The Witch's Brat

The Witch's Brat is another poignant tale from the wonderful Rosemary Sutcliff — author of so many classic historical novels I have loved from a young age. Lovel is just eleven when his grandmother, the village "witch," dies and leaves him to the untender mercy of the villeins who believe he belongs to the Evil One due to his crooked shoulder and humped back. Stoned and reviled, Lovel is driven from the village and eventually finds sanctuary with Augustinian monks.

One day Rahere, the king's jongleur (or jester) visits the monastery and shows Lovel the kindness that so few ever had. He leaves the next day but Lovel remembers his half-invitation to come back someday. Years pass and eventually Lovel's talent for healing is discovered. show more Slowly he grows into his role at the infirmary and finds contentment with this life until Rahere returns. Rahere is opening a hospital at Smithfield and invites Lovel to be the infirmarer — a position he joyfully accepts.

The roughness of life in the medieval era is not downplayed. Lovel receives harsh treatment from many and there are sad descriptions of the poor sick who come to the hospital (like the sick woman clutching her baby, begging Lovel to make the child better... the baby was dead). Sutcliff does not linger on the harshness but lets us see it through a child's eyes, a child who accepts it as normal and manages to survive in spite of it.

Sutcliff seems interested in the fate of people in historical times who had disabilities of some kind. My favorite of her novels, Warrior Scarlet, has this same theme. Life was so rough and difficult in many past centuries, and how such individuals overcome their physical disability and find a meaningful place in the society of their time is a fascinating twist on the usual historical-hero story. The author bio in the back tells of Sutcliff's own lengthy illnesses as a child and I wonder if that is why characters with physical ailments play a lead role in several of her stories.

I meant to just read a few chapters but finished this little novel in one evening. As always, Sutcliff finds the common human thread of experience that is universal across centuries and weaves her story around it — making her characters live in the imagination. show less

This is one of those stories written for children that's also suitable for adults. This adult liked it, anyway.

Despite the title, this isn’t a supernatural tale. Rather, it’s set when people were superstitious about anyone who’s different to the norm. The ‘witch’ is a wise woman who people are a little afraid of but they seek her help for cures to ailments.

The ‘brat' is the wise woman’s grandson. He’s also humpbacked and lame, which really earns people’s distrust. After his grandmother dies early in the novel, the boy loses his protection and is persecuted.

The plot is set over several years during the first quarter of the twelfth century. Monks and monasteries are the main settings.

I like the first two-thirds of the show more book much more than the final third when we have a change of scenery. This involves a lot of static description regarding the main character’s journey on foot to London. Once he reaches London, my interest wanes a little. It’s not terrible or boring, but it’s lacking something that’s present earlier in the story.

Overall, though, it’s worth a read. show less

Excellent. Sutcliff always has good, solid, realistic characters - this one is no exception. It's set a good deal later than her usual Roman Britain ones - around the death of Prince Hal in the White Ship (which is a somewhat important event in the story). The setting is very solid and realistic as well; she tells us who is a historical character and who isn't, but weaves the story so nicely that they _could_ have been real. I was crying at several points, and laughing at others. It's a skinny little book and presented as a children's book, but she's definitely not talking down to children!
Reread - still excellent. And worth rereading many times more.

A sweet tale of a crippled boy forced from his home village who first finds a home among the Benedictine monks at Winchester and then among the Augustinians at Smithfield outside London. As usual, Sutcliff keeps anachronisms from marring historical narrative.

Another interesting story, set in an era not commonly used for historical novels - the reign of Henry I - and tells about the founding of St Bartholomew's hospital in London.

"You will be one of the menders of this world; not the makers, nor yet the breakers; just one of the menders. . . . When the time comes, you'll know."

-- Rosemary Sutcliff, The Witch's Brat

The best of several profound and very beautiful quotes from this book. I aspire to be "one of the menders," both physically and spiritually, as the main character is.qq

Ex-lib. Ulysses Philomathic Library, Trumansburg, NY