What Katy Did

Description

What Katy DidKaty #1by Susan CoolidgeWhat Katy Did is an 1872 children's book written by Sarah Chauncey Woolsey under her pen name Susan Coolidge. It follows the adventures of a twelve-year-old American girl, Katy Carr, and her family who live in the fictional lakeside Ohio town of Burnet in the 1860s. Katy is a tall untidy tomboy, forever getting into scrapes but wishing to be beautiful and beloved. When a terrible accident makes her an invalid, her illness and four-year recovery gradually teach her to be as good and kind as she has always wanted.

Author description

Susan Coolidge was born in 1835 in Cleveland, Ohio, but grew up in Connecticut. During the American Civil War, Coolidge worked as a nurse. Susan Coolidge loved writing stories even when she was a child, and What Katy Did is based Susan and her brothers and sisters when they were young. Susan, like Katy, was a high-spirited, imaginative little girl, who often got into trouble. Her realistic portrait of childhood set her apart from other writers of her time; instead of teaching morals, she was interested in her characters, their imperfections and the dynamics of a family. The 'What Katy Did' trilogy was a huge success.