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    Alchemy and Meggy Swann
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    Alchemy and Meggy Swann
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    Alchemy and Meggy Swann
    Audiobook4 hours

    Alchemy and Meggy Swann

    Written by Karen Cushman

    Narrated by Katherine Kellgren

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Fans of Karen Cushman's witty, satisfying novels will welcome Meggy Swann, newly come to London with her only friend, a goose named Louise. Meggy's mother was glad to be rid of her; her father, who sent for her, doesn't want her after all. Meggy is appalled by London,dirty and noisy, full of rogues and thieves, and difficult to get around in-not that getting around is ever easy for someone  who walks with the help of two sticks.Just as her alchemist father pursues his Great Work of transforming base metal into gold, Meggy finds herself pursuing her own transformation. Earthy and colorful, Elizabethan London has its dark side, but it also has gifts in store for Meggy Swann.


    From the Compact Disc edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateApr 13, 2010
    ISBN9780307710239
    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 Alchemy and Meggy Swann

    3.5/5

    152 ratings34 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Liked it, but not quite as much as some of her others. I didn't feel the same sense of narrative urgency.

      (Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).
    • 5/5
      Brilliant historical fiction.
    • 4/5
      A crippled girl is sent to live with her alchemist father in medieval London. After spending her life as a pariah, branded a witch and blamed for her handicap by superstitious neighbors, she has developed quite a sharp tongue and independent spirit. Her father is mostly indifferent, but she befriends his previous assistant, a boy who leaves shortly after her arrival to join a theater troupe. Like the other Cushman books I've read, this has been thoroughly researched and delights in sharing the tiny details of daily life in those days that are so different from today. The story is charming on its own, but the afterword explaining some historical notes and liberties taken is the icing on top. This may be young adult fiction, but it sure was fun to read as a not-so-young adult.
    • 5/5
      I've been reading Cushman's books since I was nine or ten and received Catherine, Called Birdy as my Scholastic book of the month. She's not a hugely prolific author, so I just check every few years for new books. However much I love Cushman's books I might have hesitated if I'd read the description of this one and realized it was about a physically disabled girl, as disability is often handled very poorly, particularly in historical settings. (I'm disabled myself.)Cushman soon erased all of my doubts. She was so smart in how she went about writing this. First, she chose a real condition and researched it - hip dysplasia, which can be corrected without too much trouble, but if left means the legs don't develop in the usual way and the person is left crippled and in pain. This often results from a certain type of breech birth, and of course couldn't be corrected in the early Elizabethan period when this book is set. Cushman's choice to allow Meggy to be angry, at other people, not at herself or necessarily because of her disability, was equally wondrous. In fiction, there are two prominent disabled tropes - the Pollyanna and the bitter cripple. We are rarely allowed to be outspoken and angry and grouchy and be a protagonist. Meggy's disability impacts how she goes about things but it has little to nothing to do with the main plot of the book. Third, Cushman lets Meggy sometimes use typical historical perceptions of disability as a result of curses or demonic possession to her own advantage when trying to get people to leave her alone (I say historical, but the Catholic church still wasn't accepting men with epilepsy into the priesthood in the 1960s due to the old 'demonic possession' explanation). After Meggy's grandmother dies, her mother sends her to London to live with her father, who she doesn't know. He's an alchemist and takes little notice of her, never even using her name. As she learns the streets and makes herself useful running errands, she befriends a variety of people. Soon she overhears men buying poison from her father with the intent of killing an Earl. She's shocked and tries to talk her father out of it, but soon must find a way to foil the plot herself.I really loved this book, and I'm so relieved and pleased that Cushman took this representation seriously. My love for her remains undiminished.
    • 5/5
      ALCHEMY AND MEGGY SWANN is a poetic masterpiece. Karen Cushman has written an intriguing and historically accurate story about a disabled girl living in Elizabethan London. The daughter of an alchemist, she wrestles with the dilemmas and major questions of her era. Where does the ethics of science begin? Meggy also meets a number of players who will be important in her life; A family of actors, a printmaker, and villain. I was awestruck with the sensitivity and understanding the author has, looking back at an era where the disabled were unappreciated and not respected. I highly recommend this book to children around 8-10, who are interested in history and the perspective of the disabled in an austere time before caring communities.The world has become a greater place since then.-Breton W Kaiser Taylor
    • 3/5
      liked this well enough because I really like historical fiction and Karen Cushman - but not as awed by the story as I was with her earlier works
    • 3/5
      Listened to audio narrated by Katherine Kellgren. While this is definitely not my favorite Cushman, Kellgren's narrative carries the audio edition admirably. I enjoyed the depiction of how someone with a physical disability might have survived in medieval England, but I did think Cushman tackled a few too many subplots. I particularly enjoyed the bardic songs as well.
    • 3/5
      Karen Cushman is one of my favorite authors. I loved Catherine Called Birdy and The Midwife's Apprentice. This book was not quite as good as those. The language caused me to read slower. I also didn't like Meggy Swann as much as I liked Catherine. I did like the depiction of how someone with a disability might be treated before we really understood illnesses, and I could still see some parallels to today's world. Still worth a read, although not an extraordinary book.
    • 3/5
      This is a historical piece of fiction about a girl named Meggy who has a walking disability, and gets sent away by her mother because she doesn't want to take care of her anymore. However, the father she is sent to live with doesn't want her either because she is of no use to him. Her father is an alchemist, trying to turn metal into gold, and is very poor. A majority of the book is spent developing Meggy's difficult life, feeling abandoned, dealing with her disability and trying to make friends. I felt that the majority of the plot happened in the last couple chapters when Meggy finds out her father is involved in a murderous plot, and she tries to warn the victim. In the end, Meggy's warning prevents the murder, but her father leaves her, so she has to go find somewhere else to stay.Honestly, this book wasn't for me. The author writes in old English, so it was very hard to understand a lot of things, and read fluidly. This book was part of a middle school reading program, but I do not think any middle schooler would find this book entertaining. I found the writing difficult and the plot pretty boring.
    • 4/5
      This is a delightful tale of Meggy Swann, a young girl hobbled by the birth defect of what would now be diagnosed as hip dyplasia. She fends for herself in un merry ole England during Elizabethan days. Those with deformities were looked upon as freaks marked by the devil.It is obvious that the author researched the time period. Cushman is a Newbery honor and medal winner for good reason.While the tale may seem gloomy, truly it is a story of the resiliency of the human spirit and the ability to overcome obstacles. Deemed illegitimate and unfit, Meggy's mother ships her from the countryside to live with her biological father in London. Witnessing the sights of England is a true eye opener for Meggy. Her father, an alchemist does not want her and thus she is twice rejected.Strong and brave, Meggy finds friends who are part of a traveling theater during pre-Shakespeare days.
    • 4/5
      When Meggy Swann, a disabled girl in Elizabethan England, is sent to live with her father, she doesn't expect the cold, distant man who greets her. He's absorbed in his alchemy work and Meggy must prove herself useful. At this time, many people thought disabilities were caused by curses or demons and Meggy is taunted on the streets as she tries to go about her business. But Meggy's indomitable spirit shines through and she approaches all challenges with a sense of humor. Meggy's a wonderful strong character and Karen Cushman includes details about the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells that bring Elizabethan England to life. Of course, narrator Katherine Kellgren does a fantastic job and this book was a true pleasure to listen to.
    • 4/5
      "Ye toads and vipers," the girl said, as her granny often had, "ye toads and vipers," and she snuffled a great snuffle that echoed in the empty room." It is 16th Century Elizabethan London and 13 year old Meggy Swann, with her deformed legs and walking sticks, has just arrived from the country to live with the cold and distant father she has never met. But once this father, the odd and unfriendly Alchemist, realizes she is both deformed and female, Meggy is left to fend for herself-- virtually and then literally abandoned-- her only friend the equally bad tempered goose named Louise. But Karen Cushman's hallmark is the strong female character and Meggy is at the top of the list. She makes her way-- finding friends and allies and creating a life for herself that is both positive and believable within her historic context. I love Cushman-- for her strong female characters, clever and likable as well as for the beautiful and luscious language she employs to carry us away. Great for girls and anglophiles and lovers of Shakespearean insults.
    • 4/5
      I loved that the main character transitions from a self-image of helplessness to one of empowerment, while still remaining relatively realistic in terms of the historical context. Really, my only quibble with this book is that it's too short. I'm all for brevity in children's fiction, but I feel like there was a lot more to explore here, and parts just felt...glossed over.
    • 4/5
      This is a short, sweet tale (albeit rather dark at times) about a young girl in 16th-century London. She is deformed from birth and needs crutches to walk, and when her previously absent father sends for her from London, he's shocked to discover she's not a boy who can help him with running errands for his work. Poor Meggy is cursed at, spat upon, and reviled by many who believe that cripples are agents of the Devil -- a belief that was prevalent up until the 16th century, when opinions finally began to change. Meggy meets many interesting and colorful characters thoughout the course of the story -- including a young boy named Roger, who she frequently trades insults with -- and both the description of the setting and the language of the characters creates a very vivid picture of Meggy's world at the time.I enjoyed the book and found Meggy to be an intriguing young character who deals with her hardships remarkably well, but at the same time, I was a little surprised at the amount of hardship the author put her through, especially considering the target age for the book. I commend the author for retaining a sense of realism, but I think even the language would be a bit challenging for some younger readers.On the whole, I wouldn't say it's my favorite Cushman novel thus far, but it's a good addition to her series of books about strong, young females. Certainly a worthwhile read.
    • 4/5
      After Meggy Swann's Grandmother dies, her mother sends her to live with her Father, an Alchemist who has sent for her. Upon arriving in London she finds that her Father doesn't want her - for she is a cripple and a girl, he was expecting a boy. Undeterred, Meggy makes a great many friends in London and slowly learns how to live there. Then she hears that her Father is planning to a Baron and Meggy has to decide what to about it... This book is good but it doesn't stand out. It's a quick story, written as if for children in the Seventies, rather than now. However Karen's writing style is vivid and descriptive and Meggy is an engaging character. The idea of her being a cripple is certainly a unique one and I enjoyed learning how she got around London (slowly). It would be easy to sum this entire story up in one sentence: Meggy Swann moves to London and makes friends. Later on she discovers that her Father is making a potion to kill the Baron. Finally, some action! Eh, not really. The book ends with a happy childish ending with everyone singing and dancing around a table. Yes, really.(Received this free from NetGalley to review)
    • 5/5
      A delightful little story (not as believable as Cushman's work usually is, but the characters are believable) about the poor in the Elizabethan age, when theater was just beginning in England. It is also the beginning of science in early experiments by alchemists who at least understood that the nature of a substance can be changed by chemical reaction.
    • 4/5
      Meggy Swann shares her experiences as a member of the lower class of England during the Elizabethan Era. Brought to her new found father, an alchemist, in London, Meggy learns to deal with her disability and how to make friends in a foreign atmosphere. Insightful historical fiction that introduces beliefs and customs from a time period far too removed from our modern society yet links similar societal problems of both eras.
    • 5/5
      In 1573, the crippled, scorned, and destitute Meggy Swann goes to London, where she meets her father, an impoverished alchemist, and eventually discovers that although her legs are bent and weak, she has many other strengths.
    • 4/5
      From the first sentences, through dialect and authentic description, Karen Cushman's newest historical fiction, Alchemy and Meggy Swann, conveys you to 1573. Elizabeth I is on the throne, but Shakespeare has not yet begun his plays. Medieval ideas are beginning to fade, and a new way of thinking and beliefs are starting to take hold. Meggy arrives from the country at her father's impoverished house on Crooked Lane, in London, with her goose Louise, and little else, only to discover that her alchemist father does not welcome her there. Meggy is crippled and uses two sticks to walk. She possesses a quick wit, and a sharp tongue, and uses them to protect herself, and to forge a new life in a crowded and dirty city. Cushman includes a quote by Carl Jung at the beginning of the story : "The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances; if there is any reaction, both are transformed." Meggy the true alchemist in the story both transforms and is transformed through her choices, and the people she meets, during her struggles with life in London. This book includes a map of old London, and an author's note with historical resources. A fast, highly enjoyable read.
    • 4/5
      Meggy's mother sent her to London to live with her father, who is not at all pleased to see this young girl who walks with canes show up on his doorstop. Alone with her disinterested father, she feels she has no friends except her pet goose who she is forced to give up. She is forced to be stronger than she ever thought she could be, and she discovers many neighbors and acquaintances who can be counted as friends.
    • 4/5
      I had very fond childhood memories of Catherine, Called Birdy and The Midwife's Apprentice by the same author, so I jumped on the chance to read an e-galley of this one, and I wasn't disappointed.I really enjoyed this book. Meggy Swann was raised by her beloved grandmother in a village outside of London during the reign of Elizabeth I. Her mother has no interest in her, so following her grandmother's death she's sent to live with her alchemist father. But when her father finds out that she's both female and crippled, he says that he has no use for her either. This is the story of Meggy's struggle to find a place for herself in an uncaring world, where people spit on her in the street and call her names because of her disability. She has understandably developed a prickly temperament to shield herself from the insults of others, and has difficulty opening up. I have to admit that I found her personality a bit obnoxious at first, but I did come to love her in the end.On the other hand, I loved the writing from the very beginning. Cushman has a way of making Elizabethan England come to life, so that I was gripped from the very first chapter. Given that I was reading in less-than-ideal conditions on a computer, it would have been easy to put the book down, but I found that the story kept me absorbed throughout.Because I hadn't read any of Cushman's work since I was maybe 11, I was a bit concerned that the story wouldn't have enough depth to hold my interest as an adult. That fear turned out to be entirely unfounded. I do wish the story had been longer only because I enjoyed it so much, but everything was developed and resolved satisfactorily in the short space there was. I'll definitely go back and read Cushman's other books that I missed between The Midwife's Apprentice and here, and I may even buy myself a physical copy of this one when it comes out in paperback.So I was personally completely satisfied with this book, and I think that other adults would like it as well. On the other hand, I've seen some other reviews saying that the language is too difficult for children, but since I read Cushman's other works as a child myself, I'm not convinced that this would be a problem. In fact, I often see people asking for books for children with high reading levels: there's a need for books that aren't too easy, but are still age-appropriate in terms of content. This book fits perfectly in that niche. Plus, it has a positive message that doesn't feel too in-your-face, and there's a section at the end explaining the historical setting, so it has good educational potential.In short, I really think Cushman has a winner here. This is a great book for children and adults.
    • 4/5
      I had mixed feeling about this. I loved Karen Cushman's other medieval characters, so I was excited about this book. I almost wished she had written a sequel to Matilda Bone instead. I think I was too worried about Meggy to really enjoy the story - still it works out and this is a nice tween read.
    • 4/5
      Oh, this book is full of things I enjoy -- Elizabethan setting, excellent insults, early printing, broadside ballads. Add in a cross and plucky young heroine and a cheerful house of players, and it's just jam-packed with great things.
    • 4/5
      Children's Books Too Cool For SchoolThose approaching this book as fans of Cushman's medieval works may be initially disappointed by Meggy Swann, who is not a medieval character. (The title is somewhat ambiguous. I do, in fact tend to think of medieval characters when I think of alchemy.) Instead, Meggy lives in Tudor England, is crippled, has a mother who doesn't want her and a father who didn't even know she existed. If you've read Cushman's Rodzina, Meggy might feel a little familiar. In fact, Cushman's reputation as a medievalist is somewhat undeserved, as she's written just as many books not set in medieval England as she has written those that do date from that time and place... but I digress.Meggy's literary ancestor is certainly Francis Hodgson Burnett's Mary Lennox, of Secret Garden fame. Like Mary, Meggy isn't very likable from the get-go, even if the reasons behind her tough exterior are somewhat understandable. Mary's parents don't care much about her, nor does her guardian, and nor do Meggy's. It takes someone capable of sparring with Mary on her own level to draw her out, and the same with Meggy.The growth of Meggy is great to see, and entirely believable, even in so short a story. Just as Cushman had a knack for making medieval England come alive for us, she's done the same with Tudor London and I'd say Meggy even feels a little more authentic than Catherine, called Birdy.The story is charming, suspenseful, informative, and funny. Only gripe? Ye toads and vipers! Do all Cushman's characters need to have a catchphrase?
    • 3/5
      Narrated by Katherine Kellgren. Karen Cushman is one of those authors who can make a historical period come alive for young people, featuring characters of fierce will. Meggy, disabled since birth, is dumped off at her biological father's home in London. Mostly sheltered and bullied for her disability all her life, Meggy is frightened and lonely, and mostly ignored by her father who is absorbed by his alchemy projects. Meggy realizes she is going to have to fend for herself. As the book progresses, Meggy goes through an alchemy of her own, becoming stronger, assertive, and more sure of herself. Narrator Kellgren transports listeners to Elizabethan England with her emotional voice work and accents.
    • 4/5
      Great character. Great ending. I've loved all of Karen Cushman's characters. Birdy is still my favorite though.
    • 4/5
      Really good historical fiction that will satisfy readers of that genre. I liked the good discussion that could come from a handicapped character. Keeps you reading and the author's note is an added bonus.
    • 3/5
      Cushman, K. (2010). Alchemy and Meggy Swann. New York: Clarion Books.Hark! Mistress Cushman, you are a luminous scribe, a queen who is greatly skilled at abracadra to summon your reader across ages back into the days of....That's enough of making your eyes suffer and bleed by me writing super ol' school. What was I trying to say there? Cushman is AMAZING at allowing her readers to enter into the past. Cushman uses historical vocabulary, tries to maintain the authentic voice of her characters and the keeps the worldview of the 1500s and still manages to make her books interesting and relatable.Appetizer: Meggy Swann has just arrived in London to live with her father. Her mother didn't want her. And it would seem her father would have preferred a boy who could serve him instead of a girl who felt pain with every step.As Meggy adjusts to life in London and struggles to get around on her crutches to find food for herself and her goose, Louise, her father hides himself away in his workroom, trying to transform metal into gold and find the elixir for immortality.When Meggie stumbles upon the fact that her father may be connected to a plot to assassinate a noble person, readers can reflect on what they would do if they were in Meggie's position, facing her difficult choice.The fact that Meggie is sent to be raised by a single-parent is a modern parallel that a lot of readers could relate to. Plus, the fact that Meggie had to deal with bilateral hip dysplasia can begin a lot of great conversations about the history of medicine and the way that people with disability have been discriminated against in the past (and now!). Also, since Cushman's Author's Note does a great job of exploring how the study of alchemy would lead the way toward scientific inquiry and the study of chemistry. I'd actually consider pairing Alchemy and Meggy Swann with the first Harry Potter book to compare both the fantasy and history of alchemy.To go a Language Arts direction, I'd also use the book to study ballads and have my students write their own.I enjoyed the book. As I attempted to say in my bad Elizabethan English, I was very impressed by the way Cushman managed to draw me into the story. For the past several months, I'd felt like I'd lost my ability to engage with historical novels, but this book proved that not all hope was lost.I really liked Meggy's struggle to try to understand her father and to try to know how to reveal the assassination plot without putting someone she cares about at risk.BTW, "Ye toads and vipers" will now be a regular part of my vocabulary. I also plan to start calling annoying people Master or Mistress Peevish. You should be prepared for me to say these things to you, World.Dinner Conversation:"Ye toads and vipers," the girl said, as her granny often had, "ye toads and vipers," and she snuffled a great snuffles that echoed in the empty room" (p. 1)."Her name was Margret Swann, but her gran had called her Meggy, and she was newly arrived from Millford village, a day's ride away. The bit of London she had seen was all soot and slime, noise and stink, and its streets were narrow and dark. Now she was imprisoned in this strange little house on Crooked Lane. Crooked Lane. How the carter had laughed when he learned their destination" (p. 2)."I do not allow beggars at my house" was the first thing he said to her. "Begone and clear my doorstep.""Pray pardon, sir, we are not beggars," the carter had told him. "If you be Master Ambrose this be your daughter, come at your bidding" (p. 7)."Just what does he do in the rooms upstairs?He searches for the aqua vitae, the elixir of life that can rid substances of their impurities and make all things perfect." Roger took another bite of bread. "Transformation, he says it is, changing things in their essence.""And that will turn metal into gold?"Roger nodded.You have seen him do it?" Meggy asked."Nay, he still has not the method, although he swears he is close to finding it" (p. 20).Tasty Rating: !!!
    • 5/5
      The year is 1573 in England. Queen Elizabeth I is the reigning queen, and Meggy Swann is an adolescent girl who has been sent by her cruel mother to live with the father she has never known in filthy and smelly London. To top it all off, Meggy is crippled and is forced to learn her own way around the vast and unknown city. “Ye toads and vipers!” When Meggy first arrives in London, she is hopeful that her father will care about her and want a relationship with her, but she soon realizes that his true love is himself and his “Great Work.” Indeed, he spends all of his hours locked in a laboratory mixing chemicals trying to change base metals into gold. He is also trying to find the “great elixir of life” or the fountain of youth. His “Great Work” doesn’t pay much, and Meggy is often hungry and cold. Left to fend for herself, Meggy soon learns her way around the streets of London and meets some kind people such as Roger Oldham (an old helper of her father’s), Master Cooper, and Printer Allyn. Printer Allyn prints many ballads which are sold on every street in London proclaiming interesting stories and the news of the day. In time, Meggy’s father does start to talk to her, but mostly so he can have her help in the laboratory. While this isn’t exactly the life Meggy had envisioned for herself, she does her best because her beloved Gran would have wanted her to be positive. One day however, Meggy overhears two men talking to her father about an evil plot to murder a high official in Queen Elizabeth’s court. “Ye toads and vipers!” What will Meggy do? She can’t allow her father to get involved in something so wicked and evil, and yet what can she, a poor and crippled common girl, do to stop such a plot? Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman is absolutely wonderful historical fiction written in the same vein as Ms. Cushman’s other novels which are always about young girls who face adversity and yet find their own way to succeed. Meggy is a great heroine to add to the long list of heroines created by Karen Cushman. If you enjoy historical fiction that is richly researched and detailed, then you will enjoy any of Karen Cushman’s fantastic young adult novels!
    • 4/5
      Meggy Swann shares her experiences as a member of the lower class of England during the Elizabethan Era. Brought to her new found father, an alchemist, in London, Meggy learns to deal with her disability and how to make friends in a foreign atmosphere. Insightful historical fiction that introduces beliefs and customs from a time period far too removed from our modern society yet links similar societal problems of both eras.