Synopses & Reviews
In her long-awaited new novel, Newbery medalist Karen Cushman assembles a cast of unforgettable characters in a fascinating and pungent setting: the medical quarter of a medieval English village. To Blood and Bone Alley, home of leech, barber-surgeon, and apothecary, comes Matilda, raised by a priest to be pious and learned, and now destined to assist Red Peg the Bonesetter. To Matildas dismay, her work will not involve Latin or writing, but lighting the fire, going to market, mixing plasters and poultices, and helping Peg treat patients. Matilda is appalled by the worldliness of her new surroundings and yearns for the days at the manor when all she did was study and pray. Lonely and misunderstood, she seems destined for a fate as tragic as that of any of the sharp-tongued saints she turns to for advice.
Filled with the witty dialogue and richly authentic detail that Karen Cushmans work is known for, Matilda Bone is a compelling comic novel about a girl who learns to see herself and others clearly, to laugh, and to live contentedly in this world. Authors note.
Review
"Writing with admirable economy and a lively ability to re-create the past believably, Cushman creates a memorable portrayal of a troubled, rather mulish girl who begins to use her strong will in positive ways." Booklist
Review
"Meggy is a heroine in mind and deed. Cushman has the uncanny ability to take a time and place so remote and make it live.... A gem." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Cushman adds another intrepid, resourceful, courageous girl to her repertoire in this tale set in 16th-century London....Cushman fans...will not be disappointed." School Library Journal
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"Cushman brings a distant historical setting...to life with evocative details and authentic dialogue. She never shies away from the harsh realities of the times." Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Synopsis
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.
Synopsis
Meggy Swann is newly arrived in Elizabethan London with her only friend, a goose named Louise. Just as her alchemist father pursues his Great Work of transforming base metal into gold, Meggy finds herself pursuing her own transformation, in this new novel by Newbery Medalist Cushman.
Synopsis
Catherine, a spirited and inquisitive young woman of good family, narrates in diary form the story of her fourteenth year--the year 1290. A Newbery Honor Book.
Synopsis
From the author of Catherine, Called Birdy comes another spellbinding novel set in medieval England. The girl known only as Brat has no family, no home, and no future until she meets Jane the Midwife and becomes her apprentice. As she helps the sharp-tempered Jane deliver babies, Brat--who renames herself Alyce--gains knowledge, confidence, and the courage to want something from life: "A full belly, a contented heart, and a place in this world." Medieval village life makes a lively backdrop for the funny, poignant story of how Alyce gets what she wants. A concluding note discusses midwifery past and present. A Newbery Medal book.
Synopsis
Karen Cushman's Newbery Medal-winning classic about a young girl with no family, no home, and no future who becomes the apprentice of a midwife and finally learns to want something from life: "A full belly, a contented heart, and a place in this world."
Synopsis
Another winning Elizabethan-era novel with an incomparable heroine by Newbery medalist Karen Cushman. With witty dialogue and richly authentic detail, Cushman tells the story of a pious and learned girl who is transported from her days of study and prayer at the manor to become a bonesetter's assistant in the slums of a medieval English village.
About the Author
Newbery Medalist Karen Cushman has written many critically acclaimed novels for young readers. She lives in Washington State.