Catherine, called Birdy

Cushman, Karen.  1994.  Catherine, called Birdy.  New York: Clarion Books.  ISBN 0395681863

Summary:

The story revolves around a young girl, age fourteen, named Catherine.  She has created a diary to record  her daily observances and uses corresponding saints to describe each memo.  Catherine includes dates, people, events, and places to  describe her surroundings and how she lived in 1290. Her dislike for marriage leaves Catherine wondering, how she could change her destiny?   She wants to be independent and does not understand how she could be seen as property.  She wants to have more self worth than to be a wife, sold to the highest bidder.   Catherine's father, in true tradition, looks for various suitors for an arranged marriage that is profitable to him.

Characters:

Catherine, is the main character, is a girl, whose viewpoints exceed the time period of 1290.  She has dreams of becoming something other than a housewife.  She wants to be independent and yearns  to find out what  the world is like outside her home.  Catherine does not want an arranged marriage, and goes to extremes to see that it does not happen.  Catherine's father seems to be a believable character in the way he is described in detail.  His attitude, his viewpoints and his need to climb the social ladder makes his character, real.  Her character is somewhat believable in some respects because she wants to be her own person.  Children can appreciate Catherine's need to be independent, like most teenagers, today.  The storyline creates a cohesive correlation to the description of the diary entries.

Plot:

The plot revolves around Catherine and her father, Rollo, who is intent on marrying his daughter to a wealthy man in order to modify his social status.  Each entry of the diary, is a descriptive circumstance of the day.  Catherine's mother is trying to teach her how to be a wife but all Catherine can think about is the outside world.   She fantasizes about  being something  or someone else, other than a wife.   The book does veer off into the relationships of Catherine's brothers and her friends who have similar situations. The overall book revolves around finding a husband for Catherine.  The book has a lot of details because it is structured in a journal format.   The only difficulty were the names of individuals that seemed unfamiliar to today's society.

Setting:

The story takes place in Stonebridge, England in 1290. The depiction of the setting is vivid, throughout the book.  Each description of a place or things can be seen in each diary entry.  The description of the village or how people are perceived are described in detail.  Catherine describes people's emotions, her dislike for her potential suitors and what it is like to live in the specific time period.  Her distaste for her father is evident throughout because she makes insulting references to his character.

Theme:

The idea of arranged marriage is not uncommon and can be see, today, in many cultures.  The moral dilemma for Catherine, is that cultural customs must be honored.  At the same time, Catherine stand her ground, and believes arranged marriage for money is not for her.  Readers can appreciate the character's need for independence.

Style:

The book does keep in line with the time period from the medicinal concoctions to what is eaten on a daily basis.  The language used is in the English language with various words spelled differently giving the reader, the authenticity of the storyline.

Additional Criteria:

The author's notes in the back of the book, recommends several titles of the time period for further reading.  The author does note that research was done for the completion the book.

 

Excerpts:

From Horn Book Magazine

"Her diary of the year 1290 is a revealing, amusing, and sometimes horrifying view both of Catherine's thoughts and of life in the Middle Ages."

A.A.F. 1994. "Catherine, Called Birdy." Horn Book Magazine 70(4): 457-458.

From School Library Journal

"From the number of fleas she kills in an evening to her herbal medicines laced with urine, Birdy reveals fascinating facts about her time period.  A feminist far ahead of her time, she is both believable and lovable."

Shook, Bruce Anne. 1994. "Book review: Junior high up." School Library Journal 40(6): 147.

From Kirkus Reviews

"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."

Kirkus Reviews.  1994.  "Review of Catherine, called Birdy by Karen Cushman.  Accessed November 11.  https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/karen-cushman/catherine-called-birdy/.

 

 

Awards

ALA Best Book for Young Adults

1995 Newberry Honor Books

Notable Children's Books 1995

Top 10 First Novels for Young Listeners- Booklist November 15, 2003

School Library Journal- Best Books 1994

Booklist Best of the Best One-Hundred

Connections

Other Karen Cushman books

The MIdwife's Apprentice ISBN 0547722176

Ballad of Lucy Whipple ISBN 054772215X

Activities for Children

Ask children to create a diary so that they can write about their daily activities in school.

Personal Response

I believe the book is a great depiction of the time period because the characters seem realistic.  Although arranged marriages are not in every culture, it does still exist in many.  The story shows a teenage seeking  independence and tries to go against the social norm to be her own person.