Catherine, Called Birdy - Book Review

This post was written as a Master's course assignment for Texas Woman's University.

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cushman, Karen. 1994. CATHERINE, CALLED BIRDY. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0395681863

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Catherine, better known as "Little Bird" or "Birdy," is a mischievous, fiery-tempered girl of 14 years, living in Lincolnshire, in the English countryside, during the year 1290. Among her spats with her father, brothers, and occasionally her mother, Birdy is commanded by her favorite brother Edward to write, and this diary-style novel is her fabulous tale, complete with her anti-domestic tendencies, practical jokes, and avoiding-marriage-at-all-costs antics. 

Spending time with the goat boy, "the cleverest boy I know" Perkin, is not the most acceptable behavior for a lady-in-training, and Birdy's father makes several attempts to marry her off to the greatest bidder. Birdy's greatest fear is becoming "Lady Shaggy Beard," wife to the despicable "pig" man who moves within her father's sights. Will Birdy be caged forever, or can her strong willed character allow her a chance at a better, freer life?

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

From the excellent opening line, the reader is amused, curious, and hooked: "I am commanded to write an account of my days. I am bit by fleas and plagued by family. That is all there is to say." This hilarious female protagonist speaks with humor and wit, ruthlessly attacking her "disgusting" father and avoiding her household duties wherever possible. 

Birdy is highly approachable and far from being a prude; her diary allows us to see her eloquent, yet honest opinions. For example: "I think love is like mildew, growing gray and musty on things, spoiling them, and smelling bad." Her voice reflects the flora and fauna, creatures, scents and odors, feasts and drinks of the day. Her life in a well-to-do home seems comfortable, even if sometimes crowded with guests sleeping everywhere.

Forced to spend a great deal of time locked in her room for bad behavior, Birdy does not always mind, since she has 19 caged birds to keep her company. With her mother as teacher, she learns medicinal cures from the era that include some questionable solutions: "mustard seed and boiled snake," as one example.

This novel reads like a modern day, rollicking diary, a period-piece teenage girl's account of how bad everything stinks and how she detests being sold off into marriage. The language includes Birdy's own slang, terms like "Corpus Bones" and "Deus!" and "God's thumbs," all contenders in the "quest for perfect profanity."  The book is divided into chapters (by month), and days, with a good majority of the days including the Saints and Martyrs that are celebrated on that particular day. The extensive celebrations come alive through Birdy's eyes- the Twelve Days of Christmas seem to go on for much longer.

Cushman is excellent at portraying the authentic, daily ins-and-outs of Medieval England. At the end of the novel, she provides many resources for further reading, for children and adults. As noted by the author, Birdy is a little out of character for the day, with her deviant behavior and desire to run free and wild. But her joie de vivre carries the reader on a hilarious ride and leaves us on her side, hoping for the best possible outcome for Little Bird.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

*Newbery Honor Winner

Starred review from SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "This unusual book provides an insider's look at the life of Birdy, 14, the daughter of a minor English nobleman. The year is 1290 and the vehicle for storytelling is the girl's witty, irreverent diary... Superb historical fiction."

Review from KIRKUS: "[Birdy's] tenacity and ebullient naiveté are extraordinary; at once comic and thought-provoking, this first novel is a delight."

5. CONNECTIONS

*Readers may also enjoy other historical fiction novels by Karen Cushman, such as THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE, ISBN 9780547722177. 

*For a modern day similar novel, readers may enjoy the diary-style series by Louise Rennison, beginning with ANGUS, THONGS, AND FULL-FRONTAL SNOGGING: CONFESSIONS OF GEORGIA NICHOLSON, ISBN 9780064472272.