THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE

“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.” 

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE, set in medieval England, paints the portrait an undernourished girl who is so homeless and abandoned that she does not even have a name, and doesn’t even know her own age. She is unfortunate enough to be accustomed to being referred to as “Brat,” and is only looking for a meal to stay alive and a warm place to lay her head and sleep on a cold evening. When best she can find is a composting mound of rot, dung, and trash to sleep in, she is lucky enough to be found by local midwife Jane Sharp who offers her work, food, and a place to live. “Brat” goes to work as a midwife assistant, where she is now known as Beetle (after being found in dung). She watches and learns as Jane delivers babies, and helps with the medicines and herbs. Finally, after she is mistakenly called “Alyce” by a man looking for help, she adopts this name as her own. Her life begins to turn toward the better, as she is even able to make a friend of a cat as well as help a young boy with his life. Things change when one day when she fails at a delivery she was left alone at – she had to call back the midwife to finish the job. The event traumatizes her, and so she runs away from her new life, feeling overwhelmed by humiliation, even though she did not have the words to describe this emotion.  She finds work though, doing odd jobs at an inn where she is even able to begin to work on her literacy skills, and after seeing her young friend, begins to consider her future. The midwife makes an appearance at the inn, mentioning that perhaps it was best that Alyce left – that she wasn’t that stupid, but she gave up. In the end, things change for Alyce as she unexpectedly ends up delivering a baby by herself at the inn, and she rethinks her decision to give up as a midwife apprentice. This sets the scene for Alyce to take control of her life, gain courage, and learn the value of persistence.

The School Library Journal writes of this work: "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.”

The historical setting of this story pays attention to accurate detail. First, life in fourteenth century England was filled with hardships, and so it is believable to see a homeless child who did not have enough to eat. Second, the profession of midwifery was more practiced than it is in modern times. The author includes many historically accurate details in regard to this profession, such as spells, medicines and ointments related to child birth, for example the use of columbine seeds to induce labor and the use of goat’s beard to increase a new mom’s supply of breast milk. The language and descriptions also colored with historical reference, without being overly obtuse. The plot and characters outline the harshness that life can bring, especially in the fourteenth century. The vocabulary and dialogue used by the author maintain a balance of historical accuracy and accessibility for young readers of modern day English.

This book is widely popular for good reason. Children can relate with the story making one’s way by trying to please, and occasionally feeling defeated. Children will also relate to the coming of age aspects of this novel, especially as the protagonist struggles with both confidence and identity – hallmark issues for most pre-teens. Although the story is left open-ended, the final scene is of Alyce making important decisions for her life through facing her fears and not giving up. These are important lessons for all developing children and a lesson that we can all draw inspiration from.

The composition of this book provides for easy reading, in that there is a table of contents at the beginning, and each of the 17 chapters are numbered and labeled with clear titles. The “Author’s Note” at the end provides further information about the ancient practice of midwifery, providing readers with a small dose of historical nonfiction. These pages of information can lead children into further historical connections such as research on medical careers, medieval times, apprenticeships, homelessness and poverty, medicinal herbs, etc.

Teachers, parents, librarians, or other educators can organize a learning activity around any of these elements of this book. One activity is the KWL chart. Children can pick an element of the story - such as medieval times, orphans, midwifery, herbal medicines, homelessness, etc, and thinking of what they already know of the topic (K). They can then formulate a question on the topic - what they want to know (W). Children can then use the library and/or internet to research this topic. They can then write a paper or make a poster to present to the class.

The Midwife's Apprentice is an ALA Notable Children's Book, an ALA Best of the Best Book for Young Adults, an ALA Booklist Editors' Choice, the winner of the Newbery Medal, and is on the New York Public Library List of Recommended Books.

Cushman, Karen. 1995. The Midwife's Apprentice. New York: Harper Trophy.
        ISBN-10: 0547722176