Friday, April 6, 2007

Review: A MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE, Genre 5, Historical Fiction & Biography

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cushman, Karen. 1995. THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN 0395692296

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This novel is the story of a hungry, homeless preteen girl in medieval England. In the beginning she has no past, no name, and no real purpose in life except the will to survive from day to day. As the story unfolds she gains a name, a purpose, and a life.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Setting
The setting for this historical fiction novel is in medieval England. The book describes the sounds and smells of the time. The story begins with a young girl sleeping in a dung heap. She was “burrowed deep into the warm, rotting muck, heedless of the smell.” Descriptions of the cottage, its daily care, and its belongings help to visualize the setting. “Each morning Beetle started the fire, blowing on the night’s embers to encourage them to light the new day’s scraps. She swept the cottage’s dirt floor, sprinkled it with water, and stamped it to keep it hard packed. She roasted the bacon and washed up the mugs and knives and sprinkled fleabane about to keep the fleas down. She dusted the shelves packed with jugs and flasks and leather bottles of dragon dung and mouse ears, frog liver and ashes of toad, snail jelly, borage leaves, nettle juice, and the powdered bark of the black alder tree.
Characters
The main character in this novel is a young girl who is aged 12 or 13. We are not sure. From the beginning we are taken with her intelligence, she uses the rotting dung heap to stay warm. She also has a great sense of survival; we are told that she has been on her own since she can remember. She does not have a name. Early in the story she is discovered by midwife who takes her in in exchange for labor. She is allowed to sleep on the floor and given onions and bread to eat. As the story continues she progresses from a child with no name, to a child named Beetle by the midwife, and finally to Alyce, a respectful name she chooses for herself. In the beginning she has no one. As the story unfolds she acquires friends, a cat and a boy. Both become indebted to her when she saves them both from drowning. She also acquires a family of sorts when she helps a homeless young boy to find work and a place to live. She learns and grows from her friends and the midwife. Her intelligence is also displayed when she cleverly tricks the villagers into believing there is a devil in their midst. She makes it appear to all that the devil is visiting individuals who have wronged her in the past. The villagers believe that since the devil is visiting these individuals there must be a need for them to be punished. In this way Alyce gets revenge from all who have mistreated her. The character of Alyce is very believable in this story. Things are not always perfect. When Alyce sets out to birth a baby on her own things do not work out. She is not successful and she runs away from her failure rather than learning from it. In the end she realizes that she must be persistent and work though her mistakes to find happiness.
Plot
The plot in this story follows the life of the girl for about one year. It this time she evolves from a no name child, to “Beetle” as she works with the midwife, to Alyce as she names herself. The story begins with the midwife discovering the girl in a dung heap and she calls her beetle. Beetle is allowed to stay with the midwife in exchange for labor. The midwife gives Beetle simple tasks but Beetle is smart and she pays close attention, “Beetle took to watching through the windows when the midwife was called. In that way she learned midwifery was as much about hard work and good sense and comfrey tonic as spells and magic.” She is smart, hardworking, and eventually persistent. In the end these qualities enable her to find success in life.
Theme
The theme in this novel is that through ingenuity and hard work you can make something of your self. In the story Alyce states that her wants are, “a full belly, a contented heart, and a place in this world.” This is what she achieves in the story. By the end she has a home, friends, and a purpose for her life. This theme is as relevant today as it was in medieval times. All children want to be fed, loved, and appreciated. These are basic needs for all people.
Style
This novel is written for children aged 12 or 13, which is the age of the main character in the story. The story is very interesting and fast paced. The story is set in medieval England. The characters are rough, which is reflected in the dialogue. When beetle saves a boy from drowning he states, “You didn’t run with the others…That were brave, Beetle.” “Aw, I be not brave,” she said, “I near pissed myself. I did it for else you’d have drowned and gone to Hell, a drunken loudmouth bully like you, and I would have helped send you there and I could not have that, now, could I?” In the story Alyce goes through situations which are extreme but teens today can still relate to. She is teased by boys, she is ostracized because she is different, and she has trouble finding a place for herself in society.

The book ends with an authors note. This section gives factual information on the history of midwifery. This section gives the reader background information on where the occupation began and how it is still practiced today.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS AND AWARDS

1996 John Newberry Award winner
Amazon.com - Cushman redeems her writing, as always, with historical accuracy, saucy dialogue, fast-paced action, and plucky, original characters that older readers will eagerly devour.
Publishers Weekly - In reviewing this 1996 Newbery winner, PW said that 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."
School Library Journal - Characters are sketched briefly but with telling, witty detail, and the very scents and sounds of the land and people's occupations fill each page as Alyce comes of age and heart. Earthy humor, the foibles of humans both high and low, and a fascinating mix of superstition and genuinely helpful herbal remedies attached to childbirth make this a truly delightful introduction to a world seldom seen in children's literatureBooklist - Kids will like this short, fast-paced narrative about a hero who discovers that she's not ugly or stupid or alone.
Midwest Book Review - This appeared some time ago but deserves ongoing mention as an excellent story for kids ages 12 and up.

5. CONNECTIONS

* This book can be used in a history class to illustrate life for women in mediaeval times.
* This book can be used to teach personal characters such as perseverance and courage.
* This novel can be used to model literary elements.
* This novel can be used to study character development.







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