Matilda Bone

Matilda Bone
By Karen Cushman

Matilda has been raised with all the education of a lady in the middle ages, but without love. An orphan in a large manor house, her only real companion has been the priest who has taught her about heaven and hell, saints and demons, and very little about the world around them. When the priest is called away, Matilda finds herself sent to Blood and Bone Alley, to live and work with a bonesetter named Red Peg. As Matilda tries to remain saintly and thoughtful, she is thrust into the world of medieval medicine, and is forced to rely on her own skills instead of her prayers. However, Matilda can’t quite reconcile her spiritual beliefs with the harsh world around her, and she continues to struggle with ideas of right and wrong. Matilda is a wonderful character, and she grows and evolves as the story progresses, becoming at last someone unique and original. This book is a fun story, with lots of interesting details about medicine and doctors in the middle ages, including lots of ideas that seem pretty silly to modern readers.

-Ms. McConnel