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The Life and Times of Call the Midwife: The Official Companion to Series One and Two
The stories and secrets behind BBC television’s most-loved show. The official companion to series 1 and 2, as well as the forthcoming Christmas special.
The Life and Times of Call the Midwife takes you behind the scenes of the small-screen sensation that has brought to life Jennifer Worth’s experiences as a midwife among the slums and buzzing dockyards of London’s East End in the Fifties.
Find out how Fifties fashions, make-up and homes were flawlessly recreated. Discover the hidden secrets of the nurses and nuns of Nonnatus House and what flavour cake ruled in the kitchen when war-time rationing finally came to an end. Immerse yourself in a world that’s been fondly revived to celebrate a glimpse of history that, like today, has childbirth at its heart.
450 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2012
104 people are currently reading
2185 people want to read
About the author
Heidi Thomas
29 books18 followersHeidi Thomas is a playwright, television executive producer and screenwriter, whose credits include: the 2010 continuation of the popular series Upstairs Downstairs, and period piece Lilies (2007), alongside adaptions of Jennifer Worth's Call the Midwife, Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford, and a film version of Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle.
She is married to actor Stephen McGann.
Internet Movie Database page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0858912/
She is married to actor Stephen McGann.
Internet Movie Database page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0858912/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
January 4, 2022
Along with many others, one of my favorite shows on television is Call the Midwife. It has everything I love in storytelling: rich, memorable characters; an exquisitely realized setting; unsentimental religion; and meaningful plot arcs. Learning how Heidi Thomas and her team created the first two seasons of Call the Midwife, based on Jennifer Worth’s memoirs, was pure joy. The Life and Times of Call the Midwife spares no delightful detail about the creation and production of the show.
All the fun facts one expects to find in a book like this are here in spades. The incomparable casting of Miranda Hart was my favorite. The real Jennifer Worth saw Hart fall over on her sitcom Miranda and knew she would be perfect for Chummy. Hart loved the script and was eager to ply her trade in drama despite being known for comedy. The chapter “Homes” covers production design of the sets, ephemera, and the general stuff of on-screen lives, and was very informative to read, like the following chapter “Food.” I’m now wondering if the reputed blandness of English cuisine comes from the deprivation of the wars and the Depression, when various spices and foods were unavailable for normal consumption. When your grandparents had no access to a type of food, your parents didn’t grow up with it either, and would not know how to use it themselves. The USA had a very different, and much laxer, experience with war rationing. While England still produces much of its own food, the wars cut off their access to foodstuffs from Africa and other warmer climates, while the USA has such climates within its borders. The USA’s approach to rationing was more often “less” rather than “none at all.”
One of my dreams is to see a prequel series to Call the Midwife, perhaps based on the earlier life of Sister Monica Joan, that covers Poplar in the 1910s-1940s. It would likely be much grittier and more depressing than the early seasons of Call the Midwife, because there’s no NHS to provide assistance to the poorest of the poor, but the Order of St John the Divine (the real-life Order of St Raymond Nonnatus) still worked in Poplar at that time. Two world wars and the Great Depression are sadder time periods for England than the gradual economic uplift of the 1950s and 1960s. Yet, viewers (like us) can dream, thank you.
I highly recommend The Life and Times of Call the Midwife to anyone who wants a bridge between Worth’s excellent, though often grueling, memoirs and the show itself. Worth lightly fictionalized parts of her memoirs (such as describing a birth as if she was there, when it was really her coworker’s story), and Thomas shares about her relationship with Worth and the showrunning decisions they made together in the “Diaries” portions. A follow-up volume, Call the Midwife: A Labour of Love, will be published in February to commemorate the show’s 10-year run--and counting, as new installments will grace US screens in March, and the show’s future is secure for two more series after this. A Labour of Love is written by Stephen McGann, who portrays Dr. Turner, and is in real life the husband of Heidi Thomas, the showrunner. I look forward to learning about the decisions the team made in portraying the changing world of Poplar in the 1960s.
All the fun facts one expects to find in a book like this are here in spades. The incomparable casting of Miranda Hart was my favorite. The real Jennifer Worth saw Hart fall over on her sitcom Miranda and knew she would be perfect for Chummy. Hart loved the script and was eager to ply her trade in drama despite being known for comedy. The chapter “Homes” covers production design of the sets, ephemera, and the general stuff of on-screen lives, and was very informative to read, like the following chapter “Food.” I’m now wondering if the reputed blandness of English cuisine comes from the deprivation of the wars and the Depression, when various spices and foods were unavailable for normal consumption. When your grandparents had no access to a type of food, your parents didn’t grow up with it either, and would not know how to use it themselves. The USA had a very different, and much laxer, experience with war rationing. While England still produces much of its own food, the wars cut off their access to foodstuffs from Africa and other warmer climates, while the USA has such climates within its borders. The USA’s approach to rationing was more often “less” rather than “none at all.”
One of my dreams is to see a prequel series to Call the Midwife, perhaps based on the earlier life of Sister Monica Joan, that covers Poplar in the 1910s-1940s. It would likely be much grittier and more depressing than the early seasons of Call the Midwife, because there’s no NHS to provide assistance to the poorest of the poor, but the Order of St John the Divine (the real-life Order of St Raymond Nonnatus) still worked in Poplar at that time. Two world wars and the Great Depression are sadder time periods for England than the gradual economic uplift of the 1950s and 1960s. Yet, viewers (like us) can dream, thank you.
I highly recommend The Life and Times of Call the Midwife to anyone who wants a bridge between Worth’s excellent, though often grueling, memoirs and the show itself. Worth lightly fictionalized parts of her memoirs (such as describing a birth as if she was there, when it was really her coworker’s story), and Thomas shares about her relationship with Worth and the showrunning decisions they made together in the “Diaries” portions. A follow-up volume, Call the Midwife: A Labour of Love, will be published in February to commemorate the show’s 10-year run--and counting, as new installments will grace US screens in March, and the show’s future is secure for two more series after this. A Labour of Love is written by Stephen McGann, who portrays Dr. Turner, and is in real life the husband of Heidi Thomas, the showrunner. I look forward to learning about the decisions the team made in portraying the changing world of Poplar in the 1960s.
March 1, 2017
Amazing book that made me feel like I went back in time while reading it. Amazing to see how the tv show came together and about how peoples lives were back in the 50s. The NHS really was a life saver to millions and the nuns and midwives did such amazing things for their communitys! I love the show and I love the book!
January 16, 2013
I was initially wary of this book, but within a couple of pages it had me spell bound.
You need to watch the series of Call the Midwife first (and possibly read the books on the series ) to appreciate what this book entails .
It is a wonderful book well written,full of facts and history which so many of us can remember.
The book details everything from the sets, characters make up and consultations with the late Jennifer, and also a meeting with the lady whom Trixie is based on.
I do think the late Jennifer Worth would have liked it as it was such an insight linking herself and her books with the making of an authentic drama.
It is a hard back cover and whilst mine was half price I would gladly have paid the full price for it .
If you enjoyed the books and the series then this is a must.
It is now a treasured book along with my copies of the 3 books in the series and my christmas present of a dvd set of the series.
I and other family members will go over the book again and again, not a book to sit in the book case but one to be enjoyed and shared.
You need to watch the series of Call the Midwife first (and possibly read the books on the series ) to appreciate what this book entails .
It is a wonderful book well written,full of facts and history which so many of us can remember.
The book details everything from the sets, characters make up and consultations with the late Jennifer, and also a meeting with the lady whom Trixie is based on.
I do think the late Jennifer Worth would have liked it as it was such an insight linking herself and her books with the making of an authentic drama.
It is a hard back cover and whilst mine was half price I would gladly have paid the full price for it .
If you enjoyed the books and the series then this is a must.
It is now a treasured book along with my copies of the 3 books in the series and my christmas present of a dvd set of the series.
I and other family members will go over the book again and again, not a book to sit in the book case but one to be enjoyed and shared.
January 25, 2020
I just got into this series and am really enjoying it. It's a surprise though- I don't have kids and have never wanted them and this is a series about midwives. However, it's about so much more! I did a search because I think I want to read the Memoirs the series is based on and found this at my library. (I just finished season 2).
What I liked about this book with the backgrounds on the characters- some of the characters are based on real people and others a mix of totally made up vs a composite of a person. It was refreshing to see a group of people who really care about what they are doing. I thought they made things as historically accurate as possible. I liked the background of the NHS (National Health Service). Overall, recommended for fans of the show.
What I liked about this book with the backgrounds on the characters- some of the characters are based on real people and others a mix of totally made up vs a composite of a person. It was refreshing to see a group of people who really care about what they are doing. I thought they made things as historically accurate as possible. I liked the background of the NHS (National Health Service). Overall, recommended for fans of the show.
April 30, 2021
I'm very late to the party, but I am currently watching my way through this great TV series, having never seen it before! This is a lovely companion book to the show.
March 22, 2014
Fun look at the behind the scenes and making of the series. I liked finding out the real order (St John of the Divine) and people (Sister Julienne = Jocelyn, Trixie = Antonia, Cynthia Miller = Cynthia Miller), but I'm a little sad Chummy either didn't really exist or existed at some other job. I've also heard Sr Monica Joan may not have really existed, either. I liked the look at hair and makeup and casting, plus getting a little more info on the characters, too, though I'm not sure how fandom jumped from Dr. Turner keeping a scarf his wife gave him weeks before she died to he was wearing it in the last scene of season 3!
August 30, 2016
Really interesting companion to season 1 of the series. Lots of intriguing tidbits like the fact that the producer and writer, Heidi Thomas, is married to Stephen McGann, who plays Dr. Turner in the series.
July 8, 2019
A lovely addition to the series, which I also loved. If you liked the tv series I can guarantee you'll like this too. Lots of interesting facts, and lots of great pictures.
May 26, 2017
I'd love for an updated companion to include the subsequent seasons and new characters like Phyllis, Patsy and Barbara!
April 5, 2014
Fascinating story. I loved the mix of history mixed with the story.
August 29, 2023
Written by the series showrunner (and, I learned, wife to Stephen McGann, who plays Dr. Turner so amazingly), this is more than just a rundown of the episodes, some glossy pics and some character bios. Ms. Thomas described the long and grinding process of getting the show off the ground, her meetings with Jennifer Worth, and details like recreating 1950s London streets, the costuming, and all the background bits and pieces that are necessary to fully immerse the viewers in this world. She also tracked down the convent and nuns that Jennifer worked with and who inspired the stories. It was interesting to learn that one of the stories that Jennifer featured in her first memoir actually happened to another nurse! Lots of fascinating detail about the period and about recreating it on screen. There’s even some recipes. I found this great fun.
July 13, 2018
100% recommend this if you are a Call the Midwife viewer and are interested int he historical aspects of the show! Although this only covers seasons 1 and 2 (hoping there are more coming out), it's still a fascinating look behind the scenes. This book is filled with information about why the show's creators made the choices they did and how it all came together in the end. I also liked their highlighting each character and explaining bits of their personalities. Personally, I would have loved to see the characters highlighted a bit more and seen more comprehensive interviews with the characters playing the characters. I honestly think that'd be a bit more interesting to read about than set design. I also would have loved to see more pictures, because they ones they did provide were so fun!
February 4, 2020
This book is beautifully illustrated and all but to be honest , you’re better off watching the show instead. This book just recaps what we’ve already seen on the show. It might be worth reading if you’ve just started the series but if you have been watching the show for 9 seasons now, reading this in season 9 is kind of pointless. It would be better if there was a similar book for the later seasons. However, this was written in 2013 and at the time no one was expecting CTM to last until 2022. The only young midwife who is still on the show from season 1 until now is Trixie. All the other young midwives left. Also, the fashion section is now out of date since we are now in 1965 and season 1-2 was in 1957-1958.
May 22, 2018
I loved getting to know more about the behind the scenes stuff that went into making Call the Midwife a great series! I loved finding out that Jennifer (the author of the books/memoirs) wanted to give the roles to up and coming actors, to give them an opportunity that they might not other wise have. I love all the little details that go into making things authentically 50's East End London. This was a great read with all the fun of illustrations and photos! I also liked having Heidi's notes on the process of accepting the challenge, meeting Jennifer, finding a way to make the Jenny of the book come to life on the screen, and the waiting and wondering.
August 11, 2020
A great companion to seasons 1 and 2 of the tv series. It is filled with great additional information of life during the time as well as lovely diary entries chronicalling the timeline of call the midwife from concept through to airing of the very first episode.
I do wish they had continued with this for later seasons - of which there have been 9 so far as well as many additional midwives and nuns.
I do wish they had continued with this for later seasons - of which there have been 9 so far as well as many additional midwives and nuns.
July 26, 2017
I liked catching up on all the background details of my favorite show. Just enough about each person and the history behind the story line and the making of the series. Lots of great pictures to make it fun.
January 14, 2024
Phenomenal job!
Blown away with what Heidi Thomas has done with Call the Midwife! Phenomenal story and book. Thank you everyone from Call the Midwife and all those Midwives and nurses thank you! Read this book!
Blown away with what Heidi Thomas has done with Call the Midwife! Phenomenal story and book. Thank you everyone from Call the Midwife and all those Midwives and nurses thank you! Read this book!
October 24, 2024
Very interesting to read Heidi's ideas and view on, the books written by Jennifer worth and the talks they had with each other to do with the series, we have all come to love this books talks about seasons 1 and 2. Lovely read.
January 24, 2025
I am soooooo late to this wonderful show. I am currently on Season 12 or as the Brits would say Series 12, and I am missing the ladies from season 1 and 2. I wish this book went even more in-depth about the historical context of the show. I have to read Jennifer’s memoirs now.
August 29, 2017
love, love loved this book!
December 11, 2017
I so enjoyed reading how the television series came to life from Jennifer Worth's memoirs. It was a very fun read and the pictures are beautiful.
March 8, 2018
A must read for fans of the TV series.
May 18, 2018
a lovely book about a brilliant and touching series. i highly recommend this to fans of the show.
October 30, 2018
This is my favorite show and the book is equally as good. This subject matter is not for everyone, but I loved all her true stories.
November 3, 2018
Enjoyed hearing more about the making of this program.
April 4, 2019
Great background on the series and the content on which it is based. Well-written. Jennifer Worth would be proud.
October 28, 2019
Great book!
December 8, 2019
I’M A CALL THE MIDWIFE STAN AND I LOVED THIS!! When I spied this in a library I lost my shit 😍
December 13, 2019
love the call the midwife books and tv show … amazing to learn about what 50s health care was like progress that's been made and how it came together on screen.
January 6, 2020
Would you believe the show is BETTER than the book? I think so.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews