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The Midwife's Apprentice

A Newbery Award Winner

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

A poor girl in medieval England gains a name, a purpose, and a future in this "delightful"* and beloved Newbery Medal-winning book. Now with a new cover!

* "A truly delightful introduction to a world seldom seen in children's literature." —School Library Journal*, starred review

* "A fascinating view of a far distant time." —Horn Book, starred review

* "Gripping." —Kirkus, starred review

A girl known only as Brat has no family, no home, and no future until she meets Jane the Midwife and becomes her apprentice. As she helps the short-tempered Jane deliver babies, Brat—who renames herself Alyce—gains knowledge, confidence, and the courage to want something in life for the first time. Introduction by Lois Lowry.

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  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      March 27, 1995
      Having focused on a well-born young heroine in her Newbery Honor debut novel, Catherine, Called Birdy, Cushman returns to a similar medieval English setting, this time to imagine how the other half lived. The strengths of this new, relatively brief novel match those of its predecessor: 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. The protagonist here first appears asleep in a heap of dung; the ``rotting and moiling'' of the refuse give forth heat enough to compensate for the stench. Homeless and nameless, she can remember no time when she did not wander from village to village. She is rescued from the dung heap by a sharp-tongued local midwife, who feeds her in exchange for work. Gradually the girl forges an identity for herself and learns some timeless truths. Some of the characterizations lack consistency (particularly that of the midwife), the plot depends on a few too many conveniences and the development of the themes seems hurried--but no matter. The force of the ambience produces more than enough momentum to propel the reader from start to finish in a single happy sitting. Ages 12-up.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      September 30, 1996
      In reviewing this 1996 Newbery winner, PW 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." Ages 8-12.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:6
  • Lexile® Measure:1150
  • Interest Level:4-8(MG)
  • Text Difficulty:4-5

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