Book Title: The Midwife's Apprentice
Author: Karen Cushman
Publisher: Clarion Books
Copyright Date: 1995
Selection Choice: Galda list of historical fiction novels
Brief Annotation: Brat, a girl of around 12 years old, is an orphan who is discovered living in a dung heap by a midwife named Jane Sharp. She is a skilled and in demand midwife, and takes Brat on as her apprentice. Over some time, Brat begins to develop into a stronger girl. She renames herself Alyce, makes friends with the villagers, and begins to hone the craft of midwifery. But when Jane Sharp abandons a woman in labor in favor of a rich woman, Alyce is left to deliver the first woman's child. After she successfully does so, the woman pays Alyce instead of Jane, and the two women begin a feud. Alyce begins working as a midwife without Jane's help. Will Alyce successfully prove herself? Or does she need to check her pride and work harder to become the woman she will be?
Your Rating: 5/5 stars. Cushman is one of my favorite authors; I must have read Catherine, Called Birdy twenty times when I was younger. She writes fantastic female characters who are spirited but believable for the time period they are set in. The amount of information about the time period you can get just by reading her book is astounding.
Readers who will like this book: Readers interested in medievil times. Readers who like strong yet flawed characters.
Question to ask about this book before reading: What is an apprentice?
Question to ask about this book during reading: What good and bad qualities does Brat, or Alyce, show?
Question to ask about this book after reading: Have you ever deferred help even when you needed it out of pride? What was the result?
Interest Level (age): 11-13 years old
Grade Equivalent: 5-7
Awards: Newbery Award 1996
I'm glad to know you're a fan of Karen Cushman's. She's a terrific writer, evidence of which is the fact that her books are still in wide circulation even though some are 15 years old.
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't looked already, there are lots of teaching guides available for use w/ Cushman's books--not that you need guidance because your questions show a keen sense of what will be interesting for kids to discuss--but there are some good ideas for integrating this book, in particular, with other content areas (like health!), that might be useful for you to add to your teaching toolbox.