Femina

A large book that stirs up a lot of medieval dust!

They fought against Vikings, poisoned their enemies, and worked as spies – the forgotten women of the Middle Ages were certainly not just concerned with home and hearth. Yet it is precisely this image of a patriarchal society that oppressed and excluded women that shapes our perception of the Middle Ages. It was men who wrote this history and banished the women of the Middle Ages from our collective memory.

Oxford historian Janina Ramirez restores women's place in historiography in her bestseller: she tells the stories of remarkable figures like Queen Jadwiga of Poland, the fierce warrior Æthelflæd, and the extraordinary healer Hildegard of Bingen, thus opening up a colorful kaleidoscope of diverse female life realities that reflect the full richness of this "Dark Age."

"Beautifully written, wonderfully free, and delightfully original, Femina allows us to look into the mists of history in new, exciting, and provocative ways. A highly enjoyable read."

"Eye-opening. Ramirez repeatedly shows that medieval Europe was a far more diverse place than we want to acknowledge.".