THE BOOK OF THE MAIDSERVANT by Rebecca Barnhouse

Rebecca Barnhouse, The Book of the Maidservant (Random House Books for Young Readers, 2009).

On CD (Random House, Inc., Listening Library; repackaged by Midwest Tape, LLC, 2009). 6 disks; 6 hours 45 minutes. Also on Nook and Kindle. 

(YOUNG ADULT NOVEL)

Reviewed by Wilda Morris

Joanna, the heroine of this young adult novel, is loosely based on a person who actually existed. The maidservant's mistress wrote (or, I should say, dictated) what is considered to be the first memoir written in English, The Book of Margery Kempe.  Her memoir concentrated on her pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Rome in the first quarter of the fifteenth century. Dame Margery, the mother of 14 children, identified with the sorrows of the Virgin Mary and became a “holy woman.”

As Rebecca Barnhouse read The Book of Margery Kempe, she noticed that Dame Margery made a number of complaints about the maidservant who accompanied her on the journey. She began to ask herself how different the story might be if it were told from the servant's perspective. She made the subject more manageable by concentrating on the pilgrimage to Rome (deleting the trip to the Holy Land). Barnhouse read accounts of other pilgrims for details she could use to make Joanna's story plausible and interesting.

Joanna, in The Book of the Maidservant, is not an entirely willing member of the group of pilgrims. In the course of the trip, she is constantly caught between Dame Margery and the rest of the group. Others in the group insist that she cook and do laundry for them. Dame Margery weeps loudly and vociferously whenever she thinks about the Virgin, which most of the pilgrims find very annoying. Dame Margery also insists on “preaching” to the rest of the pilgrims, telling them they should not sing secular songs or eat meat while on pilgrimage. Since it is illegal for women to preach during this time period, some members of the group fear she would get them all arrested.

The conflict comes to a head in Venice, where Dame Margery goes her own way, leaving Joanna behind. She has to flee the group, with no money. Alone in a foreign land where she does not speak the language, Joanna is determined to find her way to Rome.

I listened to this book on CD while driving. The plot and characters kept me engaged, though the book is marketed primarily for younger readers. Barnhouse did a good job of drawing characters and plotting the story, as well as picturing the culture of pre-reformation Europe. I recommend the book, Barnhouse's debut novel, and/or the CD.