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jmshirtz 's review for:
The Midwife's Apprentice
by Karen Cushman
How do you know when a piece of historical fiction is written really, really well? When the thought of living during that time makes you run for the shower! [a:Karen Cushman|9640|Karen Cushman|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1234137529p2/9640.jpg] has a gift for portraying time periods accurately, and the setting for [b:The Midwife's Apprentice|15595|The Midwife's Apprentice|Karen Cushman|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1305983479s/15595.jpg|168119] is no exception. Beetle, our protagonist, is first described as sleeping in a dung pile, but is soon discovered by Jane, the curmudgeonly midwife who sets her to work as her apprentice. As Beetle becomes more knowlegeable about her trade, and even chooses her own name, she must learn how to make her own place in the world. Very well written, with vivid (no-holds-barred) description, this book pulls you back to the fourteenth century and at the end, while you'll be sad to see Beetle go, you'll be even more glad for running water and refrigerators!