Genre #5 Book Review #3 : Karen Cushman - THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE

1.Bibliography –

Cushman, K. (1995). THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN-10: 0-395-69229-6 / ISBN-13: 978-0395-69229-5

2. Plot Summary –

“In Medieval England, a nameless, homeless girl is taken in by a sharp-tempered midwife and, in spite of obstacles and hardship, eventually gains the three things she most wants: a full belly, a contented heart, and a place in this world” (Cushman, K., 1995).

“With simplicity, wit, and humor, Cushman presents another tale of medieval England. Here readers follow the satisfying, literal and figurative journey of a homeless, nameless child called Brat, who might be 12 or 13? No one really knows. She wandered about in her early years, seeking food and any kind of refuge and, like many outsiders, gained a certain kind of wisdom about people and their ways. Still, life held little purpose beyond survival?until she meets the sharp-nosed, irritable local midwife, which is where this story begins. Jane takes her in, re-names her Beetle, and thinks of her as free labor and no competition. Always practical but initially timid, the girl expands in courage and self-awareness, acquiring a cat as a companion, naming herself Alyce, and gaining experience in the ways of midwifery. From the breathless delight of helping a boy to deliver twin calves, to the despair of failure during a difficult birth, to the triumph of a successful delivery, Alyce struggles to understand how she can allow herself to fail and yet have the determination to reach for her own place in the world. Alyce wins. 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” (Miller, S., 1995).

“The Midwife's Apprentice is a deft historical novel of medieval England in which an impoverished girl hopelessly circumstanced becomes a worthy young adult learning the skills, craft, and lore of midwifery—for centuries a profession of critical importance for women about to give birth before medical doctors began to deliver babies. She achieves her position through courage, hard work, a feeling heart, and the ability to transform chance encounters into self-knowledge” (Bookrags, 2009).

3. Critical Analysis -

a. Characters –
The main characters in the story are: Our female protagonist Alyce (also known as Beetle, Brainless Brat, Dung Beetle, Clodpod, Good-for-Nothing, Idiot, Lackwit, Nitwit, Clodpole and Nincompoop), Jane Sharp (the stern Midwife), Edward (her sort-of-brother), Purr the Cat (Alyce’s companion), Magister Reese (the renowned scholar), Jennet (the innkeeper’s and John Dark’s wife), Will Russet (the red-haired boy she helps deliver calves with).

About our protagonist Alyce: “A girl of twelve or thirteen years begins The Midwife's Apprentice without mother, name, or home. She is a stranger to soft words who has known only curses, kicks, and blows. One would need to read widely to find a heroine on the verge of womanhood with a less promising future, yet by the end of the novel she has moved far beyond the desperate struggle just to survive and become a person who knows 'how to try and risk and fail and try again and not give up.’ She has put herself in position to learn everything about being a midwife— physical techniques, herbs, potions, superstitions, spells and charms— and, even more importantly, has unlocked her capacity for compassionate intelligence which will add the grace of tenderness to her future ministrations” (Bookrags, 2009).


Karen Cushman takes great strides in making her characters believable with their physical discriptions and personalities. She uses language appropriate to the times as well as the superstitions and activities that people would partake in back in Medieval times.

“The story takes place in medieval England. This time our protagonist is Alyce, who rises from the dung heap (literally) of homelessness and namelessness to find a station in life--apprentice to the crotchety, snaggletoothed midwife Jane Sharp. On Alyce's first solo outing as a midwife, she fails to deliver. Instead of facing her ignorance, Alyce chooses to run from failure--never a good choice” (Amazon, 2009).


b. Plot –
“Like Cushman's 1994 Newbery Honor Book, Catherine, Called Birdy, this novel is about a strong, young woman in medieval England who finds her own way home. Of course, it's a feminist story for the 1990s, but there's no anachronism. This is a world, like Chaucer's, that's neither sweet nor fair; it's rough, dangerous, primitive, and raucous. Cushman writes with a sharp simplicity and a pulsing beat. 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. She gets the village midwife, Jane Sharp, to take her in, befriends a cat, names herself Alyce, and learns something about delivering babies. When she fails, she runs away, but she picks herself up again and returns to work and independence. Only the episode about her caring for a homeless child seems contrived. The characters are drawn with zest and affection but no false reverence. The midwife is tough and greedy ("she did her job with energy and some skill, but without care, compassion, or joy"), her method somewhere between superstition, herbal lore, common sense, and bumbling; yet she's the one who finally helps Alyce to be brave. Kids will like this short, fast-paced narrative about a hero who discovers that she's not ugly or stupid or alone” (Rochman, H., 2009)

c. Setting –
The story takes place in Medieval England - in the village of the Midwife, in the dung heap, in the meadows, in the fields, on the bank near the river, the Manor where Edward stayed, and in the town where the inn known simply as John Dark’s place (which then became known as “The Cat and Cheese” Inn) was located.

“The Midwife's Apprentice takes place in the last years of the thirteenth or the first years of the fourteenth century.

This is not stated explicitly but is easily established by internal evidence.

References are made to ‘Summer Is Acoming In,’ a Middle English lyric written down in manuscript after 1240 and before 1310, and Edward Longshanks, the first of eight English Kings to bear that name, who reigned from 1272 to 1307” (Bookrags, 2009).

“From the first sentences the world of medieval England bursts to life not just as a physical landscape against which people struggle to survive but almost as a character in its own right: ‘When animal droppings and garbage and spoiled straw are piled up in a great heap, the rotting and moiling give forth heat. Usually no one gets close enough to notice because of the stench. But the girl noticed and, on that frosty night, burrowed deep into the warm, rotting muck, heedless of the smell….’.” (Bookrags, 2009).


d. Theme –
The human themes of self-respect, self-reflection and growth, as well as self-worth are all part of this story’s theme. Other themes that are apparent in this book are superstitions and consequences for breaking God’s rules (even if the Devil made you do it). These are all relevant themes today – however, they were brought about in this story to reflect the morals of the times and how the consequences were dealt with back then.

“THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE tells of a dirty, homeless girl in Medieval England who learns self-respect as well as midwifery in this short, excellent read aloud” (Vardell, S., p.180, 2008)

“Cushman treats an often perilous and brutal historical period with delicacy, touching on enough of the harshness of the age to bring it to vivid life but muting its cruelest aspects. It is always painful to contemplate filth, poverty, desperate lives of grinding labor, and the truly helpless—orphans, the homeless, and animals—but Cushman presents only what must be shown to be realistic, with all the rendered details put into the service of a moral story. This tale is also presented with adroit finesse. Thus the Midwife's Apprentice has very few social sensitivities that might cause offense; it could be produced as G rated movie without alteration. The few themes or situations that might be potentially objectionable are handled with calming discretion such as the illicit romance between the midwife and the married baker” (Bookrags, 2009).

e. Style –
The style of this book reflects the author’s voice and manner and captures the flavour of the times. Cushman captures the speech patterns of the era and creates a “human” story that just happens to be set in a previous historical time but whose message of self-growth, reflection and self-worth transcends time!

“The novel vividly depicts its historical period while engaging readers with a heartfelt story, one which should movingly appeal to a wide range of sensitive young adults. This emotional engagement is deeper than just the response to a colorful tale well-told; it is enriched because the novel illuminates universal truths of a kind young readers yearn to embrace” (Bookrags, 2009).

“Karen Cushman likes to write with her tongue firmly planted in her cheek, and her feisty female characters firmly planted in history. In The Midwife's Apprentice, which earned the 1996 Newbery Medal, this makes a winning combination for children and adult readers alike” (Amazon, 2009).

“Disappointingly, Cushman does not offer any hardships or internal wrestling to warrant Alyce's final epiphanies, and one of the book's climactic insights is when Alyce discovers that lo and behold she is actually pretty! Still, Cushman redeems her writing, as always, with historical accuracy, saucy dialogue, fast-paced action, and plucky, original characters that older readers will eagerly devour” (Amazon, 2009).

“In reviewing this 1996 Newbery winner, Publisher’s Weekly 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’.(Reed Business Information, Inc., 1996)” (Amazon, 2009).

“The Midwife's Apprentice is a fine book for young adults produced by many small artful strokes. There are no flourished displays of literary devices and techniques here, only the traditional storyteller's voice wellmodulated and perfectly pitched for its intended audience. Cushman's supple prose is excellent for brief descriptions of states of mind, individual people, and the natural world. An example of each will illustrate her descriptive dexterity. On Brat's pitiful longings when she is a homeless wretch at the beginning of the book: ‘.. . but dearly would she have loved to eat a turnip without the mud of the field still on it or sleep in a barn fragrant with new hay and not the rank smell of pigs who fart when they eat too much.’ On Magister Reese: ‘He was long and skinny as a heron, with black eyes in a face that looked sad, kindly, hungry, and cold’.” (Bookrags, 2009).

f. Additional criteria –
“Karen Cushman has a long-standing interest in history. She says, "I grew tired of hearing about kings, princes, generals and presidents. I wanted to know what life was like for ordinary young people in other times." Research into medieval English history and culture led to the writing of Catherine Called Birdy,winner of the 1995 Newbery Honor Award, and The Midwife's Apprentice, winner of the 1996 Newbery Medal. Her research moved in a new direction as she learned about nineteenth century women and children for The Ballad of Lucy Whipple”. (Amazon, 2009).

In the back of her book, Cushman writes her “Author’s Note” section where she discusses midwives as well as midwifery. “Medieval midwifery which was less than an honorable profession, mostly because it was practiced by and on women; was a combination of common sense, herbal knowledge, and superstition, passed from woman to woman through oral tradition and apprenticeship. Things were done the way they had long been done, with little innovation or progress, however this ‘women’s knowledge’ was considered reliable and valuable” (Cushman, p.119, 1995). With all of the details that Cushman adds to her story; one feels that it is a true depiction and accurate account of the medieval times.


g. Awards & recognitions –

• Winner, 1996 Newbery Medal
• New York Public Library 1995 List of Recommended Books
• Booklist for Youth Editor’s Choice 1995
• School Library Journal Best Books of the Year, 1995
• An American Bookseller Association Pick of the Lists, 1995
• A 1996 Notable Children’s Book (ALA)
• A 1996 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA)


4. Review Excerpts –

"This novel is about a strong, young woman in medieval England who finds her own way home. . . . Kids will be caught up in this short, fast-paced narrative about a hero who discovers that she’s not ugly or stupid or alone." -- School Library Journal, Starred

"A fascinating view of a far distant time." -- The Horn Book (starred review)

“This appeared some time ago but deserves ongoing mention as an excellent story for kids ages 12 and up. An abandoned young girl barely surviving in 14th century England finds a new home with a midwife and studies to be an apprentice - but lack of confidence one day causes her to flee her newfound home and ambitions. Her struggle to return to a meaningful life and world makes for a realistic, absorbing story.” -- Midwest Book Review


5. Connections –

Other books available by Karen Cushman are:

** CATHERINE, CALLED BIRDY
** THE BALLAD OF LUCY WHIPPLE
** MATILDA BONE
** RODZINA


“Related Titles:

Catherine, Called Birdy shares a host of attributes with The Midwife's Apprentice, so many that the second novel stands almost in the same relation to the first as do the two halves of a diptych: together they make up an entire world. Catherine, Called Birdy is the first-person diary account of a highborn thirteen-year-old girl of diminished means struggling to impose her will on the world around her of England in 1290-1291. The Midwife's Apprentice is the third-person story of a lowborn and impoverished thirteenyear-old girl who is trying to survive in the England of about 1300. The two novels touch on the high, the low, and almost all that lies between in this portion of the Middle Ages” (Bookrags, 2009).


“Ideas for Reports and Papers:

1. Research herbal medicines used in the Middle Ages and then write a study of which ones are still in use and for what purposes. Are some still used but for different illnesses? How accurate were medieval herbalists in the efficacy of their preparations?

2. Research animal husbandry in rural life. Pick several cultures in different time periods and compare their respective animal husbandry practices.

3. Rebecs, gitterns, and sackbuts are mentioned in the story. Research these and other medieval musical instruments. How were they built? Out of what materials? Which ones have modern descendants? Which ones have disappeared? Describe how a group of medieval instruments might have sounded and the effects this sound might have had on audiences.

4. Research medieval Saint's Days. Which ones were the most important and why?” (Bookrags, 2009).


“Topics for Discussion:

1. Does Alyce have a moral right to take revenge on those who have humiliated her? If so, to what degree? Is it ever right to take personal vengeance in the modern world? If so, in what circumstances and under what conditions?

2. Should Alyce protest the sharp practices, if not outright cheating, of the innkeeper's wife? Should Alyce try to deal honestly with the customers despite the example set by Jennet? Is Jennet's justification of her adulterated trade a good one? Would we today accept this explanation for goods or services purchased that was intentionally shorted by the seller?” (Bookrags, 2009).


Audio Book on CD:

I also listened to this book in audio format and found this review of it:
“From the first sentence, strains of music and the British accent of actress Charlotte Coleman transport the listener to the medieval world of Beetle, the midwife's newly adopted apprentice. Coleman's slightly nasal voice has an air of immaturity, which emphasizes the child's point of view in the third-person narration of this Newbery winner. The text is read at a lively pace with careful attention to the disdainful attitude of Jane Sharp, the midwife, and the innocent wonder of Beetle. Listeners will acquire knowledge about medieval life, birthing practices and herbs, both from the story and from the author interview, which is conducted by a young reader at the end” (Amazon, 2009).





References

Vardell, Sylvia. (2008). Children's literature in action: A librarian's guide. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

Amazon, (1996 – 2009). The midwife’s apprentice, retrieved on November 9, 2009, from http://www.amazon.com/Midwifes-Apprentice-Newbery-Medal-Book/dp/0395692296/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0

Miller, S., (1995). School library journal: The midwife’s apprentice, retrieved on November 9, 2009, from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/006440630X/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Rochman, H., (2009). Booklist: The midwife’s apprentice, retrieved on November 9, 2009, from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/006440630X/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Bookrags, (1999-2009). The midwife’s apprentice - overview, retrieved November 9, 2009, from http://www.bookrags.com/shortguide-midwifes-apprentice/

Cushman, K. (1995). THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN: 0-395-69229-6 / ISBN-13: 978-0395-69229-5