The Midwife's Apprentice

1. BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA
The Midwife's Apprentice

Written by Karen Cushman

Publisher: HarperTrophy

Publication Date: 1995

ISBN: 0-06-440630-X

2. PLOT SUMMARY
A young, homeless girl is taken in by the local midwife after being found asleep in a dung heap in the woman's barn. Named "Beetle" by the woman, the girl becomes an apprentice to her in exchange for food and a place to sleep. As the story develops, so does Beetle's belief in herself. She gives herself a name, Alyce, and works to develop the self confidence needed to one day become a midwife herself. Set in medieval England, this 1996 Newberry Award winner hooks the reader with the first page.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Although medieval European history has never been a strong interest of mine, I was captivated by this slim novel. Since I did not have a strong background in this particular area of history, I was dependent on the novel's strong description of the setting and time period. Cushman did not disappoint me, and even managed to teach me a thing or two about medieval England and the practices of midwives during this time. A vivid picture of the street market came to my mind as I read the chapter describing Alyce's trip to town. The essence of this time period came alive through Cushman's description of the scene..."She passed through the forest of bright booths with flags and pennants flying, offering for sale every manner of wonderous things--copper kettles, rubies and pearls, ivory tusks from mysterious animals, cinnamon and ginger from far away lands, tin from Cornwall, and bright green woollen cloth from Lincoln." I could picture the market and feel Alyce's excitement at being amongst the magnificent goods the merchants had to share. Cushman's descriptions are so vivid, that at times I felt as if I had been transported back in time and was actually there with Alyce as she walked the English countryside.

Alyce is a very strong character. As the story develops, Cushman allows the reader to witness Alyce's growth from an awkward, shy urchin to a young lady with a passion to learn and become a compassionate midwife. The dialect and customs of this time period are portrayed with accuracy, and it is evident that Cushman researched every aspect of medieval history to create such an outstanding portrayal of life during this time. Alyce is one of the strongest characters I have met in a novel, and she would be a great role model to other girls to show how far you can rise above a rough beginning when you have develop confidence and begin to believe in yourself.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS:
From BOOKLIST--"From the first page you're caught by the spirit of the homeless, nameless waif, somewhere around 12 years old, 'unwashed, unnourished, unloved, and unlovely,' trying to keep warm in a dung heap."

From 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."

5. CONNECTIONS:
*Make sure students understand the concept of an "apprentice," and why it would be important for a young girl such as Alyce with no education or family to become an apprentice and learn a trade.
*Research some of the beliefs and practices medieval midwives had/used. How are they different from some of the beliefs and practices of midwives today?
*Students could illustrate/make a model of the street market Alyce visited.