Catherine, Called Birdy

"She's not your average damsel in distress..."
says the book's cover. And indeed she is!

Set in England in the year 1290, Catherine, is a daughter of a knight and a lady was trapped in a world were women have no power to speak their minds, do what they like most and marry whom they choose.

Written in a journal style of writing (very much like those of Anne Frank's Diary, the only difference is that Anne did actually lived), the Lady Catherine narrated her everyday life in the "Manor of Stonebridge, in the shire of Lincoln, in the country of England, In the hands of God..." or that's how she wrote it.

Growing in an era where women's rights is still unheard of, the Lady Catherine is already on her wits to win against her father who is bent on marrying her to whoever should offer marriage to his daughter and wealthy enough to suit his tastes. Tasked to write and account of her days by her brother Edward (who seeks to make her observant, thoughtful and learned), Catherine recounted her days full of adventures (and misadventures) and shared her thoughts on how women are treated in those days.

Funny and thought-provoking, this little book pictures the England of 1200's, a totally different England of today. Written by Karen Cushman, "Catherine, Called Birdy" is a book which shows us how lucky we are to live in this era.

24th Day of September
The stars and my family align to make my life black and miserable. My mother seeks to make me a fine lady-- dumb, docile and accomplished-- so I must take lady-lessons and keep my mouth closed. My father, the toad, conspires to sell me like cheese to some lack-wit seeking a wife.
What makes this clodpole suitor anxious to have me? I am no beauty, being sun-browned and gray-eyed, with poor eyesight and a stubborn dispostion.
Corpus Bones! He comes to dine with us in two days' time. I plan to cross my eyes and drool in my meat.

Different from the other ladies of her time, Catherine seeks to do what others deemed as inappropriate for a young lady (i.e, climb trees, laugh aloud, cut their hair, wear nothing, etc.). She is always seeking for ways to escape her suitors and her sewing. Always wondering why men are allowed to do things while women not.

Catherine is a funny and interesting character who best resembles women who always knows what they want with their lives. Strong-willed and clever, Catherine is a personification of a woman who will do everything to have her way.

Reading her funny narratives, Catherine does not only gives a picture of long ago England and how women are being treated but also of how women tries to fight their way to gain the freedom that they deserve. This book is definitely a good-read, especially for those who believes and fights for women's rights.

Women empowerment, this is what the book is really all about.
Reading Birdy's diary, I could say that, indeed, she is not your average damsel in distress...