according to the Docklands standards. She had a big house, wonderful family and was expecting her next child in February. But on Christmas Day, Betty went into labor. Sister Bernadette said she would attend; Worth was the nurse on call, so she went as well-she was a student at this time.
Downstairs life was festive. Betty wanted it that way. The baby was in a breech position. Worth called the doctor, who lived in the area. Sister Bernadette instructed Worth about why she was doing what she was doing.
This was the first time Worth had been exposed to Advent. The nuns practiced it. Worth found out that The religious life is a hidden life, The sisters tried to include her, but the whole concept of Christ being born on this day was foreign. But it bothered her. She started questioning this myth called God. It was discomforting. She attended a Christmas Mass with the sisters. Why was it the whole meaning of life for these good Sisters, yet just a piece of well executed theatre for me?
Throughout the time with Betty, Sister Bernadette kept her religious activities as well, but in small discrete ways. in order to say the office of the day. The nuns lived by the monastic rules of the six offices of the day: lauds; tierce; sext; none; vespers; compline and Holy Communion each morning. In a contemplative community, the offices together occupy about five hours of prayer time. For a working community this is impracticable, so, in the early days of their vocation, the Midwives of St Raymund Nonnatus had had a shortened version devised for them.
Worth reflected on her times in the hospital during Christmas. Since the patients stayed in a hospital longer, nurses got to know them. It was a time when everybody was able to feel good about each other.
A Breech Delivery
Continuation of the previous chapter. Sister Bernedette describes the birth to Worth. Since this was a breech birth, the head is the last out. There were times when Sister Bernedette let the baby hang to help the head come out.
To Worth, the miracle of the birth is that once the mother gives birth, she literally forgets the agony of which she has been through and only has eyes for the baby.
Since it was Christmas, a party had been going on, which was Betty’s desires. After the birth, twenty children had come up to see the baby.
When Worth left, she went on a roundabout way back. This gave her time to reflect on what had just happened, Christmas and the Sisters.
Jimmy
Worth meets up with an old friend, with a night out. Old friendships are always the best, and childhood friends are very special. He was not an old boyfriend, but someone whom she grew up with. She had found life with the sisters and the work in the East End so unexpectedly absorbing that I hadn’t wanted to go anywhere else. But a night out would be good to unwind.
She talks about an outing she had with them while in nursing school.
She met Jimmy and his friends at Plastere’s Arms pub on Baker Street. They decide to go to Brighton for a swim. They swam in the nude. A cold 3am swim. She got out very shortly and had an asthma attack. She was to start her day at 8am, but got back at 10. Worth told Sister Julienne about the night. She laughed and said that Jimmy sounded like a good guy.
30 years later, Jimmy turned into a hen-pecked husband.
Len and Conchita Warren
This was a good story.
Worth saw on the notes that the expectant 42 year old mother had 23 children. She had to do a house call to ascertain the feasibility of a home birth. The site looked like 23 children lived there, happily. Conchita spoke no English, but the communication was through the children. But she was in control and commanded respect.
She asked the sisters about her. Well known, but not much known about her. Maybe she was not very bright and that was the reason why she did not communicate in English-this would prove to be false. I had noticed before that certain people can completely disguise a basic lack of intelligence simply by saying nothing
Worth found out the husband had fought in the Spanish Civil War and came back with Conchita.
When Worth came back that evening to get her history, Len was there. There were 23 children, Len and Conchita. Everything was harmonious. Worth did an examination and all looked normal, about 5-6 months along. Worth went many times back for home visits over the next several months, making it a point to go when Len was there. The family ate communally.
When the time was near for Conchita to give birth, Len stayed home. This he did, to my amazement. In those days no self-respecting East Ender would demean himself by doing what he would call “womens’ work. Len was even there at childbirth-this was a rarity. The birth was smooth.
As Worth was leaving, Len revealed why he and Conchita got along so well-he spoke no Spanish; she no English. Quite suddenly, with blinding insight, the secret of their blissful marriage was revealed to me. She couldn’t speak a word of English, and he couldn’t speak a word of Spanish.
Sister Monica Joan
Worth is enchanted by Sister Monica Joan’s voice, maybe not so much her words. A bit of background on the Sister. She was above 90 and bordered on senility.
But she was no saint in some relationships, particularly with Sister Evangelina. Sister Monica Joan would torment her. At lunch time, she worked on embarrassing her. Her mind was obviously going, but how much was senility, and how much downright naughtiness?
Sister Evangelina was not an intellectual heavyweight like Sister Monica Joan. So it was an unfair fight. She was unsure of herself and it showed. The monastic vows of poverty, chastity and obedience are hard, very hard. But harder still is the task of living, day in, day out, with your Sisters in God.
Mary And Zajir and Cable Street and Cafe Life and Flight
This is a five chapter story. There is also a strip show and orgy scene.
Worth meets a beggar by the name of Mary. Worth had come from a concert and was asked for change for a bill which would was a high denomination. Mary tells Worth her story. She came from Ireland. Her father died. Her mother turned to alcohol and married a man who abused Mary. Mary migrated to London. London was not what she imagined. Not the gleaming city, but a city full of people who had their own business. She ate little, even just breadcrumbs left for the birds. She had fallen for a guy, Zakir, who seduced her and then left her in a place of prostitution.
To some prostitution was nothing. But to Mary, it was scary and foreign. What made Mary leave? A girl named Nellie who was always lonely, I think, because deep down inside, she was always looking for someone who belonged to her. Nellie had gotten pregnant. The madam arranged for an abortion, not a clean one, but a backstreet one. A woman came in with what looked like steel knitting needles and stabbed Nellie’s baby to be and eventually killed it. Nellie was in great pain. Nellie died, probably to blood loss and infection. I had little doubt that many other prostitutes had disappeared and no one ever missed them because they were usually homeless, unwanted girls.
Then Mary realized she was pregnant. She was discovered and lived in fear that what happened in Nellie would happen to her. She stole five pounds and ran away.
This story was told at a cafe where Worth got change for the bill. Worth sees she is pregnant-Worth is a midwife after all, so she should be able to see the signs. And now she had no place to go. After trying the YWCA-it was closed-she took Mary to the covenant. Worth notes the mission of the covenant is nursing and midwifing, not caring for the homeless. The covenant does not have enough resources for that. Worth took Mary back to the convent and explained what happened. Sister Julienne made arrangements with Father Joe to take her to Church House. Father Joe was a saint. Saints come in all sorts of shapes and sizes – they don’t have to wear halos.
Mary was transferred to another home run by the Catholic Church. There her baby was born. Worth notes that mothering is the gentlest and happiest of all feminine activities. The nuns held classes in baby care, and she happily bathed and dressed dolls [my note: seems ironic that it would be nuns who give instruction on child care]. Motherhood brings out the best in most women, and flighty, giddy young girls often become responsible, reliable mothers, as soon as the baby is born.
From the ecstaticness of having the baby born and it being beautiful, The baby had been taken and put up for adoption. The nuns had done so because they saw no future with the mother since she was underaged with no skills. The adoption was anonymous. The Reverend Mother talked about the rational, while also having a deep empathy, not emotional.
Circumstances bring people together, and take them apart. One cannot keep up with everyone in a lifetime. In any event, was there any true friendship between myself and Mary?
The last which Worth saw of Mary was that Mary had abducted a baby and was sentenced to prison.
Worth had found that the Sisters were kind and this was another case where they did kindness both to Mary and Worth.
Worth makes the case for why a mother would go into prostitution-would you let your child starve?
The area which Mary ended up being a prostitute at was filled with hard working people. But there was a section which almost seemed to be zoned for vice of all kinds. The people in the area tolerated it because it kept the vice in one area and they could ignore the area. Also it contained where the vice was so they did not get affected by it. The whole area was scheduled for renewal after the war, but it would take twenty-plus years before this would happen. In the meantime, homes could not be sold or improved; the area got more run down. She talks about one school where the caretaker comes in early each morning to clean up the filth there- condoms, syringes, underwear, bloodstained sheets, … Fear prevented the residents from disturbing the powerful men who ran the clubs.
it is better to travel hopefully than to arrive-she quotes this from an unknown source.
Sister Evangelina
Worth makes a discovery about Sister Evangelina. Worth had broken a shoulder-no explanation about how. So she assisted Sister Evangelina in working with older people. This was not a good fit as the sister was someone who would find fault with others.
Worth’s comment-nuns by definition had to be exceptional people. She notes that even if you do not see it, there will be something which a nun will do which is out of the ordinary, making them exceptional.
Sister Evangelina’s exceptional talent was being able to be accepted and loved by the older Cockney population. While not Cockney, she was comfortable around them, acted like them. Sister Evangelina was not humourless. The only trouble was that at Nonnatus House her humour was different from everyone else’s. At the convent, she did not fit in. Out there she did. It was only with her patients in the docklands that she could truly be herself. Bathroom humor was part of her repertoire.
Worth gives Sister Evangelina’s history. This included parachuting behind enemy lines during World War I.
Most hospitals were converted workhouses. So they were a place of fear and degradation. Sounds different from our current very sterile hospitals.
I think the lesson learned from this chapter is that no person is what they seem to be, particularly if they are not in their own environment.
Mrs Jenkins
This chapter follows that theme. We got introduced to Mrs. Jenkins back in the Morning Visits chapter. Also saw the loathing Worth had for her.
Jenkins had an obsession with newborn babies. She was never welcomed and considered a nuisance by all. I had always found her interesting but repugnant. The shrinking back was on both parts-the general populace and Mrs Jenkins. When Sister Julienne tried to engage her in conversation, she recoiled and pulled away. This caused Worth to examine her interactions with Jenkins and saw how she was wanting.
One of the things which Worth noted was that she had extraordinary size feet for such a small and frail woman. She had unhealthy habits, even more so than other East Enders.
Worth got assigned to go and see what was bothering Mrs Jenkins. Turned out she lived in the area where the prostitutes lived. But Mrs Jenkins did not cooperate. Sister Evangelina was advised and came on the call that evening. The Sister got the same reaction as Worth did-non-cooperative. That is until the Sister let out a big fart! This led Mrs Jenkins to laugh and she was able to be treated.
Rosie
And now Worth got to know a bit more about Mrs Jenkins. Mrs Jenkins' living conditions improved. The space was cleaned. Even a hole in the roof was covered. Worth’s job was to clean up Mrs Jenkins. What she found was that there was barely any of her body. The boots were hard to get off, but inside the boots were 8-10” toe nails. When Worth was leaving, there was a howl like a wolf. Sister Evangelina identified it as the workhouse howl.
Mrs Jenkins at one time was in a workhouse. She had six children. Her husband died. Jenkins was able to work in a factory until being injured in some machinery. After pawning everything, she ran out of money and petitioned the government which said she was lazy. When her baby died, she accepted that she and her children needed to go into the workhouse.
The Workhouse
The system must have seemed like an act of pure Christian goodness and charity. But, like so many good intentions, it quickly turned sour.
When Mrs Jenkins went into the workhouse, they were given uniforms. Then they were separated. Jenkins would never see her children again. They all died, even Rosie.
Worth describes the misery of the workhouse.
The Bottom Dropped Out of Pigs
Fred wants to bounce back from his previous fiasco and start raising pigs. Sister Julienne knew about pigs and advised him about its upbringing. And then the price of pork dropped.Sister Julienne advised him to use the pig as a breeder pig instead of butchering him.
Of Mixed Descent I
Before paternity tests, how did a man know that the wife’s or girlfriend’s baby was something he produced?
Talks about Bella and Tom. Her family spared no expense to have their wedding. She was used to being pampered and he worked more and more overtime. Bella was depressed as the time of birth came closer.
As the birth was happening, Bella cried out, you have got to stop this. Bella understood that the baby was going to be black, unlike both Tom and Bella. Bella’s mother wants to put the baby up for adoption immediately. Worth said that would not be possible-several reasons. Instead of black, the baby was white. Nobody but the mother, grandmother and Worth knew about what happened.
Of Mixed Descent II
Talks about the Smiths-Cyril and Doris. They and their children spent a few weeks in the summer hops picking, along with other families. A West Indies family was also there which Doris enjoyed. Doris was pregnant and gave birth. Worth was the attending midwife. The baby was beautiful, and black. Worth thought it would be worthwhile for someone to be there when her husband came home. She talked to Sister Julienne who had the rector send over a curate. The husband was irate and the curate stopped violence. The baby was put up for adoption.
Of Mixed Descent III
Ted, a widower of 58 years old. He met Winnie at the newspaper shop. He asked her out and eventually they married. She was much younger. At 44, she became pregnant again. He was now in his 60’s. When Winnie gave birth, the baby was decidedly ethnic.
Ted never said anything about it. And he obviously showed love towards the child. Behind his back he was ridiculed for being a fool. But Worth’s take on it was that In the Russian Orthodox Church there is the concept of the Holy Fool. It means someone who is a fool to the ways of the world, but wise to the ways of God. It seems to me that Ted made a decision and a deep one as it was. First and foremost, he forgave Winnie and did not even mention her indiscretion. This is a deeper forgiveness than I think I would be able to achieve. Second, he accepted this baby which was not even his as his own. In that, he mimicked God. To me Ted, did as God does with us.
The Luncheon Party
More humor with Worth’s old childhood friends Jimmy and Mike. They want to spend a night at the covenant, but Worth says no. Instead they got lunch there.All the ladies were there. The boys brought along a friend of theirs, Alan who is a reporter. Worth describes Alan as already formed conclusions about life which he had picked up secondhand, without having lived much of it himself. That is a witty line. He tries to get something from Sister Bernadette, but Sister Monica Joan starts to talk with him and he is confused. All eyes were on him and he turned red as he did not know how to answer. Sister Monica Joan’s remark about Alan was How sweet. Old enough to know it all, and young enough to blush. Perfectly charming.
There was looseness of tongue and Sister Evangelina just about burst from laughing, but she would not reveal her secret. This was totally out of character for her. Even her tormentor, Sister Monica Joan, supported Sister Evangelina in not telling. Sister Monica Joan told a story, but left out the juicy part. Worth’s comment: Life is so fleeting, and the past so rich.
Sister Monica Joan told a story or two. But when asked for more, she noted that she was not here for their entertainment, but by the grace of God. And that she was 90 years old and had been around 20 years too long.
Smog
This is another several chapter story.
Back to Conchita Warren. Worth and Conchita’s daughter, Liz, had become acquainted. Liz was a skilled dressmaker and Worth liked having her dresses tailormade.
The London smog was at its worst. You could not see. Conchita had slipped and fallen and had a concussion. She went into labor. It was so bad that you could not see at all, about two yards ahead even with powerful lights. Worth notifies Sister Julienne who gives advice on how to proceed. She gets a police escort and Sister Julienne’s prayers.
She arrived in 15 minutes. Conchita was in a bad way. No doctors were available. She needed to get to a hospital, but the same lack of visibility would hamper an ambulance from getting there. Then she remembered Sister Julienne was praying and some of Julian of Norwich’;s words came to her:
All shall be well, and all will be well
and all manner of things shall be well
She then proceeded to give birth after a time of frenzy. The baby appeared to be dead. But Len, the husband, noticed the baby was breathing. It weighed about 1.5 pounds.
The Flying Squad
A Flying Squad is the backup crew for a midwife. When there was a hard case which could cause issues with the mother or child, they were sent. They arrived, just as the doctor did after the end of the birth. They recommended that Conchita be sent to the hospital. Len said no, they can take care of her at his home. The group did things for Conchita to take care of the concussion and fever and left her there. This caused all to be happy.
But the baby was another thing. It was such a preemie, it would die without care. Len agreed to that. She lost a lot of blood and needed a transfusion. At last all of the placenta came out.
A Premature Baby
All the pieces are in place to transport the baby to the hospital. Conchita wakes up and finds out what is going on. She refuses to part with the baby. Faced with this refusal after informing her of the possible death of her child, they packed up everything to leave. Worth is left with the doctor-neither know how to care for the baby. But Worth’s observation was that Had the baby died at birth, or had he been taken away to hospital, I think Conchita would have died also.
Conchita was confident the baby would not die and because of that, so was Len.
The smog was lifting and Worth went back to the convent. All of the nurses and Sisters came to visit at one time or another and were astonished. Conchita cared for the baby without reference to a manual and the baby thrived. Worth asks, how did she know how to care for him? He had the warmth, the touch, the softness, the smell, the moisture of his mother. He heard her heartbeat and her voice. He had her milk. Above all, he had her love.
Worth notes that in the 1950’s, society was less invasive into family life. Today, would there have been ordered hospital care for the baby? Either he is the ultimate survivor, or we put far too much emphasis on technology and techniques, I thought
Worth says that she is thankful that Conchita was so forceful about not letting the baby go. Probably both her and the baby would have died and all the household happiness would have gone with them.
Old, Old Age
Sister Monica Joan was a mystery to Worth. Was she senile and her obnoxiousness could be excused? Or was she exceedingly crafty? The old are deeply interesting. This was true even outside of the covenant walls. Worth talks about taking her to a cello concert where she proceeded to disrupt everything and making sure she was the center of attention. They took her back to the convent at intermission. Another incident was when she went out on her bicycle with only her night gown on.
After the night gown incident, Worth reflects that Now and then in life, love catches you unawares. …. Once in a while you are faced with a beauty and a joy that takes your soul, all unprepared, by assault. This is because Worth realized she not only loved Sister Monica Joan, but everything she represented: her religion, the vocation, the prayers, the quietness and service to God. And then she realized, she may also love God.
In The Beginning
Sister Monica Joan looked pretty bad after going out in her nightgown episode. But she was given antibiotics and she had good stamina. The doctor wanted her to rest. Usually lay people cannot visit a nun’s cell, but since a doctor said it was OK to have visitors, she was receiving them, including Worth.
This is where Worth discovered that Sister Monica Joan was a poet. She did not have any secrets, so Worth was able to look at them. The poems she saw were a combination of satire, humor, loneliness, and religious. A sample of her religious writings were
I turned to you
When our love was too brief
And found your strength.
I needed you.
In the years of my grief
And knew you, at length
Worth could relate.. She responded with Does one have to suffer so dreadfully in order to know the unknown God? CS Lewis had a bit of this when he wrote his book Till We Have Faces. Much of Odul’s life was suffering. At the end of it, she sees that we cannot face God until we have a face as well as God.
Worth asked Sister Monica Joan about why there were not a lot of religious poems, she responded with a bit of humility. She cannot describe the great Mystery of Life. She notes that the Gospels are four short accounts of God made Man. There is nothing more to say.
Worth had come to the convent without knowing it was something religious. She emerged from it with a respect and deep love for the Sisters.
Worth asked Sister Monica Joan if the reason why she came to the covenant was to work with those who had experienced hardship and a rough life? The answer was How can you love ignorant, brutish people whom you don’t even know? Can anyone love filth and squalor? Or lice and rats? Who can love aching weariness, and carry on working, in spite of it? One cannot love these things. One can only love God, and through His grace come to love His people.”
Sister Monica Joan told Worth, find out for herself the answer to the questions she was asking. Read the Gospels, seek God. Faith is not given by others. Go with God, child; just go with God.
After these words, Worth started reading the gospels.
Evaluation:
The BBC TV series, Call the Midwife, has its start from this book. Jennifer Worth read an article saying there were really no modern day book of stories about midwives. She took up the challenge of writing such a book. How well did she succeed?
Worth wrote a pretty readable book, filled with the people of London’s East End. First there are the Sisters of the convent she did her internship as a midwife. She realizes that these are highly talented, intelligent women who are making an impact on their area. But like any community, there are eccentricities which she enjoys talking about.
Of course, if you are going to talk about midwifery, you need to talk about the women who are about to give birth. This ranges from mothers with their first child to the one who has 24 other children. There is humor and sadness. And then there are the unexpected births. All in all, this is an interesting book. If you watch the TV series and are a reader, you will not be disappointed in this book.
Notes from my book group:
Worth asks, Who would do such a job? [of a midwife] Assuming you had the knowledge and ability, could you do the work of a midwife?
The start of the book opens in literature, there are no stories about midwives. Why were stories not made about midwives? Do they not make a good story? Were they unimportant? Do you think Worth did the same thing for midwives as James Heriott did for veterinarians?
Have you watched the BBC series, Call the Midwife? How is the show similar? Different?
Why do you think Worth wrote the book?
What did you like about the book? Dislike?
Which character did you like? Why? Dislike?
Worth wrote about the poverty she encountered working on the East End. Describe what she encountered. Why did the poor congregate there? After World War II ended, the area was condemned. How did this contribute to the decline? In what ways can “urban renewal” help and hinder the people living there?
According to Worth, Social law seems to suggest that the poorest families are often the ones that produce the greatest number of children, and the tenements were always teeming with them. Do you think this is true? Why do you think the poorer the family, the more children there will be? Do you think this helps or hurts a family’s chances of getting out of poverty?
The training Worth got was that it was better to have the babies on formula than breastfeeding. Once she was visiting her clients she realized that breastfeeding would be better than formula. Why? What is the proper relationship between what is taught and experience? And even beyond that, science vs the real-world?
Worth has five chapters in the book on Mary who had been seduced into prostitution. Why do you think Worth spent so much time on Mary’s story? Why does she include the part about the stripper and orgy? Do you think that Worth was being too graphic during the story? How would you have told the story?
Why did Mary keep with Zakir even after the strip show/orgy? What prevented her from leaving later when Zakir was no longer interested in her? Why did she eventually leave?
While Mary was at the Cable St cafe, she witnessed a girl who had become pregnant attacked, killing the baby. Eventually the baby died. Why does Worth talk about this episode? Worth becomes an advocate for legalized abortions. What did she attempt to accomplish by this advocacy? How would you stop this type of situation? Would legalized abortions help?
Mary had her baby in a Catholic home for young women. Within two weeks, the home had put up the baby for adoption without Mary’s consent. Why did they do it this way? Do you think this was the right way to put up the baby? Which should take priority, the needs of Mary or the baby?
Sister Julienne makes her appearance throughout the book. Worth notes that The impact Sister Julienne made upon me – and, I discovered, most people – was out of all proportion to her words or her appearance. What kind of person is Sister Julienne? Describe her. How is she true to her calling?
With both Sister Evangelina and Mrs Jenkins, they were not who they appeared to be. What caused each to reveal their hidden persons? Worth says that she learned a little humility. How can we properly evaluate a person? How does your answer correspond with Math 7:1?
In talking about Mrs Jenkins, Worth talks about the workhouses. She notes that the system must have seemed like an act of pure Christian goodness and charity. But, like so many good intentions, it quickly turned sour. Why do good actions, even if Christian in nature, have a tendency to degenerate as time goes on? Name some instances of these. How can we avoid this degeneration?
In the Of Mixed Descent III chapter Worth talks about the Holy Fool. What is this? How was Ted an example of this character? How is a Christian called to be a fool in the society's eyes and wise in God? Who would you say is an example of this?
Alan as already formed conclusions about life which he had picked up secondhand, without having lived much of it himself. Describe Alan. What trap does Worth describe that Alan’s thinking had fallen into? How can we avoid making unfounded assumptions?
As an American, there were many words which seemed foreign to me. What word stood out the most to you?
How do you want your life to change because you read this book?
Many of these questions are either from or adapted from LitLovers.
Why the title of The Midwife?
Which character was the most convincing? Least?
Which character did you identify with?
Which one did you dislike?
Every story has a world view. Were you able to identify this story’s world view? What was it? How did it affect the story?
In what context was religion talked about in this book?
Was there anybody you would consider religious?
How did they show it?
Was the book overtly religious?
How did it affect the book's story?
Why do you think the author wrote this book?
What would you ask the author if you had a chance?
What “takeaways” did you have from this book?
What central ideas does the author present?
Are they personal, sociological, global, political, economic, spiritual, medical, or scientific
What evidence does the author use to support the book's ideas?
Is the evidence convincing...definitive or...speculative?
Does the author depend on personal opinion, observation, and assessment? Or is the evidence factual—based on science, statistics, historical documents, or quotations from (credible) experts?
What implications for you, our nation or the world do these ideas have?
Are these idea’s controversial?
To whom and why?
Are there solutions which the author presents?
Do they seem workable? Practicable?
How would you implement them?
Describe the culture talked about in the book.
How is the culture described in this book different than where we live?
What economic or political situations are described?
Does the author examine economics and politics, family traditions, the arts, religious beliefs, language or food?
How did this book affect your view of the world?
Of how God is viewed?
What questions did you ask yourself after reading this book?
Talk about specific passages that struck you as significant—or interesting, profound, amusing, illuminating, disturbing, sad...?
What was memorable?
New Words:
- multigravida-a woman (or female animal) who is or has been pregnant for at least a second time
- fundus-the part of a hollow organ; the upper part of the stomach, which forms a bulge higher than the opening of the esophagus
- oxytocics- used to induce labour, obstetric at term, to prevent or control postpartum or postabortion haemorrhage, and to assess foetal status in high risk pregnancies
- besotted-strongly infatuated.
- nappies-a square of thick soft paper or cloth that is fastened around a baby's bottom and between its legs to absorb its urine and solid waste
- slattern-a dirty, untidy woman
- antenatal-before birth; prenatal.
- foetal head-egg-shaped, being broader posteriorly and symmetric without irregularity of contour. Ossification of the skull vault is complete by 12 weeks
- gallipot- small pot made from glazed earthenware or metal, used by pharmacists to hold medicines or ointments
- oedematous-a tissue with an excess of interstitial fluid; fluid-filled
- flexion-the action of bending or the condition of being bent, especially the bending of a limb or joint.
- draughtsman-English term for a draftsman
- navvy-a laborer employed in the excavation and construction of a road, railroad, or canal.
- Sheelin-an irish cream??
- poteen- a traditional Irish distilled beverage
- ordure-excrement; dung.
- knuckledustered- "fist-load weapons" used in hand-to-hand combat. Brass knuckles are pieces of metal shaped to fit around the knuckles. Despite their name, they are often made from other metals, plastics or carbon fibers.
- middens-an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, mollusc shells, potsherds,
- skivvy-underwear, especially a set consisting of undershirt and underpants, or just the underpants.
- locum-a person who stands in temporarily for someone else of the same profession, especially a cleric or doctor.
- furred-coated or clogged with a deposit or thick layer of something.
- chiropodist-a person who treats the feet and their ailments; a podiatrist.
- workhouse howl-an animal-like scream of pain and despair
- opprobrium-harsh criticism or censure.
- primigravida-a woman who is pregnant for the first time.
- analgesic-(of a drug) acting to relieve pain.
- badinage-humorous or witty conversation.
- tureen-a deep covered dish from which soup is served.
- Notes on Nursing: What It Is, and What It Is Not by Florence Nightingale
- Behind the Blue Door: the history of the Royal College of Midwives, 1881-1981 by Betty Cowell, David Wainwright
- Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D. H. Lawrence
- Pig Breeders’ Guide
- Natural Childbirth by Grantley Dick Read
- Textbook for Midwifes by Margaret Myles
- The New Baby; Positive Parents; The Growing Child; From Birth to Teens
Good Quotes:
- First Line: In January 1998, the Midwives Journal published an article by Terri Coates entitled “Impressions of a Midwife in Literature
- Last Line: That evening, I started to read the Gospels.
- The religious life is a hidden life, Chp A Christmas Baby
- Old friendships are always the best, and childhood friends are very special. Chp Jimmy
- Little do ye know your own blessedness; for to travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the true success is to labour. Quoted from Robert Louis Stevenson, Virginibus Puerisque
- Life is so fleeting, and the past so rich. Chp The Luncheon Party
- Does one have to suffer so dreadfully in order to know the unknown God? Chp In The Beginning
- "Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all, Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know." John Keats, Ode on a Grecian Urn
- One can only love God, and through His grace come to love His people. Chp In The Beginning. Words were from Sister Monica Joan
- Go with God, child; just go with God. Chp In The Beginning. Words were from Sister Monica Joan
- Preface
- Introduction
- Call the Midwife
- Nonnatus House
- Morning Visits
- Chummy
- Molly
- The Bicycle
- Antenatal Clinc
- Rickets
- Eclampsia
- Fred
- A Christmas Baby
- A Breech Delivery
- Jimmy
- Len and Conchita Warren
- Sister Monica Joan
- Mary
- Zajir
- Cable Street
- Cafe Life
- Flight
- Sister Evangelina
- Mrs Jenkins
- Rosie
- The Workhouse
- The Bottom Dropped Out of Pigs
- Of Mixed Descent I
- Of Mixed Descent II
- Of Mixed Descent III
- The Luncheon Party
- Smog
- The Flying Squad
- A Premature Baby
- Old, Old Age
- In The Beginning
References:
- Publisher's Web Site for Book
- Wikipedia-Book
- Wikipedia-Author
- Amazon-Book
- Amazon-Author
- Barnes and Noble
- GoodReads-Book
- GoodReads-Author
- East Anglican Times - background on Worth
- Town and Country
