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Of course, I wanted a little bit more of everything: Character development, storyline, plot. I liked the old herbal references, and the personal journey of the young apprentice. But for juvenile fiction, it was well-done. A quick read. I've been periodically reading the Newbery winners this year, and this was one I saw on the library shelves.
A sample follows, for your reading displeasure: "Dung Beetle," "cow," "nitwit," "lackwit," "No brain," "Idiot," "Clodpole," "Nincompoop," "Brainless Brat," "Good for Nothing," and "fool." The book's best part is the five page Author's Note, which is about the practice of midwifery through history. The book is short and uncomplicated, but literally filled with taunting and bullying behavior. But when she loses her nerve and fails at easing a woman's particularly difficult birth, she skips town and lands at a nearby inn where she gains the confidence to return to the town and give midwifery a try.
This bad behavior is practiced by: a malefactorous midwife, cruel cretins, and belittling brats, which are to be found more often than one would expect in even the most vile village. For no apparent reason, many of the townsfolk treat her the same. finally claims the title character in this story filled with more instances of belittling than one can probably imagine such a slim volume could contain.
Eventually, she befriends a local boy and gains credibility as a prospective midwife by helping deliver twin calves and a baby born by a woman Jane abandons during labor in favor of another richer client. Better Newberry winners: The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo; A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park; and The Giver by Lois Lowry. The prospective midwife's apprentice's behavior is also sometimes suspect, alternating between submissive (toward the midwife), kindly (to a handful of persons), and revengeful (to those who've "taunted and tormented" her).Jane Sharp, nondescript, Catholic, bearer of six children (all deceased), is inexplicably accepted as the town's midwife/faith healer in spite of her horrible bedside manner (yelling at and sometimes beating patients) and other bad behaviors, which includes canoodling with a married father of twelve.
After finding the homeless girl "perhaps.twelve or thirteen" hidden in the warmth of a dung heap, the evil woman dubs her "Beetle," as in dung beetle, and, between belittlings, provides meager room and board in exchange for the youngster's assistance in the medicinal side of the midwifery business.
I liked her word usage and how she softened some of the subjects in the book that might be considered risqué, especially for a younger audience. Learning these things take her to a fair, a new name, an inn and the places where babies are being born into the world.Karen Cushman did a good job of writing a satisfying story in this short book. Beetle is what the girl is eventually called, she never had a name before.The girl starts off as a nobody but eventually becomes a somebody in the small town. For example the Midwifes secret love affair with the baker.All in All it was a good, quick read. Jane the midwife is rather sharp with her, and the town boys tease her and her cat a lot, yet she doesn't let that get her down. I would give this book 3 1/2 stars.
The Midwife finds her there and seeing how she was smart enough to know that a dung heap gave off heat, decides to take her on. I did not feel that the story was rushed in any places. I found it good but not quite riveting. One day though something terrible happens and Beetle who starts calling herself Alyce runs away from the town.Beetle has a lot to learn about life in a town, being a midwife, and finding who she is and what she wants. It was also fun to break into a different time era then the every day. I loved the main character and her funny ways, for example sleeping in a dung heap to keep warm.
She becomes the midwifes apprentice and enjoys her life to an extent.
I gave this book three stars out of mercy. The writing was mediocre, and a lot of the content just plain inappropriate. I don't reccomend this book to anyone, and definitely not elementry kids. Well, I certainly admire Beetle's(Alyce) courage, and her ability to cope with hard situations. Otherwise, I really didn't like the book.
The contrast between medieval and modern birthing ideas is fascinating, as is the truly prominent role the midwife actually plays in her society. Together with Cushman's books, young readers could be introduced to some of the impressive work that has been done in this field.This book may initially attract young adult readers who are interested in the historical fiction genre, but the issues addressed will be relevant for many more. She plays the wise but stern grandmother, the physician, and even the spiritual authority by turns in the novel. The decisions Alyce makes in the end reflect the changes she has undergone. At 128 pages, it is a shorter novel and lacks some of the charms of Catherine, Called Birdy. I enjoyed Karen Cushman's novel, Catherine, Called Birdy, so I was excited to read a second offering from her. The Midwife's Apprentice was published in 1996 by HarperTrophy. But still present are Cushman's use of wit and vivid detail to propel one young woman's story.
As the midwife's apprentice, Beetle encounters some scenes not for the faint of heart, discovers town secrets, and learns her own strength. As young people toy with the idea of different career paths, watching the way adults themselves fulfill these roles, they make judgments that ultimately guide their future decisions. She also faces many challenges of becoming a young woman, including dealing with her sexuality and determining what kind of role she wants to play in her relationships.As Cushman's details sometimes lean more toward entertainment or shock value than historical accuracy, it might be an interesting project for students to research the roles of women in medieval times themselves. Like Catherine, Alyce is an observant and opinionated young woman; an unlikely role model, but certainly an engaging one. Another positive aspect of the book is that Cushman sheds light on the interest in the history of women, previously often lost or ignored, that has arisen since the 1970s. Those who were originally engaged by her use of historical detail and her commentary on women's roles that resonates with modern readers will not be disappointed. Comparing Cushman's ideas to those of historians might broaden students' perspectives and also help them to engage more with historical records. The Flesch-Kincaid grade level is 10.6.
As Beetle, or Alyce, trains for this role, she transforms from fearful to capable. Rather than introducing us to a girl of some manner of privilege, Cushman introduces us to Beetle, a nameless orphan who lucks upon a career. For example, the diary format and the inclusion of the stories of the saint's days were one fascinating aspect of the earlier novel. Cushman tells her story with a great deal of wit, while maintaining the gritty perspective on medieval life she demonstrated in Catherine, Called Birdy.
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