Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

Catherine lives in midieval England and at 14 is on the verge of becoming a woman. Her father, who is a local lord, is looking to wed her to a prosperous man to improve his situation. She, however, prefers escaping to the village, hanging out with the goat herder and generally doing anything to avoid embroidery, sewing and learning to be a lady. She writes a diary detailing her days, the many feast days, the harvest, the trevails of her mother, who is expecting another child, and, of course, her fears of being wed to an older, boorish man she calls "Shaggy Beard." The details about life in 13th century England are wonderful and Catherine's voice is authentic, if a bit ahead of her time. The audiobook narrator, Jenny Sterlin, does a great job of capturing the inflection, tone and rhythm of the style of speech of the time. A Newbery Honor Book. Fascinating. Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman. Recorded Books, 1994.