The Midwife's Apprentice

The Midwife's Apprentice
by Karen Cushman

HarperTrophy, 1995







Genre:  Historical fiction

Honors:  Newbery Award, ALA Notable Children's Book, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, New York Public Library List of Recommended Books, Booklist Books for Youth Editors Choice, School Library Journal Best Books of the Year, An American Bookseller Association Pick of the Lists

Review:  A young girl alone in the world who wanders from place to place trying to survive, finds herself a temporary position as a  midwife's apprentice. In lieu of her work, Jane the midwife provides food and shelter for this unnamed girl. In this concise coming of age novel, the main character finally finds a name for herself, discovers that she is brave and strong, and realizes that this little town has truly become her home.

Opinion:  I don't think I would choose to read this book on my own, mostly because the main character returns to the home that she both loves and loathes. It seems that 'taking a beating' in those days was par for the course, and though perhaps historically accurate, I still found it to be bothersome. However, I did enjoy reading about the growth of the main character and how far she'd come throughout the story.

Ideas:  This might be a good book for a student to read when learning about medieval times, when midwives, herbs, and superstition, were the main source of medicine.