The Best Books, Movies, Video Games, and Podcasts to Check Out After Watching ‘Call the Midwife’[html]
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Call the Midwife has been around for a long time—perhaps longer than you think. It began in the form of Jennifer Worth’s memoirs, first published in 2002, and later as the beloved TV series produced by the BBC.
Now in its 15th season, the show has been going strong for well over a decade, and while a new season and a prequel movie are in the works, there’s going to be a bit of a wait, as the creators are taking a bit of a breather. If you're looking for something to fill the gap, we’ve already suggested some TV shows you should stream, but if you want to range a little wider, there are also lots of books, movies, video games, and even podcasts that bring the same charm, warmth, and willingness to tackle real issues.
The best books like Call the Midwife
If you’ve got a hole in your reading list, books can offer a more intimate experience that mimics the feel and atmosphere of Call the Midwife.
The Midwife, by Jennifer Worth
Worth’s memoir about her time as a nurse and midwife in London’s East End in the 1950s is the source material for the show, and an absolute must-read if you’re a fan. Unsurprisingly, it’s exactly like the show: Worth recounts specific—often difficult or tragic—birth stories from her work as a midwife, but balances the trauma with fondly told stories of local gossip and shenanigans. She paints a rich portrait of a strong, resilient community that fans of the show will instantly recognize—and savor.
Women’s Hotel, by Daniel M. Lavery
If you’re looking for a woman-focused story about the power of community in rapidly changing times, check out Lavery’s first novel. In 1960s New York, the Biedermeier is a woman’s hotel where single, working ladies can safely rest their heads. When money troubles threaten to close it down, a cloud of doubt hovers over the residents—but that doesn’t reduce the charm and pleasure of reading about these sharply observed characters. The ways their lives weave together to make the Biedermeier the sort of place you wish you could actually visit.
The Midwife’s Sister, by Christine Lee
Jennifer Worth's memoirs don’t offer much detail on her own life outside of her experience as a nurse and midwife in 1950s London. Her sister fills in those blanks with her own memoir of the period. Lee recounts a childhood that was happy, safe, and spent with her beloved sister—until their parents separated, and the girls were sent off to a horrific boarding school where they were mistreated and miserable. The book offers invaluable insight into the world the show depicts, including some of the darker aspects.
Yes Sister, No Sister, by Jenifer Craig
If you’re looking for a readalike book that brings you more 1950s nursing vibes, pick up Yes Sister, No Sister. Craig’s memoir tells the story of her experience training as a nurse in Yorkshire in the 1950s. The discipline harsh, and the work is exhausting and gross—many girls dropped out of the program, but Craig was determined to be a success, and she found a warm and supportive family in her fellow trainees. As in Call the Midwife, the serious work of nursing as described here is leavened by hilarious stories and romantic entanglements that remind Craig that life is meant to be lived.
All Creatures Great and Small, by James Herriot
This classic memoir is about the experiences of a veterinary surgeon working in the Yorkshire Dales in the 1930s and 1940s, and it offers the same sense of small-scale grace and tragedy found in Call the Midwife. Herriot (a pen name for James Alfred Wight) travels around the area, treating animal patients and getting involved in the dramas and hijinks of his neighbors. There’s sadness, joy, and a sense of a community bound together so tightly it can survive almost anything, making this the perfect companion to the show.
The best movies like Call the Midwife
One of the best things about Call the Midwife is how deep it goes—fifteen seasons so far, with more to come. If you want to linger in a similar fictional universe for a while, one of these movies is just the ticket.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018)
If you love the sense of community and the way the residents of Poplar struggle through adversity in Call the Midwife, you’ll love The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. The story follows author Juliet Ashton (Lily James) in postwar Britain as she becomes involved with residents of the island of Guernsey, who formed the titular book club during the Nazi occupation of the island as both a cover for their resistance efforts and a way to comfort and support each other. It’s a warm celebration of how books and community can get you through anything. Stream The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society on Netflix.
Vera Drake (2004)
If you find the way Call the Midwife explores women’s health and social issues stirring, check out Vera Drake. It stars Imelda Staunton in the title role, a kindly wife and mother in London in 1950, beloved by her community for the support she offers to all who need it. She also secretly provides abortions to local women, doing the work for free, as she sees it as a kindness. When a procedure goes wrong and Vera is arrested, she’s abandoned by many she thought she could count on—but her community soon feels the loss of her presence. It’s a heartbreaking exploration of many themes found in Call the Midwife, anchored by a stellar cast. Rent Vera Drake on Prime Video.
Made in Dagenham (2010)
If you love the humor and sense of feminine solidarity found in Call the Midwife, you’ll love this rousing 2010 film. Based on a true story, it follows a group of women working as sewing machinists at a Ford automobile plant in Dagenham, London, in the late 1960s. Paid less than their male counterparts and enduring a sexist and unfair work environment, the women organize and go on strike, shocking their local community—and forcing real change in English society. Rent Made in Dagenham on Prime Video.
Philomena (2013)
Many of the most powerful stories told over the course of Call the Midwife’s run explore the way women and pregnancy were treated in the mid-20th century. Philomena tells the story of a woman who is sent to a convent in Ireland in 1951 when she becomes pregnant after a one-night stand. Forced to work in the convent’s laundry, she is devastated when her son is given up for adoption without her knowledge. Fifty years later, she hires a journalist to track down her lost child, exposing the horrifying way unwed mothers were treated and the traumatic impact it had on everyone involved. Rent Philomena on Prime Video.
