Module 6: The Midwife's Apprentice

Module 6: The Midwife's Apprentice

Book Summary:

An orphaned girl is taken in by the village midwife. She begins as a basic drudge: doing chores, carrying supplies, and running errands. As she goes along, she begins to acquire some skills by watching the midwife at her craft and a name: Alyce. One day, Alyce is called for instead of the midwife, but is unable to help the mother deliver the baby and when the midwife steps in, Alyce flees the village. She finds work at an inn where she resides and works happily until her calling comes to her in the form of a pregnant woman staying at the inn who needs her help. After helping deliver the baby, Alyce realizes she is still a midwife's apprentice and returns to her true calling.

APA Reference of Book:

Cushman, K. (1995). The midwife's apprentice. New York, NY: Harper Collins Children's Books.

Impressions:

The novel provided an excellent view of what life may have been like for an orphaned girl growing up in medieval times and trying to find an occupation. Since the majority of people did not go to school, becoming an apprentice was how a person learned an occupation in order to have a livelihood. In the back of the novel, an author's note relates a brief history of midwives. From this note, it seems the author did an excellent job of relating some of both the successes and failures of medieval midwives. Alyce's point of view simplifies the understanding of midwifery for an elementary age reader, but also presents a number of issues that are more complex than just a baby appearing from nowhere. Not only did we learn about Alyce becoming a midwife, but we see what a typical diet would be like, what few conveniences that people did have and an overall understanding of what daily life would have been like.

The author utilized each chapter of the story to provide a different snippet of Alyce's day-to-day life. For me at least, this was a great way to provide information in portions so that I was able to take it in. Each chapter built on the previous one and all the pertinent was neatly packaged together. The reader can see Alyce's knowledge and understanding of the world around her growing in leaps and bounds. As the end of the novel draws near, Alyce grows confident in her abilities and makes a decision to pursue a livelihood that she has an aptitude for. This is definitely a book showcasing the growth of a female main character and while it is historical fiction, I think there are a lot of issues in the book that present day girls can relate to.

Professional Review:

The Midwife's Apprentice

Karen Cushman

122 pp. Clarion/Houghton 3/95 ISBN 0-395-69929-6 10.95

In a sharply realistic novel of medieval England by the author of Catherine, Called Birdy (Clarion), a homeless, hungry orphan girl called Beetle is discovered trying to keep warm in a pile of dung by the village midwife. The midwife, Jane Sharp, takes Beetle in to work as a servant for little food, barely adequate shelter, and cutting words. To Beetle, however, it is a step upward. The midwife is far from compassionate, but she is, for her times, a good midwife. Beetle becomes interested in the work and watches Jane covertly as she goes about her business. Beetle also adopts a scraggly cat that she has saved from the village boys' cruel mistreatment, and she feeds it from her own inadequate meals. As Beetle grows and learns, she begins to gain some hard-won self-esteem, and renames herself Alyce. She becomes more accepted by the villagers and is sometimes asked for advice. On one occasion she employs her common sense and compassion to successfully manage a difficult delivery when Jane Sharp is called away. Jane is far from pleased; she wants no rivals and is angered when a woman in labor asks specifically for Alyce. But Alyce finds she knows less than she thought, and Jane must be called in to save the mother. Alyce, in despair and humiliation, takes her cat and runs away. She spends some time working at an inn, where she learns a good deal more about herself and the world. At last she admits to herself that what she wants most is to become a midwife, and she returns to Jane. The brisk and satisfying conclusion conveys the hope that the self-reliant and finally self-respecting Alyce will find her place in life. The graphic and convincing portrayals of medieval life and especially the villagers given to superstition, casual cruelty, and duplicity — afford a fascinating view of a far distant time.

Flowers, A. A. (1995). [Review of the book The midwife's apprentice, by K. Cushman]. Horn Book Magazine, 71(4), 465. Retrieved from: http://www.hbook.com/horn-book-magazine-2/

Library Uses:

Add to a list of suggested titles for middle school teachers to incorporate as part of their lessons when covering history and what it might have been like as a child to grow up and find an occupation.