Hi everyone! How are you all? It’s Friday, which means it’s time for another review, and today, I’m reviewing Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman.

Catherine, Called Birdy was first published in May 1994 by Clarion Books and (my copy) is 147 pages long.

The Plot

The story focuses on Catherine, a young girl living in medieval England, as she navigates her daily life while trying to thwart her father’s attempts to have her married off.

Characters

Catherine (Birdy)

The protagonist of the story, Catherine, also known as Birdy, is a strong-willed, intelligent, and fiercely independent 14-year-old girl who struggles against the confines of societal norms of 13th-century England, where daughters are sold into marriage and women in general are tasked with being ‘ladies’ and taking care of the men.

She is kind – especially to animals – and incredibly witty, and her spirit of rebellion and her sharp observations about the people and world around her make her an engaging character that you can’t help but root for as she dreams of escaping her arranged marriage and living life on her own terms.

Mother (Lady Aislinn)

Lady Aislinn is Catherine’s mother. She is a gentle but firm woman who tries to guide Catherine towards becoming a proper lady. When Catherine riles against the idea of marrying a man she doesn’t know, never mind love, her mother helps her to see that marriage is what a person makes of it.

Father (Lord Rollo)

Catherine’s father, Lord Rollo, is the complete opposite of Catherine and, to a large extent, his wife. He is stern, often violent with Catherine, and unwavering in his expectations of her. His primary pursuit in the story is to marry Catherine off.

Morwenna

Morwenna is a maid in Catherine’s household. She is kind and understanding and sometimes serves as a confidante to Catherine.

Perkin

Perkin is a goatherd and Catheirne’s best friend. He is kind, loyal and good-natured, often acting as a sounding board for Catherine.

Uncle George

Uncle George is one of the very few men Catherine genuinely likes. He is full of tales of his adventures in the Crusades. He is described as handsome and charismatic, with Catherine becoming wholly captivated by him, growing jealous when he falls for her friend Aelis, causing her to ‘curse’ them and their love.

Shaggy Beard

Shaggy Beard is an old and wealthy suitor chosen by Catherine’s father for her to marry. Catherine strongly dislikes him. We don’t learn much about him throughout the story, except that he’s got horrible manners and he’s cruel.

Writing Style

Cushman’s writing style is engaging and draws you in from the first sentence. However, two things make the book wonderfully intriguing: the witty humour as Catherine describes her world and all the people inhabiting it and its strong feminist undertones.

I love reading stories where a female character subverts what society has always deemed ‘the norm’. It helps to show that women are human beings (I know, sorry to burst some of your bubbles! Alas, it’s true!), and are capable of behaving in the same ways men are and having the same feelings and thoughts as men. Who’d have thought?

The story is written in a diary format, written in the first person and told from the perspective of Catherine. The diary style makes it easy for inter-chapter breaks because most entries are a few paragraphs long at most.

The story moves at a lovely, consistent pace as Catherine records both the mundane and the excitement of her daily life; Cushman has done a brilliant job of creating a vivid, detailed setting that immerses readers in the era. This is not your typical clean historical fiction, though; it is raw, realistic, and filled with the often crude realities of life during that period, offering a realistic glimpse into medieval life and customs and providing historical context for readers to better understand the challenges and limitations faced by people, (most notably women) during that time.

Even though it was published in 1994 and set in the 1200s, the messages in the book are still very much relevant today. In today’s world, where societal pressures and expectations are everpresent, this book serves as a reminder that it’s okay to be different and to challenge the status quo.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a younger reader or simply young at heart, this book offers a refreshing and entertaining look at medieval life. It is a well-written, engaging, and insightful novel, combining history and fiction effortlessly.

This book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys historical stories with strong, interesting female characters and for people who enjoy getting inside a character’s head – this book certainly offers that.

So, if you’re looking to be transported to another time and to feel encouraged to be your own unique self, then Catherine, Called Birdy is definitely worth a read.

I am giving this one a 7/10.

Have you read the book or watched the film adaptation starring Bella Ramsey and Billie Piper? I’m yet to see the film, but if it’s even close to the novel, I’m sure I’ll love it.

Thank you, as ever, for stopping by to read my review. It means a lot.

Until next time,

George

© 2024 GLT

Categories: Book Reviews, Reading

Tags: book review, Catherine, Karen Cushman, Medieval, review, Strong Female Characters, Strong women