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The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker Audiobook
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(3.07) - 133 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Life is hard for 12-year-old Lucas. First Uncle Asa dies of consumption, then Lizy and Pa. Now Mama is sick. And Lucas is the only one left to take care of her and their Connecticut farm. By the time his neighbor tells him of a strange, new cure, it is too late-Mama has just died. Reeling with sorrow, Lucas wanders until he sees a "help wanted" sign for a doctor's apprentice. He feels better while he is helping to pull teeth, visit the sick, and bury the dead. When he discovers townspeople are dying of consumption here, too, he wants to help them. Should he try the macabre cure? Novelist for young readers, Cynthia DeFelice bases her gripping tale on actual practices of the mid-1800s to cure victims of the disease we now call tuberculosis. Narrator John McDonough will hold listeners spellbound as Lucas heroically attacks a mystery that even the adults can't solve.
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"this was a great book that had an excelent message to it... when his family died i thought that would be the end of him to... i was sure that the cure wouldn't work and it turns out it doesn't but i learned that disease can never be underestimated."
— Vanessa (5 out of 5 stars)
The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whitaker Listener Reviews
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" This was interesting for its depiction of science versus superstition in the treatment of tuberculosis in the mid-1800s. Author is from central New York State. "
— Krista, 1/5/2014 -
" Apprentice to a doctor must overcome superstitions to save lives, see scientifically. "
— Sylvia, 10/20/2013 -
" very funny parts yet it is serious. good book tho "
— Matthew, 5/1/2013 -
" Interesting look at medical knowledge 150 years ago. Nicely told story. "
— Flower, 10/8/2012 -
" I hated this book. It was terrible. Dont read it. "
— Tara, 4/5/2012 -
" I read this book for a teachers book club. I thought it was a nice historical fiction piece. The author does a good job of drawing the reader into the story. It's also not too long, which might appeal to some students :) I would recommend it to middle school and above. "
— Tonya, 2/14/2012 -
" I know I read it in the 7th grade, and I remember liking it.... "
— Iris, 10/8/2011 -
" My son read this for a school assignment and I thought it looked interesting. A quick and easy read for an adult. A great story too. I enjoyed it! "
— Carrie, 7/13/2011 -
" This is a children's book but the topic was so curious I took it home and read it. It's about an alternate cure to TB that involved some macabre practices...based on true stories.... "
— Suzanne, 1/19/2011 -
" This book is amazing. dating back to the 1860's, Lucas and the doctor go around town, trying to save those from "consumption" (tuberculosis) before it is too late. Once i started reading, i couldn't put it down. "
— Matthew, 7/28/2010 -
" I had to read this book for a science project. It wasnt horrible but it was pretty boring. It did teach you alot though. So I would recomend this book to someone who needs a science report book, or needs a scientific book to read. "
— Courtney, 1/3/2010 -
" Cool cool cool. I miss this. I miss reading this kind of books. Cool. Haha. My version of waxing poetic. "
— Novia, 12/30/2009
About Cynthia DeFelice
Cynthia DeFelice is the author of many bestselling books for young readers, including The Ghost of Fossil Glen, Wild Life, Signal, The Missing Manatee, and Weasel. Her books have been nominated for an Edgar Allen Poe Award and listed as American Library Association Notable Children’s Books and Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year, among numerous other honors. She lives in upstate New York.
About John McDonough
John McDonough, one of AudioFile magazine’s Golden Voices, has narrated dozens of audiobooks, and won eleven Earphones Awards. He is known for his narrations of children’s books, including Robert McCloskey’s Centerburg Tales and Albert Marrin’s Commander-in-Chief Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. Outside of his audiobook work, he has starred in a revival of Captain Kangaroo on the Fox Network.