At times, Cat, Herself has the feeling of a realistic folk tale—the characters travel through the rural countryside, encountering seemingly enchanted lands, helped and hindered by heroic and villainous characters. Indeed, the novel includes two folk tales which are related by Cat's grandmother. The first is a love story about a couple who come together even in death; the second is a trickster tale about a man plagued by work fairies. Both tales are relevant to the kind of life Cat lives and foreshadow the decisions she must eventually make. Like many folk heroines, Cat also discovers that she has a special gift, one which she ultimately comes to appreciate. In the end, after a number of trials, Cat chooses to marry in a simple folk ceremony.

The novel is carefully constructed, divided into three sections, each representing a stage in Cat's life. Part...