Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices From a Medieval Village

Bibliography
Schlitz, Laura Amy. 2007. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices From a Medieval Village. Ill. by Robert Byrd. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick. ISBN 9780763615789

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village (unabr.). 2 cassettes or 2 CDs. 1:30 hrs. Recorded Books. 2008. CD: ISBN 978-1-4361-1963-4.

Summary

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies is a collection of 19 monologues and 2 dialogues written in the form of short poetry or prose. Set in 1255, each monologue reveals information about the lives of children and adolescents living in a medieval manor. Laura Amy Schlitz wrote this collection of stories for her students who were studying the Middle Ages. Schlitz wrote the collection of monologues and dialogues to be performed on stage-allowing all to be stars.

Critical Analysis

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies is a wonderful collection of monologues and dialogues that help students learn about what life was like in medieval times . Each monologue is connected to another, helping readers learn a little bit more about life in the medieval village. The characters represent the class system from nobility all the way down to the lowest peasant. Although it can be difficult to imagine what life was like during this time, readers are introduced to these characters in a way that allows them to relate and compare their lives. Hugo, the lord’s nephew learns how to battle fear and become a man by killing a wild boar. Hugo feels proud of his accomplishment yet struggles with his fear: “I could smell my sweat, rank with fear, and then –it was like my dream- the underbrush moved, and the sticks shattered. I saw it-bristling, dark as the devil, huge as a horse-and my bowels turned to water.” Girls can relate to Taggot (the blacksmith’s daughter) as she worries about her looks, her size and if she will ever marry. The dialogue between Jacob Ben Salomon and Petronella –a Jewish boy and Christian girl (who actually forget for a few moments that they are supposed to hate each other) help students to understand that religious differences affected children back then as it does today.

The stories are written in English; however, some of the vocabulary is unfamiliar. Schlitz has included definitions and explanations of the words and phrases to help the reader more fully understand the text. Each monologue is full of information that is accurately represented. The author provides a bibliography for further reading. In addition, Schlitz provides informational sections called “A Little Background” and explains about the Three Field System of farming, Medieval Pilgrimages, Jews in Medieval Society, and Towns and Freedom. This background knowledge helps readers to understand the children’s situations better. Some of the stories can be shocking as in the monologue of Barbary, The Mud Slinger. After throwing muck at the Isobel, the lord’s daughter, Barbary feels regret. She runs to the church, encumbered by her twin brothers to pray. She states, “It made me think, how all women are the same-silk or sackcloth, all the same…Isobel, the lord’s daughter will have to be married, and squat in the straw, and scream with the pain and pray for her life, same as me.” Although shocking, it is an accurate portrayal of the life of women during this time. Robert Byrd did the illustrations in ink and watercolor. His stylized illustrations begin with a map of the manor and lands, and each character has a small-boxed illustration representing a portion of the story.

Good Masters, Sweet Ladies was published in 2007. In 2008, Recorded Books produced an audio-taped version. Narrated by Christina Moore, and a full cast of actors, this audio version is beautifully produced. Music from the time enhances the stories and adds to the authenticity of the story. The actor’s portrayals truly help readers (and listeners) to develop a deeper understanding of the subject. The characters become real, individuals through this production. I listened to the CD version after reading the book and found it to hold my attention better than reading the book. I highly recommend sharing this book in audio form to students.

Although younger readers with excellent reading skills would be able to read Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!, I would actually recommend this book for students 13 and older. Some of the characters speak of issues that would be difficult to explain to younger students. This book will allow older readers to understand what life was like in the Middle Ages.

Review Excerpts

Ann Ritchie (Audiofile, August/September 2008)
Life in a medieval village comes alive in Schlitz's monologues and dialogues. They were originally written for students at her school, who were studying England of 1255 and who all wanted to have parts in a school production about the period. Listeners will hear about hunting wild boar, blowing glass, suffering the ignominy of plain looks, crop and field rotation, the trickery of the jester, and the despised miller. Christina Moore sets the stage, and the full cast brings individuality to each personage. Attention to feelings and mood is evident. These medieval young people are genuine in their excitement and their concerns. Through characterization, gentle British accents, and accompanying period music, the listener is treated to theater of the mind with this 2008 Newbery Medal winner. A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine 2008

School Library Journal

Couplets, blank verse, and prose bring children living in a medieval village in 1255 to life in this Newbery Medal-winning book (Candlewick, 2007) by Laura Amy Schlitz. Schlitz created these monologues for 23 characters, ranging in age between 10 and 15, to be performed by the students at the school where she is the librarian. A full cast of narrators do an exceptional job of distinguishing the different characters: the nephew of the Lord, a half-wit, a shepherdess, the blacksmith's daughter, a runaway villain, and others. Along the way, the host steps in and provides more in-depth explanations about topics such as pilgrimages, crusades, falconry, feudal land laws, and Jews in medieval society. The language is lyrical and the separate stories mesh to provide a rich picture of medieval life. Listeners will be drawn in and sympathize with the many different points of view that are offered. Robert Byrd's watercolor-tinted ink drawings add to the telling and will give teachers ideas for costumes. Youngsters who enjoy historical fiction will be enchanted. Drama, social studies, and English teachers will find multiple uses for this audio version. This performance breathes life into the print version and should be considered an essential purchase

Connections

Awards: Cybils Finalist 2007 Poetry, Newbery Medal Winner, 2008

Here is a link to an excellent unit for Good Master! Sweet Ladies! Voices From a Medieval Village. Although this is a subscription website, the $ 39.99 everything subscription is well worth the price. I was able to download PDF files that contained activities for reading skills, vocabulary and spelling, crossword puzzles, word searches, quizzes over each monlogue, writing prompts and pictures that illustrate the difficult vocabulary.
http://search.edhelper.com/cgi-bin/ednet.cgi
Other Books by Laura Amy Schlitz
A Drowned Maiden's Hair: A Melodrama ISBN: 076363812
The Bearskinner: A Tale of the Brothers Grimm ISBN: 0763627305

School Library Journal Blog: Presents an interview with Laura Amy Schlitz
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/420016842.html

Park School Library
http://www.parkschool.net/academics/library/index.cfm