A review by ninjapants
Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

4.5

This was a childhood favorite recently revisited before watching the 2022 film. I was so happy to find that this was as engrossing and delightful as I remembered it being. It’s meticulously researched, in contrast to the sanitized, generic medieval fantasy setting of the film. 

The decision to tell the story through Catherine’s journal entries is excellent. Cushman doesn’t shy away from the parts of life that are hard, dreary, disgusting. Even horrific.  Catherine is utterly matter-of-fact and frequently humorous about the conditions around her ensuring that the time never become dismal. She’s gaining maturity, new perspectives, and questioning what’s worth railing against or not during a pivotal year for her which gives modern readers and accessible entry into a difficult foreign setting.

Timeless, engrossing coming of age story that deserves a place with the classics.