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    The Midwife's Apprentice
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    The Midwife's Apprentice
    Unavailable
    The Midwife's Apprentice
    Audiobook (abridged)2 hours

    The Midwife's Apprentice

    Written by Karen Cushman

    Narrated by Charlotte Coleman

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    On a frosty morning sometime in the fourteenth century, in a village somewhere in England, a gift known only as Brat was sleeping in a dung heap.

    "You, girl. Are you alive or dead?"

    When she opened her eyes, she saw an important-looking woman with a sharp glance and a sharp nose and a wimple starched into sharp pleats. This woman was Jane the Midwife, and she needed a helper...

    The Midwife's Apprentice by the author of Catherine, Called Birdy

    Thus begins the funny, wise, compassionate story of the homeless waif who became the midwife's apprentice -- a person with a name and a place in the world.

    This Newbery Honor-winning story, complete with an epilogue read by the author, and an extensive author interview, conducted by a young "fan," will usher young listeners into the middle of the fourteenth century.


    From the Cassette edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 5, 2000
    ISBN9780553750591
    Unavailable
    The Midwife's Apprentice
    Author

    Karen Cushman

    Karen Cushman was born in Chicago and now lives in Oakland, California. She has a long-standing interest in history (she was Assistant Director of the Museum Studies Department at John F. Kennedy University in San Francisco) particularly in the lives of ordinary people who lived at other times. She won the prestigious Newbery Medal in 1995 for The Midwife's Apprentice and is the author of children's book Catherine, Called Birdy.

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    Reviews for The Midwife's Apprentice

    3.5/5

    799 ratings55 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This book has a writing style that I have never seen before. Not like “whoa this is going to change everything about the literature world” but it has a flavor. It flies fast. It’s terse. It has no fluff and buff. All fat is trimmed. The result is that the story feels lean but still passionate, like a summer love affair. “Show, don’t tell” in spades. And a main character that gets you right in the feels without being a perfect lady. You can feel the authentic historical accuracy. But despite the age of the protagonist, it’s not for anyone who hasn’t had “the talk” yet.The atmosphere feels like a fantasy story, but it deals with the common people living in the outskirts. The ones far away from knights or dragons or princesses. This one’s got cheese as a delicacy, sleeping in dung for warmth, and some very satisfying revenge plots. Not to mention social issues, including but not limited to: verbal abuse, breastfeeding, swearing, transgenderism, marital infidelity, superstitious demon possession, and catching some teenagers in the farm shed doing you-know-what. If that doesn’t make for a good book, I don’t know what does.
    • 4/5
      A nameless abandoned child in 14th century England is begrudgingly taken in by Jane, a town's midwife. Jane takes in the girl, who she dubs "Beetle" only to use her, but with a roof over her head and some reliable source of food - even if it isn't very good food - the girl finds it a welcome change to sleeping on a dung pile. In time, she begins to learn some aspects of midwifery by observing Jane, though the woman doesn't want to teach her. She names herself Alyce eventually. A well done historical novel, and probably rather accurate in many ways. Still, the lack of kindness and honesty among the supporting characters was a detriment for my taste. The scholar, John Dark, and the boys Edward and Will, are the only characters that seem to care anything for Alyce at all. Everyone else, adult and child, are cruel (in varying degrees) to her.In the end, Alyce learns that she is a real person of value.
    • 4/5
      Alyce is a young girl in medieval England who is making her own way the best she can. Life is hard and cruel for her. It takes all her effort to keep herself warm and fed. The midwife takes her on as a helper and it is there that the world opens up to her bit by bit. Ultimately, she discovers that she needs to do what she wants even if that road is not the most comfortable or easiest.Karen Cushman's storytelling comes easily and this book is delightful. I think it's a fine match for 5th or 6th graders who are ready to start making some decisions. We could use this book in class as a basis for discussing choice and opportunity costs. Alyce needed to think carefully before she chose, and students would do well do imagine what other choices may have looked like.
    • 4/5
      A good read.
    • 5/5
      Great kids story about a young homeless girl in the Middle Ages who becomes a midwife. Moral is never give up. Excellent feel for the time in England in a small village, as well as information on medicinal herbs.
    • 5/5
      THE MIDWIFE"S APPRENTICE by Karen Cushman illustrates the difficulty of being a young woman in a small Medieval village in England. Alyce 's journey is a great personal struggle towards an identity often determined by others. In a male-dominated society, she struggles through hardships and experiences to gain knowledge. A fine example of historical fiction, Cushman draws the reader in with Alyce's stoic and courageous choices.
    • 3/5
      Another in my quest to read Newbery Medal winners. I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. It was really well written, and fun, and didn't spend the whole book just being like "well, life sucked and she was abused a lot." This girl can hold her own - it's very inspiring, I think all girls around ten or up should read it.
    • 4/5
      Ages 8-12The Midwife's Apprentice, a 1996 Newbery winner, paints an exquisite portrait of deprivation and squalor in medieval England. Alyce, a quick-witted and observant orphan, finds a place for herself in a rather uncaring world, by learning the art of midwifery. The language seems to ring true and isn't watered down, allowing the reader to rise to the occasion.
    • 4/5
      The gritty realism made the book stand-out from other historical fiction especially in young adult fiction. I felt the development of the main character was well crafted and engaging. Life was hard for Beetle, and she didn't have luxury of emotions until she had surpassed basic survival. Her developing identity and the recognition of self as she grew both emotionally and intellectually parallels any young girls journey into adulthood though Alice's passage is lacking in modern day comfort.
    • 4/5
      I actually picked up this book for my daughter to read and ended up reading it myself instead. I am impressed by the historical research that the author must have done as well as the writing. Ms. Cushman managed to bring a long ago time to life very convincingly. I just want to know how Alyces' life went and the little boy Edward. I will be bugging my daughter to definitely read this. What a wonderful historical novel that was a joy to read!
    • 2/5
      I decided to read another Newberry winner. This one wasn't one of my favorites. Not much more to say.
    • 4/5
      Summary:The Midwife's Apprentice is a story about a young homeless girl who was found by a village midwife while asleep in a dung pile. The young girl had gone through a few names such as beetle until she heard the name Alyce and decide that was what she wanted to be called. The story tells of the struggle Alyce goes through in trying to learn to be a midwife as well as being a good person and finding herself and her place in the world. My Personal Reaction:An old teacher suggested this book to me and I actually enjoyed it. One of my favorite things about this book was Alyce's generosity and caring nature. Even when she didnt have enough to eat, she saved and gave whatever she could to anyone who needed it such as the cat Purr and the young boy named Edward. Another part was when she saved the life of one of the boys who always picked at her. I think this book helps teach children to not only believe in themselves, but also to help others. Classroom Extension Ideas:1. We could begin an author study on Karen Cushman.2. We could do character analysis on people from the book.
    • 5/5
      An excellent glimpse of life in a medieval village: well-researched with a good note on midwives at the end. The story has a memorable voice, reads quickly, and portrays the characters and events with a realism that is often lacking in historical fiction novels. An interesting look at a "typical" young woman; it could be argued that Alice would probably have been married by her age, but then the story would need to be geared towards older children.
    • 5/5
      Brat, Dung Beetle, or Alyce - whichever name our heroine goes by, she is full of pluck and intelligence - two qualities she gravely needs to survive as an orphan in the Middle Ages. It is Jane Sharp, the village midwife, who plucks Alyce from the dung heap and gives her shelter and sustenance, though no kindness, for her hard work. Slowly, Alyce begins to learn about the world around her and the work of a midwife, though she remains convinced of her own stupidity. Never sure, never confident, Alyce slowly works to find what she most wants - "a place in this world."

      Cushman does historical fiction with strong female characters better than almost anyone else. The Midwife's Apprentice is remarkable because, despite its short length, Cushman manages to create a character so imperfect and yet so appealing, that the reader will unreservedly root for her to thrive. Cushman pays no less attention to the setting which is full of lush historical details that make this an ideal companion for units on the Middle Ages. The obstacles that Alyce faces, both within herself and in her world would make for great discussion as well.

      Listened to the Recorded Books CD edition narrated by Jenny Sterlin. Sterlin handles the medieval language with assurance and a slight accent that never distracts from the story. Previously read.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed the economy of language here. One of my favorite things about the juvenile/ya genre is that there used to be a pressure against wordiness. Not sure that holds to the same degree it once did, but in any case, this is a terrific example of telling an absorbing story in a few pages without dumbing down, talking down, or otherwise diluting either tale or the history in which it is set.
    • 4/5
      This was required reading in sixth grade. It was extremely awkward to read, given the subject matter, but I truly enjoyed it in retrospect.
    • 3/5
      Set in the Middle Ages, Brat who becomes Beetle, who becomes Alyce has been on her own for as long as she can remember. She ends up being taken in by the local midwife who is a hard task master, but who feeds her in exchange for labor. Through observation and misadventure, Alyce finds self-empowerment and the determination not to give up.
    • 3/5
      A mean spirited midwife in the 14th century finds an orphan girl sleeping upon her dung pile. The midwife offers the young woman a job and she accepts a position as the midwife's apprentice. She never really teachers her but Alyce observes and absorbs all the she sees and hears.Personal Reaction:It was a great story of a homeless girl making something of herself and of her future.In my classroom this would be a great advocacy assignment. We could read it as a class and discuss possibilities for Alyce and the things that she encountered and how we might have helped her. We could also use this as a current events issue and talk of the statistics of homelessness that is rampid in our country.
    • 4/5
      One of the best parts of this book is watching Alyce become Alyce. Slowly, as she finds a place in her world and puts her curiosity and diligence to work, Alyce is able to both help herself and others around her. I enjoyed too the descriptions that allowed me to feel that the story was taking place in the past and that things were indeed different. Also, there is quite a bit of interesting lore about the profession of midwifery.
    • 4/5
      A Newberry Award winner, this book tells the tale of Alyce (Dung) with no name, no home, and no family. Curled in a dung heap, the village midwife finds her there and takes her in as a helper and an apprentice. Alyce begins to learn skills of midwifery, begins to make friends and finds her self worth. However, one day, when Alyce is summoned to deliver a baby, she fails and runs away, believing she is too stupid to become a midwife. Alyce must then learn to value herself again. A 4 out of 5 stars.
    • 4/5
      The old midwife, Jane, a homeless waif, called 'Beetle' by all who abuse her, and a cat make up the main characters in this story. Beetle has kept herself alive by begging jobs in exchange for food and sleeping in haystacks or dung heaps throughout her young life. Jane seems to have plenty for her to do, so she sticks there, and while sticking, she watches. Unknown even to herself, Beetle is learning.Life in medieval times was interesting to read about within this story. Beetle's gradual coming into herself was also very well written.
    • 3/5
      Summary: The local midwife in the 14th century stumbles upon a young homeless woman in a village in England. The midwife offers the young woman a job and she accepts a position as the midwife's apprentice. Personal Reaction:It was an interesting story of a homeless person making something of herself.Classroom Extensions:#1: I would begin a food drive for students to donate to. We would then give the food to a homeless shelter.#2: I would have the students journal about how they think life would be if they were homeless.
    • 5/5
      When we first meet the protagonist, her name is Brat. That is all this homeless girl who sleeps in a dung heap can remember being called. Fortunately, the person's dung heap she sleeps in one night belongs to the local midwife, Jane, who agrees to take in Brat as a servant in exchange for food and shelter. Jane is not the loving benevolent type. She works Brat hard and gives her meager food and constatntly reminds Brat how stupid and clumsey she is. However, Brat begins to build relationships with the villagers and some start to to treat her with some kindness and respect. Brat's self-confidence grows and she decides to name herself Alyce. Alyce decides she wants to be a midwife and sneaks into woman's rooms when Jane is assisting them to try to learn the craft. One night, a family asks for Alyce's help, rather than Jane's. Alyce, however, cannot deliver the baby. Having failed, Alyce runs away. Evetually, though, Aluce learns to regain herself confidence and pursue her dreams.As a historical novel, this book vividly and honestly portrays the harshness of time. Most people were unbathed, had barely enough food, could not read, and had never ventured far beyond their village. The scarcity of necessities made people less compassionate to the most needy. At the start, none of the villagers seemed to care at all about the well-being of a young homeless girl. The book also vivdly portrays the meagerness of people's belongings. Brat (before she is Alyce) is given a comb. She had never known such luxery, generally just running her fingers through her hair. The language also provides a sense of the period. Alyce's colloquial speech reveals her lack of education and low status.This book is an excellent coming-of-age story about a girl who learnd to value herself so that she can go on to pursue her dream. This book would be appropriate for grade 5 to 8.
    • 4/5
      A young girl, known as Brat, fends for herself living off scraps and sleeping where she can. One morning, the village midwife, Jane, takes her in for cheap labor. Jane is a hard taskmaster, but Brat eventually learns how to stand up for herself and begins to believe in herself. She decides to call herself Alyce and insists everyone do the same. After a birth she was not able to handle, Alyce decides she is worthless and runs away. Eventually she chooses to go back to Jane and learn everything she can to become a midwife herself.The lesson is try, fail, but then try again.Short and sweet, a good audio.
    • 3/5
      This thin book is a quick read, but a cute story. I didn't like it as much as Catherine, Called Birdy -- there really isn't a whole lot to this story -- but it's a nice tale of learning about who you are, and refusing to give up.The title tells you who the book is about, and we follow the girl through her transformation from timid and fearful to confident and determined. I'd say this would be a good one to read with a younger girl and then discuss afterward -- there's a lesson here about not giving up when things get tough, as everything worth doing is going to take hard work and determination.I may purchase a copy and shelve it, with the intention to read it with some of my friends' children when they get a bit older.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoy this and the other book by Cushman that I have, Catherine, Called Birdy. They are fascinating looks at what it might have been like for those not in power during medieval times.
    • 2/5
      This book is about a young girl who has nothing, she does not even know her own name. The book goes through her finding out who she is with the help of a midwife. She finds a name and learns the way of a midwife. She then feels dissappointed and ashamed of herself again when something goes wrong. Througout the book she becomes friends with a young boy and helps him through the tough times.
    • 4/5
      A young girl that is not sure of her actual name, age, or background is found one evening in a farmer's dung heap. The village midwife, Jane, finds "Brat" and takes her to shelter and warmth and feeds her enough food to get by. "Brat" becomes the midwife's apprentice and does anything Jane asks of her. "Brat" encounters many new animals and friends along the way and is educated by listening to everyone around her. She is a girl of few words and is not noticed for her knowledge. Jane accepts "Brat's" offer to work for her and willing to do anything for food, so she is brought in to begin her career as the midwife's apprentice, which includes changing her name to Alyce and naming her new cat, Puss.
    • 5/5
      She has no name and no home until a local midwife takes her in and starts training her, allowing her to find a home and confidence in herself.
    • 5/5
      This book tells the story of a girl who was not wanted by her family and lives her life living as an outcast in society. A midwife takes her in and gives her a place to sleep, but treats "Beetle" with no dignity or respect. Beetle becomes her apprentice and is thro ART/MEDIA: none