At the beginning of June, Trashionista interviewed Catherine Ryan Howard, author of newly released non-fiction book, Mousetrapped. The only memoir about working at Disney's
Catherine's story begins with her childhood dreams of becoming a top virologist, after becoming interested in the Ebola virus. It's the most normal of career choices, but Catherine already has her heart set on working towards making a name for herself in her chosen field. But of course, childhood ambitions can sometimes fall by the wayside when real life kicks in, and when Catherine reaches her twenties, she's forced to realise that maybe being a world-renowned virologist isn't the easiest of options.
One day, having become tired of her life and wanting to fulfil at least SOME of her dreams, Catherine decides to apply for work at
Not exactly...
Fast forward a few months, and Catherine, full of excitement at reaching her dream destination, finds herself in her hotel room at the
If that isn't enough, Catherine's thrown into the deep end at work on the busiest day of the year, and is forced to deal with angry customers, hair disasters and social inadequacy in the form of a lack of driving license.
Determined, Catherine sets out on her quest to finally get behind the wheel, and begins lessons with a new-found friends. Soon enough, she's making friends, is on the hunt for a better apartment and starting to live the Disney dream. But how long will it all last?
I wasn't sure what to expect when I first received Mousetrapped, but as a lover of memoirs I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. It's a unique book by a brilliantly witty, instantly loveable author and I couldn't put it down. I could relate to Catherine's career issues and childhood dreams and despite the negative aspects of her adventures, I still felt envious of Catherine's life in
Catherine Ryan Howard is highly talented and has the ability to make the most dire of situations sound funny. Her account of working abroad is an absolutely wonderful read and if this is her memoir, then I really, really can't wait for her novel!
Rating: 5/5
