Book Review - Catherine, Called Birdy

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cushman, Karen. (2019). CATHERINE, CALLED BIRDY. HarperCollins. New York, NY.
ISBN: 9781328631114

2. PLOT SUMMARY

In this story, Catherine, a thirteen year old girl, details her life via journal entries as she
navigates her life as a nobleman's daughter. She tells of each of her rebellious actions to
keep from marrying various suitors and her avoidance of her duties as a “lady”. The book
takes place over the course of a full year and starts with Catherine rejecting what was
expected of her to her eventual acceptance and learning to take control of her life in the
ways that she’s able.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The story takes place in the thirteenth century with an authenticity that is palatable to
young readers. The frank honesty of the times in regards to gender roles, marital
expectations, and child rearing is done well as the author explains it through the point of
view of the main character. As a young girl, almost woman in those times, the main
character is expected to find a suitor for financial gain, must attend sewing sessions, and
observes how her older brother treats his newly wed who is even younger than her. The
thoughts and feelings of a newly turned teenager revolting against her parents beliefs
and presumptions are relatable to the targeted age group and understandable to older
readers.

The author also uses appropriate language for the setting being in the 1200s. For
example, she uses the phrase, “comely from afar”, “yestereve” and “yesternoon”, and
“mayhap” frequently throughout the book. This allows the reader to feel immersed in the
time period while still making it easy to comprehend. The structure of diary entries helps
hold the reader's interest to see what the next day will bring and delivers candidacy to
the unpredictability of life. Such as bad news being a sentence or two entry of the day,
making the reader feel the heavy grief.

Overall, this novel is a frank account of a young girl’s life that at times is harsh and
unfair, but delivers a real story of the struggles back then and how one can learn to
make the most of them.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

NEWBERY HONOR BOOK
KIRKUS STARRED REVIEW: “The period has rarely been presented for young people
with such authenticity; the exotic details will intrigue readers while they relate more
closely to Birdy's yen for independence and her sensibilities toward the downtrodden”

5. CONNECTIONS

*Students could write about what they believe is expected of them and how it relates to
the main character’s own struggles of meeting her family’s expectations.
*Other historical fiction books by Karen Cushman with a female lead:
THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE: ISBN 978-0064406307
MATILDA BONE: ISBN 978-0547533230
THE BALLAD OF LUCY WHIPPLE: ISBN 978-1328631138

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