Book

Poet, mystic, widow, wife : the extraordinary lives of Medieval women / Hetta Howes.

Record details

General Note:	First published in the UK in 2024 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc--Title page verso.
Bibliography, etc. Note:	Includes bibliographical references and index.
Formatted Contents Note:	Knocked up -- Tied down -- Bit on the side -- Wanderlust -- Hustling -- Making friends . . . -- . . . And influencing people -- Having it all? -- Death -- Conclusion : Afterlife
Summary, etc.:	"Poet, Mystic, Widow, Wife charts the life and times of four medieval women-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 path. Largely forgotten by modern readers, these women have an astonishing amount to teach us about love, marriage, motherhood, friendship, and earning a living. Through these four writers, Hetta Howes engagingly reveals how everyday women lived, survived, and thrived in medieval times. Who did they marry and why? Were they expected to have children? Did they ever have extramarital affairs? Could they earn money and become self-sufficient? How did they make friends? Could they be leaders? What did they think about death-and what about life and their place in it? While in many ways the Middle Ages was a terrible time to be a woman, there were areas of life that were surprisingly progressive. Poet, Mystic, Widow, Wife paints a vibrant portrait of these women, their world, and the ways they speak to us today"-- Provided by publisher.