Shadows Of The Workhouse - by Jennifer Worth

A good read and a fine example of "it does what it says on the tin". As the blurb says, this book is not really about midwifery or much about nursing, but is a very sensitive and moving account of the lives of some of the characters the author met in the course of her work in Poplar. There are many stories that are almost unbelievable - cruelty that seems more medieval than early 20th Century - but I have good confidence in the author's integrity, so it must be true. Many stories are heart-wrenchingly sad, but others are uplifting. I enjoyed the read and feel I learned something, which, for me, is a major goal in reading at all.