The Midwife's Apprentice cover art

The Midwife's Apprentice

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The Midwife's Apprentice

By: Karen Cushman
Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin
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About this listen

 Lyrical yet unsentimental, The Midwife's Apprentice won the coveted 1996 Newbery Medal. Filled with striking characters, it paints unforgettable pictures of village life in the Middle Ages, the midwife's craft, and a very remarkable girl's growing independence and pride.

Brat has no name, no home, and no shelter against the 14th-century English winter except the foul warmth of a dung heap. So when Jane the Midwife wakes her with a kick and takes the half-starved creature to her cottage, a curious relationship begins. Jane teaches Brat to gather herbs and make the poultices used to ease the pain of childbirth for the village women.

The skinny young girl quickly learns to obey the sharp-tongued midwife, and secretly watches Jane practice her art whenever she can. But Jane is also teaching Brat unspoken lessons that will take longer - maybe a lifetime - to master.

©1995 Karen Cushman (P)1996 Recorded Books Action & Adventure Historical Fiction Literature & Fiction

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All stars
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Beautifully written, beautifully narrated, thank you for putting on audible plus. Would highly recommend. Will
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A beautiful story

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I loved this. The story of Alice from itinerant beggar to midwife in the Middle Ages is poetically told and beautifully read.

Totally charming and really beautiful

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Not much of a story but short, included and nicely narrated. I wouldn’t look for another by this author

Midwife’s apprentice

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