BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cushman, Karen. 1995. THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE. New York, NY: Harper Trophy. ISBN 9780064406307.
PLOT SUMMARY
This is a story of a homeless girl who has no family and no one to care for her. She does not know her age and has no name other than Brat. On a frosty evening, Brat found shelter and warmth in a farmer’s dung heap. Jane, an ill-tempered village midwife finds her and takes her as an apprentice. She called her Beetle and started teaching her some of the skills. Beetle was now forgetting her past. She tamed a cat and befriends a homeless village boy and helps a cow give birth twin calves. She also finds herself a real name- Alyce.
One day Jane leaves a woman in labor in Alice’s care to attend to a richer woman. She successfully delivered the baby and was paid for her services which made Jane angry. Alyce tried to work as a midwife on her own but was unsuccessful. Her failure discouraged her and she finds a job at the inn instead. She met a scholar at the inn and started to learning from him. She delivers a baby successfully at the inn for a guest and decides to go back to the village to pursue her career.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This is an interesting novel by Karen Cushman about a girl who is in search for a name and an identity for herself. The story is beautifully set in Medieval England and also describes the culture and fascinating details of. Medieval England.
The story portrays a nameless and homeless girl who with her hard work, courage and determination achieves a name and identity for herself. In the same way, the author has a message attached for the readers. The book encourages the readers to try hard and achieve what they want. The book also encourages the readers not to give up when they feel discouraged.
The readers will enjoy the journey of Brat from being a scared girl to Beetle where she learns and forgets her past to finally becoming Alyce who is confident and courageous. The story will be enjoyed by readers 12 and above. In my opinion, girls will enjoy reading it more than boys. Some content in the story is not appropriate for young readers.
AWARDS/ REVIEW EXCERPTS
ALA Notable Children's Books: 1996
Booklist Editors' Choice - Books for Youth - Older Readers Category: 1995
Newbery Medal
Parents' Choice Awards - Story Books: 1995
School Library Journal Best Books: 1995
YALSA 100 Best Books (1950-2000)
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults: 1996
Kirkus Reviews: “How Brat comes to terms with her failure and returns to Jane's home as a true apprentice is a gripping story about a time, place, and society that 20th-century readers can hardly fathom. Fortunately, Cushman does the fathoming for them, rendering in Brat a character as fully fleshed and real.... in language that is simple, poetic, and funny”.
Publishers Weekly: “The force of the ambience produces more than enough momentum to propel the reader from start to finish in a single happy sitting.”
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 literature.”
CONNECTIONS
* Discuss with readers how they handle failure.
* Discuss the message attached with the story.
* Have the readers paint a picture of the Medieval era as told in the story.
* Related books:
-Cushman, Karen. 1995. CATHERINE CALLED BIRDY. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780064405843.
-Avi. 2004. THE CRISPIN: CROSS OF LEAD. Hyperion Book CH. ISBN 9780786816583.
No comments:
Post a Comment