Hetta Howes

Broschiertes Buch

Poet, Mystic, Widow, Wife

The Extraordinary Lives of Medieval Women

Beschreibung

"Brilliantly revealing history of medieval women . . . Howes's debut has just the right meld of insightful research, enjoyable storytelling and contemporary contexts."--The Guardian "A history of medieval women's lives as told through the prism of four exceptional individuals. . . . throughout, the tensions of medieval womanhood strain and stretch--eroticism and purity, sexuality and motherhood, silence and speech."--The New York Times Poet, Mystic, Widow, Wife charts the lives and times of four medieval women writers--Marie de France, a poet; Julian of Norwich, a mystic and anchoress; Christine de Pizan, a widow and court writer; and Margery Kempe, a no-good wife--who all bucked convention and forged their own paths. Largely forgotten by modern readers, these women have an astonishing amount to teach us about love, marriage, motherhood, friendship, and earning a living. Reading the words of these four writers, Hetta Howes engagingly reveals how everyday women lived, survived, and thrived in medieval times. Who did they marry and why? Did they ever have extramarital affairs? Could they earn money and become self-sufficient? Could they be leaders? What did they think about death--and what about life and their place in it? Poet, Mystic, Widow, Wife paints a vibrant portrait of these women, their world, and the ways they speak to us today.

Autor

Hetta Howes is Senior Lecturer in Medieval and Early Modern Literature at City University of London. Named as a BBC/AHRC New Generation Thinker, she regularly contributes to broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 and 4 and writes for publications such as the Times Literary Supplement and BBC History Extra.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: University of California Press
• Seitenzahl: 244
• Erscheinungstermin: 10. Februar 2026
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9780520430822
• ISBN-10: 0520430824
• Artikelnr.: 75576543

Rezensionen

A fascinating book about four women - each a heroine in her own way - it tells us so much about their world, and about our own… What jumps off the page is the liveliness of the women, their passion, their courage and their own way of being a woman.