Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!

Voices From a Medieval Village

Schlitz, L. ( 2007). Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!  Voices From a Medieval Village.  Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

This book is set in Medieval England in 1255.  This is a collection of several short monologues, each one about a person that would have lived during that time period.  Each of the monologues tells a little about the person's life and work.  For example, there is Alice, the shepherdess who tells about a night when her favorite sheep Jilly lost her lamb while giving birth.   Or Mariot and Maud, the glassblower's daughters, and the new apprentice, Pier, their father is teaching.  Piers will inherit the business if he marries one of  his daughters, but they both dislike Pier and neither want to marry him.  Along the way, the author tells a little about the history of Medieval England as well. 

This is a very interesting book.  Not only does the reader learn the history of the time period, but also the characters tells of their lives, sorrows, loves, and work.  Each of the characters are also children, which helps the reader know a little about what life was for children during Medieval times.  It is also written in language structures and vocabulary of that time period.  It is a very informative book and history fans will love it!