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Title: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village
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Manufacturer: Candlewick Press
List Price: $19.99
Our Price: $11.99
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| Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Candlewick Press Poetry and Beautiful Illustrations | I'm not a big follower of awards, but there are two literary awards that almost never disappoint--the Booker Prize and the Newbery Award. I try to make a point of reading as many of these winners as I can because they are always pleasurable and often end up being among my favorites. If Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! won't end up being among my favorite Newbery's, it is still a wonderful read.
Subtitled "Voices From a Medieval Village," in this book Ms. Schlitz gives a series of poetic monologues from different characters in a medieval village, from nobility to serfs. It is well done, using various styles and personalities and often linking different stories together in subtle ways. She also includes some background information on medieval life and definitions of various terms. It should also be noted that Robert Byrd's illustrations are absolutely beautiful.
If this book is missing, for me, some of the power and emotional impact of, say, Karen Cushman's books set in medieval times (and also Newbery winners), that is no fault of Ms. Schlitz. She is trying to achieve something rather different and she does that rather well. (I also have to admit being personally pickier about poetry over prose.) Still, this book is excellent and should be read, particularly with all the young readers in your house. | | Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Candlewick Press Absolutely fantastic! | | I am going to get this for my 12-year-old daughter!! Great, great, great, way to experience medieval life in England!! | | Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Candlewick Press Excellent choice for a Newbery | Finally, a book worthy of the Newbery. Ms. Schlitz is a librarian who wrote this for some students studying the medieval era. Robert Byrd's vibrant illustrations definitely complement the book. Ms. Schlitz weaves together an history of medieval England with the personal accounts of 23 characters whose lives intertwine. It is not a novel so much as historical fiction in a series of short plays (19 monologues and 2 dialogues).
The author provides interesting background information that sets the stage for the characters and gives the reader a snapshot of medieval life. The characters are related in that they live in the same place, and each one has a unique perspective, but there is no overarching story to tie all of characters together. | | Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Candlewick Press Deeply Felt Vignettes | Winner of the 2008 Newbery Medal, "Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!" is a collection of 21 short monologues and dialogues -- poetry and prose -- written in the voices of kids in and around a 1255 English manor.
Each child is tagged with a role in the manor's society or trades (for example, the Lord's daughter, the miller's son), but each also illustrates what it's like to conquer a fear, or lose a parent, or be an outcast, or be heavy with responsibility ... or feel the first stirrings of romance. The stories pulse with tension and emotion, and build beautifully as the various characters sometimes echo one other, sometimes contrast. Robert Byrd's illustrations enhance the narratives, and the author uses footnotes and intermissions to supply bits of medieval history; she also provides a 54-item bibliography.
A terrific book, highly recommended! | | Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Candlewick Press This is not a book...it's the Wayback machine! | | Although Ms. Schlitz wrote this as a children's play, it is an education and entertainment for adults. Set in the year 1255, it takes us through daily life in the village. The smells, the language, the people, what they wear, what they believe, how they relate to one another and how they accept their various roles unfold before us, bringing us deeper and deeper into village life. At its best, the book is so captivating, readers will have to jerk themselves out of the past and shake off its lingering grasp everytime the book is put aside. We get such an intimate look, told in first person, that the grip of the narrators is amazingly strong. We learn of the abject poverty of many, the splendid cosseting of the few, as we peek in their windows and listen to their voices. Beautifully written, and exhaustively researched, the book is truly a jaunt in a time machine. Ms. Schlitz does not make the mistake of relying too heavily on era-appropriate language, so her speakers are completely understandable to us...but she throws in enough jargon to season the mix to perfection. My suggestion: Read a few pages and close your eyes. The scenes should come to life in the imagination. The accompaniment of intriguing drawings helps animate the prose. All in all, this is a one of a kind read for people of all ages. History buffs, lovers of historical fiction, even people who simply like to eavesdrop on our (historical) neighbors will get a big kick out of the book--while getting a painless but detailed education about the many, many layers medieval life. | | Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Candlewick Press Product Description | Step back to an English village in 1255, where life plays out in dramatic vignettes illuminating twenty-two unforgettable characters.
Maidens, monks, and millers’ sons — in these pages, readers will meet them all. There’s Hugo, the lord’s nephew, forced to prove his manhood by hunting a wild boar; sharp-tongued Nelly, who supports her family by selling live eels; and the peasant’s daughter, Mogg, who gets a clever lesson in how to save a cow from a greedy landlord. There’s also mud-slinging Barbary (and her noble victim); Jack, the compassionate half-wit; Alice, the singing shepherdess; and many more. With a deep appreciation for the period and a grand affection for both characters and audience, Laura Amy Schlitz creates twenty-two riveting portraits and linguistic gems equally suited to silent reading or performance. Illustrated with pen-and-ink drawings by Robert Byrd — inspired by the Munich-Nuremberg manuscript, an illuminated poem from thirteenth-century Germany — this witty, historically accurate, and utterly human collection forms an exquisite bridge to the people and places of medieval England. |
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