Ginx's Baby: His Birth and Other Misfortunes
Edward Jenkins
Read by Lisa Reichert
In the second half of the 19th century, London was becoming a wealthy, industrialized city. It attracted many working class people from nearby towns and rural areas, all hoping to improve their lives and the futures of their family. But this growing population led to stiff competition for jobs, and the wealthy business owners didn't need to offer fair wages to get or keep workers, resulting in rampant poverty, overcrowding, and unsanitary slums. Many emigrated from Britian during this time, but for others things remained very desperate. This "light", satirical novel deals with what Ginx, one such poor man, did with the baby he could not afford to keep, and then what Charity and the Churches did with Ginx's Baby, what the Parish did with him, what the Clubs and Politicians did with him, and ultimately, what Ginx's Baby did with himself. - Summary by Lisa Reichert (3 hr 30 min)
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Reviews
What a lovely surprise!!!
coolsparks
I really liked this book! What a feisty surprise it kept becoming, as “Here”, I would realize that it was Queen Victoria being spoken of obliquely, and “There”, I recognized I was hearing about the Great Irish Potato Famine and the resulting waves of emigrants fleeing as the consequences of bad governing accumulated. (the “Yam” crop was devastated… !Again, what a lovely surprise! ) About the Narrator: delivered the text with skill. Was effective in the way one can only be when working to be as invisible as water, thereby allowing the fullest measure of one’s attention to be available.