Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

 

Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

         Cushman, K. (2019). Catherine, Called Birdy. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9781328631114

Life is difficult, and no one knows it better than Catherine, a fourteen-year-old girl living in 1290. She wants nothing more than to be free, but as she grows older, she is burdened with the prospect of marriage.  Join Catherine in her diary entries as she narrates her everyday life as a young teen, attempting to thwart every prospective marriage proposal while enjoying life and being free!

Catherine, Called Birdy was such a fun read. Catherine's inner monologue is humorous, and despite living in a time when women had little to no rights, Catherine is a free spirit with many opinions.  While humorous at times, there is a tragedy in the book; Catherine's mother's many miscarriages are mentioned, death is mentioned, and her father's abuse of Catherine.  Readers will sympathize with Catherine as her life is not without struggles, some of which could have been avoided had the book taken place in the present day.  In the end, Catherine is freed, though not in the original sense in which she first longed to be free.  Catherine ultimately accepts her fate in marriage to an older suitor nicknamed "Shaggy Beard," only to find out he has died, and she will marry his much younger and more handsome son.  While readers may read the book rooting for Catherine to end the book without getting married, Catherine ultimately ends up married, which stays true to the times when women were married without a choice.  

While I know little about the 1200s, Karen Cushman (the author) clearly did a lot of research for Catherine, Called Birdy.  The writing style in this book also felt like you were reading texts or emails from a friend rather than someone who would have been alive over 800 years ago. I find it plausible that Catherine's inner monologue would be similar to today's teens, as she was moody, vocal, strong-willed, humorous, and much more, just like any 14-year-old I know today.  Catherine also has her version of cursing ("Corpus Bones") when angry, just like teens today!  I also love how fiercely protective she is of Perkin, the goat boy with a limp, to the point where she pushes one of the few boys she thought could be a potential suitor because he made fun of Perkin.  

Readers will embark on a rollercoaster of emotions told through the enjoyable eyes of a fourteen-year-old living in 1290. By the end of the book, readers will rejoice as they see that Catherine is indeed free in her own way and be thoroughly entertained as they learn about the day-to-day life of a person living in the Middle Ages. 

What do readers think of Catherine, Called Birdy?  Kirkus Reviews says that "The period [in Catherine, Called Birdy] has rarely been presented for young people with such authenticity; [and] the exotic details will intrigue readers while they relate more closely to Birdy's yen for independence and her sensibilities toward the downtrodden."  If you enjoyed Karen Cushman's unique take on historical fiction titles, you will also enjoy her other titles, The Midwife's Apprentice, Matilda Bone, or Will Sparrow's Road.  

Some of the Awards for Catherine, Called Birdy

• Heartland Award
• Commonwealth Club of California Silver Medal
• Newbery Honor Book
• Horn Book Fanfare
• Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts (NCTE)
• ALA Notable Children's Book
• School Library Journal Best Book

Citations

Catherine, called birdy. HarperCollins. (n.d.-a). https://www.harpercollins.com/products/catherine-called-birdy-karen-cushman?variant=39936137822242

Cushman, K. (2010, May 19). Catherine, called birdy. Kirkus Reviews. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/karen-cushman/catherine-called-birdy/

Cushman, K. (2019). Catherine, Called Birdy. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.