40 pages • 1 hour read
The Midwife's Apprentice
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary and Study Guide
Overview
The Midwife’s Apprentice was written by Karen Cushman and published in 1991 by Houghton Mifflin. A young adult historical fiction novel set in medieval England, the story follows a young unhoused girl with no ambitions or sense of belonging as she experiences kindness and learns to have confidence in herself and find her place in the world through midwifery. The book won the John Newbery Medal in 1996, an honor also given to Cushman’s 1995 novel Catherine, Called Birdy. Karen Cushman is the author of several books and anthologies for young readers, mostly in the historical fiction category.
This guide follows the 2019 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company hardcover edition of The Midwife’s Apprentice.
Content Warning: The source text depicts animal cruelty, difficult childbirth experiences, and pregnancy loss.
Plot Summary
The Midwife’s Apprentice follows Brat (who is also called Beetle and later Alyce), an unhoused girl who seeks a purpose in life and a place to belong. At the story’s outset, Brat—who is around 12 or 13, though she doesn’t know for sure—has lived alone for as long as she can remember, running from village to village and stealing what she needs to survive. When a severe-looking woman bids her to be on her way, Brat desperately offers to work for food.
Unlock all 40 pages of this Study Guide
Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
