Catherine, Called Birdy
Ratings18
Average rating3.6
15
Ratings18
Average rating3.6
¨Catherine's mother wants to teach her the skills of the lady of the manor and to prepare her to be a gentle and patient wife. Her father only wants her to be married off, and profitably. Catherine herself hopes to become a painter, a Crusader, a maker of songs, a peddlar, a monk, a ministrel, a wart charmer... Of all the possibilities, she has ruled out only one: being sold like cheese to the highest bidder.
Against a vivid background of everyday life on a medieval English manor, Catherine's earthy, spirited account of her fourteenth year is a richly entertaining story with an utterly unforgettable heroine.¨ -***Karen Cushman***
Reviews with the most likes.
Well, this was an interesting read. I was overtaken quite a few times on the very selfish nature of Birdy. She writes about her father as though he cares nothing for her, puts her brothers down, and even describes her mother as less than perfect. Ah, well, so do many teenage girls.
While the times call for the marriages of girls to bring their family better prospects and money, Birdy is completely against the match that her father finally puts together for her. She does nothing to help this, by driving away all of the suitors that come for her. She cares for nothing but her birds, dogs, and herself. While her take on life is very narrow, she does not do much to change that either. The entire book is spent complaining about her life, until the end, when the chances that she might lose her mother make her take a second look. But her views on her family really do not change.
I am not quite sure how I really feel about this book yet. I thought I would enjoy it more, but honestly it is one, that I will never read again, and really do not recommend out.
What a cute story! I can't believe I missed this one as a kid. I think it's great for a middle schooler getting into history. It doesn't shy away from deeper more difficult subjects like arranged marriage, antisemitism, difficult childbirths and miscarriage.
