Lieutenant Nun: Memoir Of A Basque Transvestite In The New World by Catalina de Erauso is a riveting, real-life adventure like no other.
Written in the 17th century, this is one of the earliest known autobiographies by a woman—and what a woman she was. Catalina de Erauso escaped a convent in Spain at the age of 14, disguised herself as a man, and began a swashbuckling life that took her across the Atlantic to the New World. As a soldier in the Spanish army, she fought in Peru and Chile, gambled, dueled (once fatally against her own brother, not knowing his identity), and dodged the law with the same skill she wielded a sword.
Fearless, fiercely independent, and utterly unconventional, Catalina’s life challenges the gender norms and expectations of her time, while still aligning herself with the Spanish colonial mission. Lieutenant Nun offers readers a rare glimpse into the colonial era through the eyes of someone who defied every rule and somehow managed to thrive in a man’s world—all while keeping her secret hidden.
This bold, fast-paced memoir is as much a historical document as it is a rollicking tale of courage, chaos, and identity.
