The Midwife's Apprentice

1.    BIBLIOGRAPHY:  Cushman, Karen. 1995. THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 006440630.

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Brat had no memory of her past, but kept moving by living off scraps. She was clever and slept in the dung pile to keep warm, which got her the nickname of Beetle. A midwife, Jane, took her in.  Although she had to work hard, Beetle appreciated having a roof over her head.  She rescues a cat that has been teased all its life. The cat then becomes her constant companion. Beetle watches the midwife through windows and tries to be her apprentice.   She gets the opportunity to birth a baby but gets too scared to deliver it.  She renames herself Alyce.  Alyce saves a young boy named Will after he falls into the water and nearly drowns, even though he had been teasing her.   Alyce then creates a hoof mark to guide the townspeople in a process to expose the secrets of all of the people who had been taunting her.  They were under the assumption that the Devil was in the city.  Will meets her again, and this time she helps him birth two cows in a compassionate way that Jane does not have.  Alyce is later left alone with a mother-to-be while a wealthier woman is giving birth at the same time with Jane’s assistance. She is instructed not to do anything since the baby will die.  However, she delivers the baby. The new mother has a sister who is also pregnant and needs a midwife.  However, Alyce fails to deliver this baby and the midwife is then called in to deliver it.  Alyce runs away doubting herself and her intelligence.  She finds work at an inn, and there she begins to learn to read a little. However, she ends up realizing that the midwife had valued her, except she wanted Alyce  to not give up so easily.  One night someone comes to the inn needing help delivering their baby and she successfully delivers a baby boy.  Alyce goes back to Jane and tells her of all that she has learned and asks if she can come back.  At first, she is refused, but after she remembers to add that she learned to never give up, she is invited back.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This book is an excellent historical fiction novel dealing with life in Medieval England.   Karen Cushman shows us researched historical details. The character of Alyce is one that you cannot help but root for.  She comes from nothing, not even remembering her own name, to finding her purpose in life and valuing herself.  She struggles with her own courage.  The theme of never giving up is a great message for students. The plot allows us to use imagery about how Alyce would behave in various situations.  The details in the book illustrate the medical procedures that were used to deliver a baby at that time.  We always have a clear understanding of Alyce’s setting. The places that she goes really determine and influence how she acts. She starts off in the dung pile and ends up groomed and manicured with a purpose to her life.   We ge a sense of the familiar with the descriptions of the medieval English countryside, such as when Alyce visits a small boy and his is playing in the chicken coop.   Cushman also has a very clear style. She uses a dialect that is extremely appropriate for Medieval England; however, it does not distract from the portrayal of Alyce.

 
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
John Newberry Medal

Starred review in 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.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*It is great to use in an author study.

Other books by Karen Cushman:

Cushman, Karen.  CATHERINE CALLED BIRDY.  ISBN 0064405842.

Cushman, Karen.  THE BALLAD OF LUCY WHIPPLE.  ISBN 0064406849.

Cushman, Karen.  RODZINA.  ISBN 0618133518.

Cushman, Karen.  MATILDA BONE.  ISBN 0395881560.

*It is great to do use in conjunction with research on the Middle Ages.

Other books about the Middle Ages:

White, T.H.  THE SWORD IN THE STONE.  ISBN 0399225021.

White, T.H.  THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING.  ISBN 03441003834.