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, starred review * "Queen Elizabeth I is on the throne. London is a sprawling, chaotic city that teems with all manner of humanity. Meggy has come to London ostensibly to serve her alchemist father, a man she has never met. When he rejects her because she is not male and because she is unable to walk normally, she needs all her pluck and determination to rise above her plight...Cushman has the uncanny ability to take a time and place so remote and make it live. Readers can hear and see and smell it all as if they are right beside Meggy. She employs the syntax and vocabulary of the period so easily that it is understood as if it's the most contemporary modern slang. A gem." --Kirkus, starred review * "Cushman adds another intrepid, resourceful, courageous girl to her repertoire in this tale set in 16th-century London...Her courage and confidence grow with each obstacle overcome. Cushman fans who loved Catherine, Called Birdy (1994) and The Midwife's Apprentice (1995, both Clarion) will not be disappointed." --School Library Journal, starred review "Cushman's (Catherine, Called Birdy) newest novel has all the elements that have made her earlier books so beloved. With flawless historical prose, Cushman introduces Meggy Swann....There is no unequivocally happy ending for Meggy, but a better life awaits her, and readers will gladly accompany her on the journey." --Publishers Weekly About the Author Karen Cushman is the acclaimed author of a Newbery Honor book and a Newbery Medal book as well as four other popular historical novels, all published by Clarion Books. She lives on Vashon Island in Washington State.Her web site is www.karencushmanbooks.com.
E**N
Aboslutely loved it
I bought this and a few other Karen Cushman books for some research on a project I'm working on. I like how (in this book and in others) she get the historical accuracy in, without it ever getting boring and I certainly learned a lot!. Even if you're an adult, reading her books can certainly teach you a thing or two, and it's clear a lot of research has gone in to her work. I would definitely recommend any of her books for a young person with an interest in history.I feel the real interesting thing in this book is that you're following a crippled girl who really has to take care of herself, because no one else is willing or can be bothered to do so. Meggy's determination and strong will to survive in a world that doesn't want her, makes for an exceedingly interesting story I can see myself rereading this one.
M**E
A bit dull...
After Meggy Swann's Grandmother dies, her mother sends her to live with her Father, an Alchemist who has sent for her. Upon arriving in London she finds that her Father doesn't want her - for she is a cripple and a girl, he was expecting a boy. Undeterred, Meggy makes a great many friends in London and slowly learns how to live there. Then she hears that her Father is planning to a Baron and Meggy has to decide what to about it...This book is good but it doesn't stand out. It's a quick story, written as if for children in the Seventies, rather than now. However Karen's writing style is vivid and descriptive and Meggy is an engaging character. The idea of her being a cripple is certainly a unique one and I enjoyed learning how she got around London (slowly). It would be easy to sum this entire story up in one sentence: Meggy Swann moves to London and makes friends.Later on she discovers that her Father is making a potion to kill the Baron. Finally, some action! Eh, not really. The book ends with a happy childish ending with everyone singing and dancing around a table. Yes, really.
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