Staff Picks: Call the Midwife

Call the Midwife
Jennifer Worth

Call the Midwife is a unique memoir written by experienced midwife Jennifer Worth during post-World War II and set in London. A trained nurse and midwife, young Worth arrives at Nonnatus House, a midwifery practice run by dedicated nuns, to serve the underprivileged and overpopulated East End. While in service there, she meets a variety of memorable characters, including an eccentric nun, countless brave women, families with ten or more children, and downtrodden prostitutes. Through it all, she learns about herself and the meaning of life—one birth at a time.

While this memoir is often graphic and provides medical commentary in extreme detail, Worth tells her stories with great craft so that it reads like fiction. I highly recommend this memoir to anyone who is interested in midwifery, the lives and bonds of women, and/or history.

And, if you like the book, you might also enjoy the television series developed by BBC. You can find both the book and the television series (on DVD) at the Martinsburg Public Library.