Good Masters, Sweet Ladies!

Schlitz, L. A. (2007). Good masters, sweet ladies! Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village is a story with fictional characters, and is based on actual roles of people during the Middle Ages with real historical elements. The story is told by 23 characters in 19 monologues and 2 dialogues. The book encompasses medieval life in Europe as it describes all of the gory details of filth, disease, maggots, superiority, poverty, and more. The setting and theme of unfairness among the characters seem to correlate and provide insight for the reader of the cruel conditions of the Middle Ages. From 23 different perspectives, the book encompasses  almost every role needed for a Medieval village.

Textbook Assignment 4:

Centered around the Middle Ages, Good Masters, Sweet Ladies gives you an insight of what life was like for both the wealthy and the peasants of the time. The stories are told through a collection of small plays and they all have a connection. Each play tells of the struggles young individuals encountered during the medieval times. They are all told in the first person point of view giving the readers vivid details about their lives. From the story of the lord’s nephew, Hugo, to the beggar named Giles, the reader gets a glimpse of medieval life. This book contained seventeen monologues and two dialogues. Each giving the different perspectives of medieval children as they lived their lives according to their social status. This book is filled with traditions, ways of life, and religion during the Middle Ages.

Meet-the-Author Book Reading with Laura Amy Schlitz:
 http://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=1228  

Personal Website for Laura Amy Schlitz:
 http://www.thenightfairy.com/