“People of the Abyss” by Jack London

 After binge watching every episode of “Call The Midwife” on Netflix, I remembered a book by Jack London that I read in high school. I feel a bit foolish taking so long to remember it, but I’m very glad I did. I found a copy in the public domain by going to Amazon and then searched the book by title + “free kindle.” 

For many people, just hearing the name Jack London invokes images of his two most well-known stories “Call of the Wild” and “White Fang.” The Cohen brothers did an excellent job capturing his short story, “Valley of Gold,” in the anthology film “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.” It’s too bad that works such as this one have fallen by the wayside.

Though the events of the Jack London’s experience take place 50 years before the TV show, it is been the most educational in getting the full context of what it was like to live in the East End of London. By the end of the seventh chapter, the author has found his way to Poplar, of all places!

It is not a difficult or complicated read and perhaps could be considered more like a longer essay; nevertheless, this book contributes not only to literature but also to provides unique cultural insight. And if you watch the TV show “Call The Midwife” then you might appreciate it more after reading this.