Rare Bird Summary

Rare Bird is set in 1762. Sarah Anne Billopp, the protagonist, is twenty-nine years old and lives under the care of her brother Christopher, their parents having both died. The parental estate has passed to Christopher entirely, and Sarah Anne lives more-or-less as his guest. Both children are extensively educated in contemporaneous scientific theory, though Sarah Anne is brilliant and insightful while Christopher is possessed only of an average intellect. They have lived thus for several years, and Christopher routinely hosts convocations of scientists and other thinkers. Sarah Anne is fairly forward for a woman of her time, and participates in these discussions and holds her own opinions. Eventually Christopher meets and becomes engaged to Juliet Colden, a very proper and typical young woman. Juliet dresses snappily, is uneducated, and acts the part of a traditional young woman. Christopher compares her to...