Book Descriptions
for Matilda Bone by Karen Cushman
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Self-righteous Matilda has a hard time adapting to her new life as an apprentice to Red Peg the Bonesetter, who lives in Blood And Bone Alley where “ordinary people came to be bled, dosed, and bandaged.” Matilda, after all, has lived her first 14 years in a manor, surrounded by servants and saints. But now that her guardian Father Leufredus has been called to London to swear his support for young King Edward III, Matilda finds herself in the care of a tough, independent woman who expects the girl to engage in menial labor as she learns the tricks of the trade. Matilda’s gradual transformation from a helpless whiner into a tough, independent young woman in her own right is both funny and credible. Cushman fills her story, which is set against the backdrop of a medieval English village, with plenty of details about early medical practices and the role of women in the field at that time. (Ages 8-13)
CCBC Choices 2001. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2001. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
Newbery Medal-Winning Author: A sheltered, self-involved girl finds herself apprenticed to a bonesetter in medieval England in a tale “laced with humor” (Kirkus Reviews).
Into the fascinating, pungent setting of Blood and Bone Alley, home of leech, barber-surgeon, and apothecary, comes Matilda, raised by a priest to disdain worldly affairs and focus on spiritual matters. To Matilda’s dismay, her work will not involve Latin or writing, but practical tasks: lighting the fire, going to market, mixing plasters and poultices, and helping Peg treat patients. She is appalled by the worldliness of her new surroundings, and the sharp-tongued saints she turns to for advice are no help at all.
Filled with the witty dialogue and richly authentic detail that Karen Cushman’s 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.
“Will capture readers’ imaginations and hearts.” —VOYA
“This humorous, frank look at life in the medical quarters in medieval times shows readers that love and compassion, laughter and companionship, are indeed the best medicine.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
Into the fascinating, pungent setting of Blood and Bone Alley, home of leech, barber-surgeon, and apothecary, comes Matilda, raised by a priest to disdain worldly affairs and focus on spiritual matters. To Matilda’s dismay, her work will not involve Latin or writing, but practical tasks: lighting the fire, going to market, mixing plasters and poultices, and helping Peg treat patients. She is appalled by the worldliness of her new surroundings, and the sharp-tongued saints she turns to for advice are no help at all.
Filled with the witty dialogue and richly authentic detail that Karen Cushman’s 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.
“Will capture readers’ imaginations and hearts.” —VOYA
“This humorous, frank look at life in the medical quarters in medieval times shows readers that love and compassion, laughter and companionship, are indeed the best medicine.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.
