This story is heartbreaking, emotional and touching of how the lives of the camp internees lived and survived. In her Author’s Notes, Soraya says the the characters of Emilia, Aleksy and Lena will stay with her for a very long time. Anyone who reads this remarkable tale will also carry these characters with them as well because they do everything they can to bring hope to those who have all but lost it.

The Secret Midwife by The Secret Midwife, Katy Weitz

The Secret Midwife is a work of fiction, but inspired by many real-life accounts of the Polish resistance, the brave doctors, nurses and midwives imprisoned in the camps and those who fought to save as many lives as possible in Poland during World War II.But there is a problem; the system which is supposed to support the midwives and the women they care for is starting to crumble.

The Secret Midwife — Soraya M. Lane

Katy talks about her mental health and the stress of the job, which is incredibly brave and inspiring. Putting on some fresh clothes, I went downstairs, took the plastic box with my dirty clothes, pulled on elbow-length gloves and loaded the clothes into the washing machine before spraying the gloves with a bleach solution and sanitising my hands one last time. Short-staffed, over worked and underappreciated - these crippling conditions are taking their toll on the dedicated staff doing their utmost to uphold our National Health Service, and the consequences are very serious indeed. This is an emotional, heartbreaking read steeped in factual events. Despite being such a difficult subject matter, it truly honors the brave individuals who did the right thing despite the threat of harm, injury or even death. This is a must read!!!!!Midwife books used to be the big thing thanks to “call the midwife” and this one is similar to those other books shedding a light on the business of child birth. True to her character, Emilia is in the camp less than 24 hours when she takes a stand against the horrors. Her life is saved only because of the intervention of a compassionate doctor, whose own story of character is told too. Domāju, ka šis ir aktuāli ļoti daudzām nozarēm. Atmiņā atsauca stāstu par skudru, kura strādāja un pamazām tai apkārt tika audzēts administratīvais personāls, jo kādam taču jāuzrauga un jāskaita, kā skudra strādā, bet tad sāka aptrūkties naudas, jātaupa līdzekļi. Ko darīt? Eu, atlaidīsim skudru?! A roller coaster of emotions, it's very realistic & takes you through both the happy endings of giving birth but also the tragic, heart wrenching incidents that can't be helped. It gives an insight to the career itself, how short-staffed & underfunded the NHS are & just how unsupportive the management side can be as well for the midwives. There Emilia is put to work assisting mothers delivers babies. She meets Doctor Alesky who helps train Emilia to save woman and their babies.

The Secret Midwife : Lane, Soraya M., Knowelden, Elizabeth The Secret Midwife : Lane, Soraya M., Knowelden, Elizabeth

A stunningly written heartbreaking tale about the lives and experiences of characters who endured the horrors of Auschwitz.The second half is far more difficult to read. The intense pressure of working for a business rather than a service, increasing societal issues including litigation of medical professionals and the associated mental health issues related to these negative experiences are real and we should all ‘see life’ through their eyes. I liked the way that the story was told with the different times and views mixing. I loved the main characters got to have their own voice too. I can’t even imagine what they would have been going through, the pain, discomfort and starvation, beatings and loss of loved ones and of those around them. This is one of my favourite books of all time. I can't wait to re-read it, and I will be recommending this book to all of my friends, including to all of the lovely Goodreads users. On treating her first Covid-positive expectant mum in March 2020, she said: “As I dressed in my standard-issue PPE, I felt fearful.

The Secret Midwife - Kindle edition by Lane, Soraya M

The topic of Auschwitz deserves to be treated with the utmost sensitivity, and as an author it was a daunting prospect to write about it. When I first came up with the concept for this book, it was my editor Victoria who gave me the confidence to write it. The Secret Midwife: Life, Death and the Truth about Birth is a highly affecting account of one midwife's experiences in her field. Many of us would go on to a be employed in a job that pays the bill — Pippa isn't one of them. It's not even a job for her, it's a vocation, a mission, and I think that's admirable. I loved this honest review of being a midwife. The whole warts and all birds eye view from the coal face. I found the vivid descriptions of the various births/stitches/blood & meconium made me feel like I was in the room. Brilliant loved it The stories in this book ranged from the heart warming to the heart breaking. I had no idea of the variety in the women the midwifes help deliver their babies. A fan of Lane’s work, I knew I'd be in for a thought-provoking read based on heaps of research and laced with true accounts. Not only is this another 5-star read, but it is also sensitively written and balances hope with the horrors.

She believes chronic underfunding has led to constant staff shortages which leaves the midwives unsupported and overworked. Bad management practices have compounded the problem, making staff alienated and fearful. The hospital management told us we could rely on this equipment, but would this little mask protect me? Was I putting myself and my family at risk? Philippa’s book The Secret Midwife: Life, Death and the Truth about Birth was released just before the pandemic in 2020 – and has now been released with an extra chapter on the crisis. Great book, well written & good depiction of a day in the life of a midwife in the NHS & how insidious working in such an environment can be to ones health.