Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices by Laura From Amy Schlitz
Schlitz, L. A. (2007). Good masters, sweet ladies Boston,
MA: Candlewick Press
The author gives a view of what life was like during the
Middle Ages. Educational essays on medieval life, of falconry, Judaism, and the
Crusades convey the life of humor, empathy, and drama in Medieval Village. Set
in 1255 England, a collection of vignettes of humor and tragedy contains poems
written from the point-of-view of various townspeople from aristocracy to servants.
Each character speaks their view of their poverty, superstitions and prejudices
and ambitions. In their adversity, the children are optimistic and cheerful.
The characters tell of their interactions with each other. Pask, a runaway boy for
example, from his severe master, a lord, if he is to stay surviving the cold
winter by hiding in a dog kennel, is fed dog food by the dog owner’s daughter,
in a year; he will be a free slave. The daughter loves her dogs but hates the fleas
that are everywhere in her house. In the
book there are short essays about different facets of life in the village. For
example it tells about how farm land was operated by the inhabitants. There's a
map at the beginning of the book that illustrates the layout of the village.
The village itself becomes real and we are transported back in time.
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