BIBLIOGRAPHY
Title: The Midwife's Apprentice
Author: Karen Cushman
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Date: March 27, 1995
July 30, 2019 (reprint edition)
ISBN: 978-1328631121 (2019 reprint edition)
PLOT SUMMARY
Cushman's novel is set in medieval England and tells a story about overcoming adversity, discovering self-identity, and gaining purpose. The story follows a nameless orphan girl, often called names like "Brat" and "Dung Beetle," who is told she is nothing and believes she is nothing. She gradually becomes a confident and intelligent midwife's apprentice with a name she chooses for herself - Alyce. The journey is difficult, and often heartbreaking, as Cushman is realistic about the treatment of orphan children, especially girls, in medieval times. Alyce finds strength through her friendship with a cat she rescues, and later names Purr, and gains confidence from those around her as she gradually shows that she has always been worthy of respect.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Readers will connect to Alyce's struggles because the themes of overcoming adversity and finding one's place in the world are universal across time. Although the story is set in medieval times, the tragic experience of being a homeless, an orphan, or both can still be relatable to some children. Even Alyce's experiences with boys tormenting her can be related to painful playground antics, as well as modern awareness regarding consent. Alyce's internal despair over her failures and disappointment is especially relatable regardless of the situation; it is a human experience that we have all felt.
The plot is not overwhelmed with details, but some are left to the imagination or what is available on the cover of the book, such as the clothing of the characters. This might make it difficult for children to imagine unless they see images beforehand. Details about the time and place are also vague. Even with the mention of London and York (Cushman, 2019, pp. 54), the lack of details makes it easy to imagine the story in any European country during medieval times.
What lacks in those details is compensated with attitudes and language that are realistic to the time. The language is a balance between readable and accurate to the time, so it seems close enough to give the impression of how people spoke during medieval times. For example, when Alyce rescues Purr, she says, "Cat, are you drownt? I'd open the sack and let you out, but I be sore afraid of the eel." (Cushman, 2019, pp. 8).
Cushman does not sugarcoat the attitudes of people during medieval times or their behavior and treatment to girls, especially orphans girls who were judged as unintelligent. Alyce is tormented by village boys who pinch and kick her and call her names. The midwife often slaps Alyce or throws things at her in anger. Alyce is not the only one who receives this treatment, as other women, often those who are in labor, are handled roughly by their husbands and the midwife.
Alyce's story is not stereotyped or sugarcoated, either. This is even mentioned in chapter seven: "If the world were sweet and fair, Alyce (she must be called Alyce now) and Will would become friends and the village applaud her for her bravery and the midwife be more generous with her cheese and onions. Since this is not so, and the world is just as it is and no more, nothing changed." (Cushman, 2019, pp. 40). Even though Alyce's ending is a happy one, it is still realistic to the time because she still had to struggle and fight for her place in the world.
Cushman's author's note includes more information about midwives, but, unfortunately, did not include citations for her resources or recommendations for further reading. There is a bibliography on her website of sources she refers to (Cushman, n.d., "My bookshelves"), but it is unclear if all of those sources were used for this specific book.
AWARDS
1996 John Newbery Medal
1996 ALSC Notable Children's Books list
REVIEW EXCERPTS
"Kids will like this short, fast-paced narrative about a hero who discovers that she's not ugly or stupid or alone." - Booklist, starred review
"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." - School Library Journal, starred review
"From the rebirth in the dung heap to Brat's renaming herself Alyce after a heady visit to a medieval fair, this is not for fans of historical drama only. It's a rouser for all times." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"A fascinating view of a far distant time." - The Horn Book, starred review
CONNECTIONS
Enrichment activities: A discussion guide is available from the author's website, which contains open-ended questions for children to answer about the themes of overcoming adversity and finding identity (Cushman, n.d., "A discussion guide"). Cushman's website also includes a list of books she used as reference material (Cushman, n.d., "My bookshelves"). The book Growing Up in Medieval London: The Experience of Childhood by Barbara A. Hanawalt may be the most useful book to use in an enrichment activity for children because it includes fictional but historically accurate composite profiles based on the experiences of real children in medieval times (Kirkus Reviews, 2010).
Related books:
Cushman, K. (2020). Rodzina (reprint edition). Clarion Books.
ISBN: 978-0358097518
Cushman, K. (2019). Catherine, Called Birdy (reprint edition). Clarion Books.
ISBN: 978-1328631114
Cushman, K. (2019). The Ballad of Lucy Whipple (reprint edition). Clarion Books.
ISBN: 978-1328631138
Cushman, K. (2014). Matilda Bone (reprint edition). Clarion Books.
ISBN: 978-0547722429
Cushman, K. (2014). Will Sparrow's Road (reprint edition). Clarion Books.
ISBN: 978-0544336322
Cushman, K. (2011). Alchemy and Meggy Swann (reprint edition). Clarion Books.
ISBN: 978-0547577128
REFERENCES
Cushman, K. (2019). The Midwife's Apprentice. Amistad.
Cushman, K. (n.d.). A discussion guide: The Midwife's Apprentice [PDF]. Karen Cushman. https://www.karencushman.com/books/bk_midwifes_apprentice.html
Cushman, K. (n.d.). My bookshelves - medieval times. Karen Cushman. https://www.karencushman.com/resources/bookshelf_reference_medieval.html
Kirkus Reviews. (2010). Growing up in medieval London: The experience of childhood [Book Review]. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/barbara-a-hanawalt/growing-up-in-medieval-london/
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