Karen Cushman: Matilda Bone

By MARGIE THOMSON deputy books editor

Fourteenth-century England is brought to life in this story about a 14-year-old girl raised in apparent privilege who is abandoned to life in a dirt-floored hovel where she is apprenticed to Peg, a bonesetter.

Able to read and write, and to speak Latin, Matilda is painfully pious, placing the chill values of her teacher-priest above those of the earthy villagers. This is the story of Matilda's awakening as her preconceptions are tested, and as she begins to build new relationships based on warmth and caring. The historical detail is fascinating and often gruesome.

Macmillan

$14.95