Lieutenant Nun Paperback by Catalina De Erauso

Product Details

• Publisher: Beacon Press (1997-06-30)
• Language: English
• Paperback: 128 pages
• ISBN-13: 9780807070734
• Item Weight: 158.76 grams
• Dimensions: 7.95 x 5.37 x 0.4 cm

THE TRUE STORY OF A CROSSDRESSING, TRANSATLANTIC ADVENTURER WHO ESCAPED FROM A SPANISH CONVENT IN 1599 AND LIVED AS A MAN—GAMBLING,FIGHTING DUELS, AND LEADING SOLDIERS INTO BATTLE

Named a New York Times Book Review Notable Book

One of the earliest known autobiographies by a woman, this is the extraordinary tale of Catalina de Erauso, who in 1599 escaped from a Basque convent dressed as a man and went on to live one of the most wildly fantastic lives of any woman in history. A soldier in the Spanish army, she traveled to Peru and Chile, became a gambler, and even mistakenly killed her own brother in a duel. During her lifetime she emerged as the adored folkloric hero of the Spanish-speaking world. This delightful translation of Catalina's own work introduces a new audience to her audacious escapades.

About the Author

Catalina de Erauso was born in Spain in either 1585 or 1592, according to disputed records, and died in 1650. Raised and educated in a convent, de Erauso refused to conform to the strict nature of the environment and, disguising herself in men’s clothing, escaped in 1600. As a fugitive, she then traveled to various countries and joined the Chilean military, climbing the ranks. Her story is told in Lieutenant Nun: Memoirs of a Basque Transvestite, which was originally wrote or dictated, and eventually published, in Paris in 1829.