The Midwife's Apprentice, by Karen Cushman

[sophia_sol]

When I was a kid I owned two Karen Cushman books, this one and Catherine, Called Birdy. At the time I didn't like this one as much because Alyce isn't fun and charming like Catherine is. But on rereading it now, I actually really love The Midwife's Apprentice.

Cushman specializes in historical fiction for children set in the Middle Ages, with particular focus on girls. This one is about a girl who becomes a midwife's apprentice, is as perhaps obvious from the title.

Alyce begins the book a rejected and starving orphan child who has never been called anything better than Brat. Over the course of the book Alyce changes name and role multiple times, as she grows up a little and learns more about herself and the world. Nobody in the book is an uncomplicatedly good person (except perhaps Magister Reese!) but Alyce takes from each person and interaction what she needs in order to piece herself together into a person who knows herself and knows what she wants in her life and can stand up for herself and those she cares about.

It's not a book about a person developing close emotional bonds with other people, my usual jam; instead, it's about a person developing a close emotional bond with herself. The arc of the book is about self-determination, and it's really satisfying!

Also this is the 100th book I've read so far in 2020! Only the second time in 13 years I've made it above that barrier! And now I've only gotta read 11 more books this year to beat my all-time best since I first started keeping track of my books. And you know, I think that just might be doable :D

Comments

[genarti]

I love this book! I too was much more into Catherine, Called Birdy when I read them as a kid, I think. I reread The Midwife's Apprentice a few years back, and was startled by how much it's true that, as you say, no one in the book is an uncomplicatedly good person. The midwife, in particular, is SUCH a complex and flawed and at times frankly awful mentor, and yet somehow the story is overall so satisfying? Alyce! She's so great!

(Also: 100 books! Golly, go you!)

[sophia_sol]

Yeah the midwife is fascinating! She's pretty awful, but she's also the vector by which Alyce is able to make all the changes to her life. And at the end when Alyce goes back to her, it's in the full knowledge of exactly what she's agreeing to and she feels that it's worth it because of what the midwife can teach her. I love Alyce a lot!

And I love that Alyce also doesn't just blindly trust all the ways that the midwife has of handling birth - Alyce also learns from the cow birthing experience, that being kind to the birthing parent can be helpful too, which is directly opposite from the midwife's approach.

[pauraque]

Yay, so many books! You can do it!

[sophia_sol]

thanks! I'm pretty pleased with myself :)

[chestnut_pod]

I had both those as a child! I always liked The Midwife's Apprentice better, actually, because who wouldn't prefer detailed scenes of soap-making and medically inadvisable obstetric practices?

Congrats on 100!

[sophia_sol]

hah, I had access to other books that went more in-depth into things like soap-making and obstetrics so those didn't stand out to me in this one, and I was bored of what seemed to me at the time to be undue focus on the cat!

[cahn]

Oooooh! I actually have never read this one, despite loving Catherine, Called Birdy! I have no idea why -- I shall remedy this next time I request books from the library :)

[sophia_sol]

Highly recommended, hope you enjoy it! :) although also honestly every single one of Karen Cushman's other books I've read have been equally wonderful, she knows her niche and she plays within it so well

[mergatrude]

My library didn't have either of these, but it did have Greyling. Deliberately more a fantasy set in medieval times (with magic), the main character was wonderful. Actually, all the characters were well done, even if they weren't likeable. Thanks for pointing me in her direction.

[sophia_sol]

Oh yay, glad you enjoyed that book! I've read some other Cushman books before too and every one I've read has been excellent.