The Midwife’s Apprentice: Book Review
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cushman, Karen. The
Midwife’s Apprentice. New York: Clarion Books, 1995. ISBN 0395692296
PLOT SUMMARY
Set in Medieval England in the Middle Ages, Karen Cushman’s
The Midwife’s Apprentice is a coming of age tale about a young teen named
Alyce. Beginning her life known only as “Brat”, with no home, family,
foreseeable future, or even a real name, Brat meets Jane. Jane, a midwife, takes
her in as her apprentice, and Brat becomes “Beetle” and then finally “Alyce”,
working up to a real future and making something of her life. Will Jane learn
to treat Alyce better in time? Will Alyce leave her awful past behind for
something better? Read and follow Alyce on her incredible journey!
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Karen Cushman creates a captivating tale of a young girl
struggling to survive back in the times of Medieval England (fourteenth
century). She provides a strong female protagonist, relatable themes, and a believable
and a realistic historical setting. Staying authentic and true to the
historical setting, Cushman ensures that characters possess the necessary
historical dress, speech (saying such expressions as “corpus bones” and “chickadee”),
the illiteracy of many individuals within the story, facts about the midwives
of the period, as well as the mention of time-appropriate holidays and events
(such as “Lady Day”). This serves to transport the reader into the world of
fourteenth century England and all that takes place within this enthralling
tale.
Cushman imagined and created characters that are reflective
of their period. As a believable and likeable character, young Alyce goes
through periods of insecurity and self-doubt, similar to adolescents today. In
the beginning of this book, the audience is introduced to an impoverished,
starving girl known simply as “Brat”. When her path crosses the midwife Jane,
an “important looking woman”, Brat quickly tells the woman that she is “stronger
and smarter than [she] seems”, and is taken in as the midwife’s apprentice, now
going by the name Jane has given her, “Beetle”. Jane is not the nicest
guardian-like figure, being “generous only with the work she gave Beetle and
stingy with rewards”. Though harsh, this is believable for someone who has
taken on beggar as their apprentice and is using them to their advantage. This
serves to strengthen Beetle and teach her to rely on herself and her own hard work
as the story progresses. Eventually, the girl renames herself “Alyce” because
the name sounds “clean and friendly and smart”, reflective of the the qualities
she is starting to see within herself.
This story takes time over about a year or so, and the
readers see true growth and strength in Alyce as time goes on. She learns more
and more that she is no longer the “nitwit” she once was seen as when she was
Brat, but is now capable, intelligent, and a hard worker who can makes things
happen for herself in life. This is a wonderful book about perseverance,
confidence, achievement through work, and the discovery of self-worth, teaching
its readers that “there is hope and a chance for improvement if you can learn
to believe in yourself”. Though she may have come from humble beginnings, and
made a few mistakes along the way (including her failed attempt at assisting in
a delivery), she learns that she can improve upon her skills and learn from
such mistakes, eventually experiencing success and that “everyone is worth
something”.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
John Newberry Medal Winner
From Publishers Weekly: “Cushman has an almost unrivaled ability to build
atmosphere, and her evocation of a medieval village, if not scholarly in its
authenticity, is supremely colorful and pungent.”
From Kirkus Review: “Gripping story about a time, place, and society that
20th-century readers can hardly fathom. Fortunately, Cushman (Catherine, Called Birdy,
1994) does the fathoming for them, rendering in Brat a character as fully
fleshed and real as Katherine Paterson's best, in language that is simple,
poetic, and funny. From the rebirth in the dung heap to Brat's renaming herself
Alyce after a heady visit to a medieval fair, this is not for fans of
historical drama only. It's a rouser for all times.”
CONNECTIONS
Use to teach children about the value of hard work and how
they can strive to be whatever they would like to be in the future.
Use to supplement history lessons about Medieval England.
Read other books by Karen Cushman such as:
- · Alchemy and Meggy Swan. ISBN 0547231849
- · Catherine, Called Birdy. ISBN 0547722184
- · The Ballad of Lucy Whipple. ISBN 054772215X
Comments
Post a Comment