THE MIDWIFE (Jennifer Worth)

The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times is on of those books that stays with you for a while.  Worth writes about her midwife training in the east end of London in the mid-1950's with such detail and candor that it almost takes your breath away.  Now I think I need to watch the BBC series based on the book!   The horrible bombed out buildings, lack of sanitation, large families living in tiny apartments, sometimes unheated and without running water, human trafficking, the miracle of birth witnessed over and over again, and the profound poverty - all are brought vividly to life here with humor and empathy.  It astounds me that people were living this way when I was born, and probably still are in many places, and I am grateful to Jennifer Worth for telling us her story.  Mixing personal anecdotes with detailed descriptions of many of the births and illnesses that she encountered as a nurse and midwife, Worth has produced a richly faceted and inspirational memoir.