THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE is a historical-fiction novel about an orphan girl growing up in the Middle Ages. First called Brat, then Dung-Beetle (Beetle for short), the girl looks for a place where she can keep herself warm and her belly full. She goes to work for the midwife, who is never kind to her, but allows her to stay. As Beetle begins to learn a trade, she also learns about herself. She discovers that she is a person worth a name and worth living for.

Listening to this book on audio book is a wonderful way to get even more into Beetle's experience (I won't give away the name she chooses). The accent and speech patterns of the narrator pull the listener into the story in a way that might not be possible by reading alone. As Beetle settles into her life, she begins to have new experiences that raise questions for herself. One memorable scene has Beetle scrubbed clean for the first time in as long as she can remember. She looks at her skin in awe and wonders if she might actually be pretty.

She doesn't know about herself at all in the beginning of the book because her character is brought down to the very basic levels of survival. As these needs become less of a struggle, she begins to wonder about the world and her place in it. As the story progresses, Beetle begins to know what she wants and what she is capable of doing in life.  When the last tape ends, the reader will find themselves sad and longing for just a little more time with this enchanting character.