About the Book

 
Catbird: The Ballad of Barbi Prim by Barbara J. Ostfeld. ISBN:978-0-9980326-1-0 (print) Available in print, ebook, and audio format.

In Catbird: The Ballad of Barbi Prim, the world meets an insightful, opinionated eight-year-old who's already taken a few steps toward becoming a pioneer—but also shadow of her quirky self. Hiding from dangers, both real and imaginary, she escapes through books and music.

As a teenager, her love of singing propels her to become the first ordained woman cantor in all 3,000 years of Jewish history. When in her forties a family crisis exposes old and enduring wounds, she begins to rescue herself, taking on her demons with the indispensable help of a therapist.

With awkwardness, anxiety, and fear in tow, she embarks on an imperfect but ongoing metamorphosis, becoming the well-coiffed heroine of her own story. Barbara Ostfeld shows us that we can all be brave pioneers at becoming our true selves.

Info Sheet | Read or download the one-pager here.

Author’s Note | “When I was a little girl, I was fascinated by TV characters, like the obviously Jewish Gladys Kravitz on Bewitched. But I knew that she wasn’t really a TV star because the stars looked like Samantha—blonde and sleek and charming. Plain women like Gladys were TV’s comedic foils or gals Friday. I knew I would grow up to be a Gladys.” Continue reading | Download PDF

Excerpts | Read here, download a PDF, or listen to audiobook excerpts.

Reader Reviews | See what readers are saying about Catbird.

 

Praise for Catbird

 
Featured
"A finely wrought account about embracing big dreams."

–Kirkus Reviews

Read More →
“Extraordinarily powerful.”

–Rabbi Sally Priesand, America’s first female rabbi, and Rabbi Emerita of Monmouth Reform Temple, Tinton Falls, NJ

Read More →
“Celebrates the sweetness of hard-won self-acceptance”

—Lois Weis, Ph.D., State University of New York Distinguished Professor, and coauthor of Class Warfare: Class, Race, and College Admissions in Top-Tier Secondary Schools

Read More →
“Funny, heartbreaking, and yet bursting with hope.”

–Helen Aronoff, MD, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with Western New York’s Children’s Psychiatric Center

Read More →

What Readers Are Saying

 
 
 

 

For Readers

Invite Barbara | Invite Barbara to join you for your book club or discussion group event.

Vignette List | Find a full list of the Catbird vignettes here.

Reading Guides | For Reading Guide descriptions and PDFs, click here.

 

  • Book Clubs

  • #MeToo Discussion Groups

  • Deep, Personal Discussions

  • Study Groups

  • Women Clergy Groups

  • High School Groups

  • Jewish Groups

  • Musicians & Music Lovers

 

Reader Reviews | See how other readers have been affected by Catbird: The Ballad of Barbi Prim.

 

Catbird: The Ballad of Barbi Prim is available in print, ebook and audiobook formats.

Memoir, 358 pages, 6 x 9
Print: $17.95 | 978-0-9980326-1-0
Ebook: $9.99 | 978-0-9980326-3-4
Audiobook: $24.99 | Narrated by the author
Erva Press, 2019

Info Sheet | Read or download the one-pager here.