What do you think?
Rate this book
Campbell Road Saga #5
East End Angel
Two sisters living in London’s tough East End … will Jennifer and Kathy be tough enough to survive?
Katherine and Jennifer Finch are like chalk and Katherine is a midwife, dedicating her life to helping others – and Jennifer is a prostitute.
Leaving home age 15, Jennifer must learn to live on her wits in London’s notorious East End. Soon, however, she is battling drink and drugs, and is pregnant with a child. Her labour is nearly fatal, but her sister steps in to save the day.
Kathy continues to tend to the poor of the East End and help her sister – and she of all people knows that the society that Jennifer keeps is damaging her. Despite her best intentions, however, she begins to fall for an East End wide boy. She knows that he is no good, but her heart will not listen to her head – and what’s more, he has promised to change for her …
Katherine and Jennifer Finch are like chalk and Katherine is a midwife, dedicating her life to helping others – and Jennifer is a prostitute.
Leaving home age 15, Jennifer must learn to live on her wits in London’s notorious East End. Soon, however, she is battling drink and drugs, and is pregnant with a child. Her labour is nearly fatal, but her sister steps in to save the day.
Kathy continues to tend to the poor of the East End and help her sister – and she of all people knows that the society that Jennifer keeps is damaging her. Despite her best intentions, however, she begins to fall for an East End wide boy. She knows that he is no good, but her heart will not listen to her head – and what’s more, he has promised to change for her …
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 13, 2014
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 17, 2017
I absolutely loved this book, couldn't put it down, and I only wish there was more of it. All in all it is a very interesting book, that had a few hardships in it. But I would recommend that you read 'The Campbell Road girls' before reading this book because then you will get a better sense and understanding of the characters.
April 28, 2016
Followed on with this book after reading The Campbell Road Girls and I'm so glad I did. Some of the characters from that book carry on in this book having moved on to 1936. It tells of family friends and neighbours pulling together through the times. If you like sagas these books are definitely worth reading I enjoyed them.
September 8, 2014
This book reminds me of Call The Midwife except it focussed on the life of just one nurse in the East end of London and all the characters and rogues that you can normally see there. I would describe it as a narrative of East End life with all it's twists and turns.
November 2, 2016
This was a book that I really enjoyed reading , it is another book in the Cambell Road series which I am am reall enjoying to read at the moment. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction.
August 18, 2015
As a fan of Call the Midwife I wasn't disappointed. Quite similar if not a bit grittier. Would recommend if you like stories of the East end in the past.
July 20, 2014
I didn't really take to this book as almost all the characters are really unpleasant types. The setting is the East End and Islington in London during the 1930s.
The men regularly beat their wives, who put up with it and see other men, which infuriates the husbands further.
One main character is a decent sort, a nurse and midwife, but her sister has become a prostitute and shoplifter, addled by laudanum (opium) and drink.
Everywhere is filthy, people don't wash themselves or their clothes or linen, and the Blackshirts prove an excuse for bully boys to menace shopkeepers with demands for money. I am sure the historical details are well researched but I gave up halfway as I just was not enjoying any part of the read.
For a more readable version of the times try Down Stepney Way by Sally Worboyes and the similarly titled East End Angel by Carol Rivers about life on the Isle of Dogs during the war. Also various books by Harry Bowling set during these times.
The men regularly beat their wives, who put up with it and see other men, which infuriates the husbands further.
One main character is a decent sort, a nurse and midwife, but her sister has become a prostitute and shoplifter, addled by laudanum (opium) and drink.
Everywhere is filthy, people don't wash themselves or their clothes or linen, and the Blackshirts prove an excuse for bully boys to menace shopkeepers with demands for money. I am sure the historical details are well researched but I gave up halfway as I just was not enjoying any part of the read.
For a more readable version of the times try Down Stepney Way by Sally Worboyes and the similarly titled East End Angel by Carol Rivers about life on the Isle of Dogs during the war. Also various books by Harry Bowling set during these times.
March 27, 2016
fantastic story of kathy and her midwife tales in the slum areas loved it and with a good ending like all the authors books this was one of the best
August 3, 2016
Good story what I would call a little light reading, about London East-end between the wars
July 29, 2020
I believe this was the book I started with. I picked it up because of the picture on the front. I love Nursing WW1/WW2 FICTIONS
got this and then realised it was part of a series, so I got the rest of the books.
great writing by Kay. The books make the reader feel like they are living in the book as well. the story really draws you in from the start.
this is book number 5
read way before lockdown of 2020.
got this and then realised it was part of a series, so I got the rest of the books.
great writing by Kay. The books make the reader feel like they are living in the book as well. the story really draws you in from the start.
this is book number 5
read way before lockdown of 2020.
October 16, 2020
A brilliant ending to the Campbell Rd series, the main characters Kathy and her twin Jennifer have been in previous books but this centres on them. Brilliant, made me cry in parts. An excellent series set in one of the roughest streets in the East End.
July 9, 2020
Good story but not so happy with the swearing
February 22, 2021
What a great book to listen to! I love the East end narration and enjoyed the story. It gave quite the taste for what things would have been like back in those days! I'm glad Charlie met his maker!
April 30, 2017
Well written and good story flow, but alot of violence in this novel that's why I gave it 3 stars.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews