S3 E5 The Fiorella Files- Weitz, Dostoevsky and Hewson

Notes & Links

The Secret Midwife by Katy Weitz

Strongest advocate, best friend, expert, cheerleader and chief photographer. Before, during and after labour the role of a midwife is second to none.

The Secret Midwife reveals the highs and lows on the frontline of the maternity unit, from the mother that tries to give herself a DIY caesarean to the baby born into witness protection, and from surprise infants that arrive down toilets to ones that turn up in the lift.

But there is a problem; the system which is supposed to support the midwives and the women they care for is starting to crumble. 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.

The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Gambler is the tale of a man named Alexei with a passion for — no, an addiction to — roulette. In Dostoevsky’s own words, “. . . all his vital sap, all his energies, his impetuosity and boldness will be absorbed by roulette. He is a gambler, but not just an ordinary gambler . . . My hero is, in his way, a poet, but he feels ashamed. . .and he feels its ugliness [the ugliness of his addiction] deeply.”

Garden of Angels by David Hewson

Written in a past meets present format, The Garden of Angels follows the lives of grandfather and grandson, Paolo and Nico Uccello. Nico has spent his entire life with his grandfather by his side and now, at the end of his beloved grandfather’s life, Nico finds Paolo may not be the man Nico has known and loved.

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Justin Redman

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