Review of GOOD MASTERS! SWEET LADIES!: VOICES FROM A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE

Bibliography:

Schiltz, Laura Amy. 2007. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village. Illustrated by Robert Byrd. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763615789

Summary:

This 2008 Newbery Award winner consists of nineteen monologues and two dialogues that were written to be performed. Each narrative is presented by a different person living on a medieval English manor in the year 1255 and reveals much about the quality of life for individuals during this time period.

Critical Analysis:

In the foreword to Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village, the author reveals that she read historical novels as a student and “learned that history was the story of survival” (p IX). Laura Schlitz shares that lesson with her audience in this 2008 Newbery Award winner. Not only, does she entertain readers with 22 “miniature plays” written about children living on a manor, but she also educates them about the realities of life in Medieval England. This era of history is often depicted as magical, but Schlitz reveals the harsh truth about growing up in the 13th century in the monologue of Lowdy, the varlet’s daughter, who is “used to lice . . . (and) scrap(ing) away the maggots when they crawl across the cheese . . . I can get used to anything except for the fleas!” (page 61) as well as in the monologue of Will, the plowboy, who cannot understand “why the fields have the right to rest when people don’t” (page 10). Statements such as these reveal the daily struggle for survival most people faced.

Although written for children, the author does not simplify or modernize the words used in the text; instead, she includes footnotes and several “A Little Background” pages to explain unfamiliar words and concepts. Readers learn about pilgrimages, the life of a villein, falconry, and other topics in easy to read, informal inserts that treat the reader as an equal. For instance, when describing pilgrimages, Schlitz states, “Other cures are harder to account for, but that’s beside the point: medieval people did not share our need to understand the world scientifically. They were convinced that water from a shrine . . . could cure disease” (page 23). This style of writing invites draws readers in to the book and allows them to share in the author’s love of history.

In keeping with the time period, the illustrations are reminiscent of artwork created in the 13th century. Robert Byrd’s ink and watercolor illustrations, while not crucial to the narratives, provide a face for each manor resident presented. In fact, each “portrait” appears framed but, at the same time, allows the reader to take a peek at life as each child, from the lord’s nephew to the beggar’s son, views it. After reading Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!, children will be more enlightened and intrigued about medieval life. Perhaps they will take advantage of the detailed bibliography included to pursue a deeper look at this page in history.


Connections:

Have students select parts and present the monologues to other students. Students could create simple costumes to accompany their presentation.


Read other works of historical fiction about this time period, such as:

Avi. CRISPIN: THE CROSS OF LEAD. ISBN 9780786816583
Cushman, Karen. CATHERINE, CALLED BIRDY. ISBN 0060739428
Cushman, Karen. THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE. ISBN 006440630X
De Angeli, Marguerite. DOOR IN THE WALL. ISBN 9780440227793