ALCHEMY AND MEGGY SWANN by Karen Cushman

ALCHEMY AND MEGGY SWANN by Karen Cushman

Bibliography: Cushman, Karen. 2010 ALCHEMY AND MEGGY SWANN.  Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/ Sandpiper.  ISBN: 978-0-547-57712-8

Plot Summary: Set in 1573 London, the story follows a young girl named Meggy Swann as she is sent off to live with her father after her grandmother passes away. Meggy’s legs are crippled and she must walk with two walking sticks.  She is bad tempered and expects to be treated the way she always has, as an outcast.  Meggy is forced to live with her father who isn’t expecting a daughter let alone a crippled daughter.  He sent for his child so he might have help in his laboratory working to find the “elixir of life.”  When Meggy looks to be very little help he abandons her to a pallet downstairs.  Through strange events Meggy overhears a plot most dastardly and fears for her father’s soul.  Meggy is smart and strong and finds a way to save an unknowing baron.    Through the story Meggy makes friends, learns a lot about herself, and learns what family truly is.

Critical Analysis: I loved this story! It was a little slow to get going and the language, old English, made it very difficult to understand some times, but the bones of the story are fantastic.  Readers really become attached to Meggy and her problems.  She is angry and untrusting from too many years of being picked on, called a witch, and having things thrown at her.  The way Karen Cushman writes the character makes the reader want to defend Meggy and to understand why.  My favorite part of the book had to be the players.  Master and Mistress Grimm, their flamboyant children, and Master Merryman are the light point in this story.  They are fun and loving making them a joy to read about.  Roger, Meggy’s one friend, is a lot like a golden retriever.  He is loyal to Meggy and makes her feel good about herself.  His constant grin and carefree attitude make him a loveable knight in shining armor for the story.  Overall, this story is very interesting and you will get engulfed in it just as I have. 

            NOTE: I had to look up some words I didn’t know so this might be frustrating for younger readers.

Review Excerpts:

·      Kirkus Reveiws: “Cushman has the uncanny ability to take a time and place so remote and make it live. Readers can hear and see and smell it al as if they are right beside Meggy.”

·      Publisher’s Weekly: “Cushman’s newest novel has all the elements that have made her earlier books so beloved.”

Connections:

·      This story would be a great short chapter book for children introducing them to London in the 1500’s.

·      The language is very interesting and there may be some words children (or adults) don’t know.  This can open doors for a teachable moment!  It’s a great way to have them be in charge of their learning and to find the answer for themselves.

·      Other books by this author:

o   Cushman, Karen. 2006. THE LOUD SILENCE OF FRANCINE GREEN.  New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN: 978-0618504558.

o   Cushman, Karen. 2000.  MATILDA BONE. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN: 978-0440418221.