The Midwife's Apprentice

Jenny Sterlin's narration of this Newbery Medal-winning story of life in the Middle Ages lacks luster and substance. Sterlin's bland vocal expression, with limited inflection or nuance, adds little to the distinctions of meaning throughout the story. Alice's feelings about being cold, hungry and alone, and the musings that lead to her discovery of confidence and courage, are treated much the same as the plot. R.M. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

March 27, 1995
Having focused on a well-born young heroine in her Newbery Honor debut novel, Catherine, Called Birdy, Cushman returns to a similar medieval English setting, this time to imagine how the other half lived. The strengths of this new, relatively brief novel match those of its predecessor: Cushman has an almost unrivaled ability to build atmosphere, and her evocation of a medieval village, if not scholarly in its authenticity, is supremely colorful and pungent. The protagonist here first appears asleep in a heap of dung; the ``rotting and moiling'' of the refuse give forth heat enough to compensate for the stench. Homeless and nameless, she can remember no time when she did not wander from village to village. She is rescued from the dung heap by a sharp-tongued local midwife, who feeds her in exchange for work. Gradually the girl forges an identity for herself and learns some timeless truths. Some of the characterizations lack consistency (particularly that of the midwife), the plot depends on a few too many conveniences and the development of the themes seems hurried--but no matter. The force of the ambience produces more than enough momentum to propel the reader from start to finish in a single happy sitting. Ages 12-up.

From the first sentence, strains of music and the British accent of actress Charlotte Coleman transport the listener to the medieval world of Beetle, the midwife's newly adopted apprentice. Coleman's slightly nasal voice has an air of immaturity, which emphasizes the child's point of view in the third-person narration of this Newbery winner. The text is read at a lively pace with careful attention to the disdainful attitude of Jane Sharp, the midwife, and the innocent wonder of Beetle. Listeners will acquire knowledge about medieval life, birthing practices and herbs, both from the story and from the author interview, which is conducted by a young reader at the end. The author also reads an epilogue following this seamlessly abridged text. T.B. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine