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mamanders's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
3.75
Very informative, telling the untold story of many inspiring medieval women.
booksandbourbon's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.25
thefall's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
5.0
rebeccarjallen's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
As non-fiction texts go, this was an incredibly accessible and readable book. I have so much time for books of this kind, that are informative and engaging, but don't insist on being snobby about overly academic language. In a book that is invested in furthering our understanding, and challenging long-held stereotypes of a specific period of time, it would have been counter-intuitive to limit its audience by over-complicated its communication. I particularly enjoyed the chapters relating to Hildegard of Bingen and Margery Kempe, though that is almost entirely because of my own pre-concieved interest in them!
megancmahon's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
4.0
This was a really interesting look at some of the women whose histories didn't make it out of the Middle Ages, and for what reason. I have to say that as a medievalist myself I was looking for a deeper dive - Hildegard and Margery Kempe are definitely familiar names - and I REALLY wanted more speculation on her part about the women who made the Bayeux Tapestry. That would have been the coolest part for me.
But still! It was exhaustively researched and very interesting, even if I wished there was a) more Italy, just cause that's cool stuff, and b) more of a narrative and not just a collection of tales. I loved learning more about Margery Kempe from this perspective, and about Jadwiga of Poland, who I'd never heard of before! This was an interesting and illuminating read, as well as a call to change the way we look at history, and an acknowledgment of just how much of our study of it changes depending on contemporary values.
But still! It was exhaustively researched and very interesting, even if I wished there was a) more Italy, just cause that's cool stuff, and b) more of a narrative and not just a collection of tales. I loved learning more about Margery Kempe from this perspective, and about Jadwiga of Poland, who I'd never heard of before! This was an interesting and illuminating read, as well as a call to change the way we look at history, and an acknowledgment of just how much of our study of it changes depending on contemporary values.