My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I really like this book! It was about a homeless girl who had been homeless and alone ever since she could remember. The only name she knows for herself is Brat until the people in this new village find her sleeping in a dung heap (yes a heap of dung, gross...) for the warmth and start calling her beetle or dung beetle. At first the little bully boys of the village find her, but then the villages mid-wife comes across them and commends her for being smart enough to know that the dung heap would provide heat and says she can come and do little chores and things for her for food and shelter. She ends up helping more and more and becomes known as the Midwifes apprentice. She finds a sickly cat and makes friend with it, gives it cheese to eat and talks to it. Her only friend. The midwife is not exactly a kind individual. She makes friends with one of the bully boys by saving him when all his friends leave him and at another time helping him deliver his beloved cows calves (twins). They become almost secret friends. Beetle also starts learning more about midwifery and gets the oppurtunity to help someone birth a child. She begins thinking that maybe she is smart and of value. She gives herself a new name; Alyce. When she messes up another birth she feels like a failure and runs away. This is a great story about growing up and learning to be yourself, and learning to deal with mistakes. I thought it was a very sweet story!
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