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A review by megancmahon
Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages by Janina Ramírez
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.