Pope Joan

Jun 17, 2011 Misfit rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, one-time-read-only, everyone-loved-it-but-me

Interesting take on the legend, but has some flaws. I think I'm going to be another one in the minority here. I found the idea of a woman disguised as a man seated on the papal throne to be an interesting legend and the author did a decent job with it. I appreciated the research the author took on the period and customs of the times, which is not an easy task as so much is unknown about the dark ages.

The problem I had is the incredible coincidences throughout the book where Joan is just saved i...more

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Jun 12, 2007 Sammy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-the-best

Before I started reading this book I gave a brief summary to some of my friends who saw that I had just bought it and were wondering about it. That got us into a heated discussion about how completely outrageous it is for a woman to dress up as a man. How it's pretty much impossible to get away with it seeing as you'll always end up in some sort of situation where you have to reveal yourself for what you really are.

That discussion ended up shading me slightly when I began to read, thinking, "Rea...more Before I started reading this book I gave a brief summary to some of my friends who saw that I had just bought it and were wondering about it. That got us into a heated discussion about how completely outrageous it is for a woman to dress up as a man. How it's pretty much impossible to get away with it seeing as you'll always end up in some sort of situation where you have to reveal yourself for what you really are.

That discussion ended up shading me slightly when I began to read, thinking, "Really? How is she going to be able to pull it off?" speaking of both the author and Joan herself. But both were able to pull it off quite well and realistically.

Not to be sexist, I don't know how much a guy would really enjoy this book, but I hope he would. I would hope that he would actually pick up and read this book, because if you look past all the religious controversy of a woman being Pope, there is an underlying story of the beginning of feminism and a woman standing up for herself and pursuing her own dreams and desires despite everything that goes against her. I would hope that a man would read this and realize that every woman has this potential and we are truly equal to men.

Pope Joan, or at least the character of her in this book, is truly an inspiration to women everywhere. She defied the odds and did everything she could to get what she wanted. And apparently, if you want to bring in a religious aspect to this as well, God wanted this all for her too, or else things would not have worked out the way they did with narrow escapes and fortunate meetings.

I honestly don't have much to criticize with this book. I enjoyed it a lot and reading the author's notes at the end piqued my interest about this supposedly "fictional" character. There is something in this book that will grab you, I guarentee it. Be it the historical facts and events that were traced, be it the slight tale of romance hiding inside the bigger story, maybe it's Joan herself and her pursuit of knowledge, maybe it's the outrageous way women were treated. There will be something in this book for you, I'm sure. Overall, I highly reccommend this book.(less)

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Mar 22, 2008 Powersamurai rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical

About the only female pope back in the 9th century. The Catholic Church today treats Pope Joan as legend created by the Protestants, but with over 500 documents to prove she did exist, it is but another bureaucratic cover-up.
A woman from Frankish lands with Saxon and English heritage in the 9th century going out there and doing it for herself. It is a thinking person's book. Lots of Latin in there, of course, because the language used in the church then was Latin. But don't let that stop you fro...more

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Dec 30, 2009 Ana T. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: medieval, read-in-2009, traded

Pope Joan is a figure I was aware of but knew next to nothing about, her existence is surrounded by mystery and so she seems the ideal figure to write a historical fiction novel about. Author Donna Woolfolk Cross writes an interesting tale about what could have been a young girl's life in that time.

Daughter of a canon who values women little and definitely finds them unworthy of an education her Joan has to struggle from early on to pursue her studies. Luckily she finds a monk willing to help he...more Pope Joan is a figure I was aware of but knew next to nothing about, her existence is surrounded by mystery and so she seems the ideal figure to write a historical fiction novel about. Author Donna Woolfolk Cross writes an interesting tale about what could have been a young girl's life in that time.

Daughter of a canon who values women little and definitely finds them unworthy of an education her Joan has to struggle from early on to pursue her studies. Luckily she finds a monk willing to help her learn and who eventually will lead to her being accepted at a school. Much brighter and intelligent than her brother, Joan stands out as a student and eventually develops an attachment to Gerolt, the nobleman in whose house she leaves in. But Gerolt leaves and the village is attacked by Norsemen.

To survive Joan disguises herself as her dead brother and becomes John. As a man she is more easily accepted and continues her studies at the Fulda monastery and later travels to Rome where she is known as a dedicated scholar and a celebrated healer. Her fame is such that she is called to attend the Pope and so enters the Vatican's sphere of influence. There she will understand the politics behind the scenes and she will meet Gerolt again.
The story is very easy to read and proceeds at good pace. However I did feel that Joan, as a character, was a bit too perfect to be totally believable. Not only that but some things seem to happen too easily or too coincidentally. I suppose I would have liked to see more of her thought process and she having to work more to get where she ended up. She does have some painful decisions to make regarding her relationship with Gerolt but everything else seemed to fall into place quite easily. I did enjoy learning about the politics behind the throne, the same as in every other kingdom, and was surprised to learn about the power of the people in the election of the Pope.

History is full of possibilities and this was certainly an intriguing story that kept me interested till the end. Thank you so much to the author for sending me the book.

Grade: 4/5
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Feb 24, 2013 BoekenTrol rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Icila

Recommended to BoekenTrol by: ababaigalit

Shelves: english_language, bookcrossing_ringbook, historical_fiction_or_non_fiction, 2013, favorites

Wow, what a book!
After I signed up for the ring that was organised for this book, I completely forgot again. Untill a while ago I got a reminder that I was next in line.
Having a lot to read already, I hesitated. Should I skip, or read it? I choose the latter, and boy am I glad I did!

First of all I just loved the book, the way it was written. Despite it is in English and my knowlegde of (English terms for) medieval objects, customs etc. is limited, that did not hinder me at all from reading and...more

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Apr 12, 2011 Becky Ahrendsen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, civil-rights, historical-fiction, faith

recommended by Linda Denberry, used for Book Club March 2011-
Joan is not content to take what society says she should be, born the year of 814 - A smart child of a canon (priest) and Saxon woman (Gudrun who confessed to believe in Christ to save her life after her village had all perished)- Joan learns her older brother, Matthew's lessons. Until he dies. Then There is a visiting scholar (Aesculapius) sees promise in her and teaches her and her younger brother, John. Later, her father lets John...more recommended by Linda Denberry, used for Book Club March 2011-
Joan is not content to take what society says she should be, born the year of 814 - A smart child of a canon (priest) and Saxon woman (Gudrun who confessed to believe in Christ to save her life after her village had all perished)- Joan learns her older brother, Matthew's lessons. Until he dies. Then There is a visiting scholar (Aesculapius) sees promise in her and teaches her and her younger brother, John. Later, her father lets John go to the Schola in Dorstadt, even though the Bishop wrote a request for a girl named Johanna. After John left, Johanna ran away from home to catch up with the messenger and John. The messenger had been killed and she and John told the rest of the group that their father had sent John along because Joan should not go by herself. At the Bishop's feast they are introduced and a red haired knight(Gerold) offers that Joan can stay with him and his daughters since the schola only has boys in residence. John is pleased that it will not all be book learning and he will learn fighting skills and makes friends right away. joan is ridiculed as unnatural (as she was at home) by the boys in the schola and her teacher. But the knight appreciates her intelligence and defends her - watches out for her.

As she gets older the wife of the knight becomes jealous and arranges for joan to be married while the knight is away. She tries to run away, but is held in confinement with marriage excuses. When she is almost at the altar, norsemen come and kill everyone, though joan finds a little box to hide in. Even her brother is killed. She is aware that her brother is to go to the monastery of Fulda. She goes to his dead body, takes his clothes, her dad's dagger, cuts her hair and goes there to be a monk.

She does well there, learns healing arts, realizes people are sick from drinking common cup and starts the practice of dipping bread in cup for communion. her old father goes to visit, thinking she is john. He is about to tell on her disguise, when he has a heart attack - or stroke... looses his speech, and dies. She doesn't get along with the Father Abbot Raban, who only likes tradition and not reason. during one of the plagues, she gets sick, and leaves in a boat so she does not have to be examined (and found to be a girl). the family who finds her drifting boat is a grown son of a woman she helped and she had advised him in a good way at the time. he swore to keep her secret and helped her heal. She decided to not go back, but to go to Rome.

her healing abilities are appreciated there, and she is able to help the pope.

in some chapters, we are in the mnd of knight Gerold and find outt what he is doing, and how he finds his home ravaged.
also, the mind of Anastasius - a boy being groomed to be Pope by his father.

joan helps 2 popes, and then is asked to be pope herself.
She works for the people, helping better the poor's situation. makes a school for girls. not just praying as others have done.
Gerold comes and is the only one that knows that she is not a man. He is her body guard, but she also gives him a project and he helps her accomplish rebuilding the aquaduct so the poor people get good water.

there is a flood of Rome, and Joan and Gerald go to help save some people. they are trapped together, alone, for a while. She becomes pregnant, Gerold keeps asking her to run away with him. She is planning to do so, but wants to get through an Easter Ceremony, when Gerold is beset upon by enemies without help from his fellow soldier, who are trapped- he is killed. Joan falls from her horse dies as she is miscarrying.

The daughter of the man Arn(who saved her from the plague)is also a woman who is pretending to be a male priest, and she keeps the history alive in her records.

The author explains her research and what parts are true history.

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Apr 22, 2009 Leslie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Whenever you see a legend, you can be sure, if you go to the very bottom of things, that you will find history. Vallet de Viriville

Joan Anglicus is a frustrated young girl. The brightest and most scholarly of all her siblings, she is often denied the chance to learn because of her sex. The Dark Ages were a time when womens brains were thought to be smaller than a man's and only needed for child bearing. Why teach a girl to read and write? Joan cannot accept this. She runs away with her older bro...more Whenever you see a legend, you can be sure, if you go to the very bottom of things, that you will find history. Vallet de Viriville

Joan Anglicus is a frustrated young girl. The brightest and most scholarly of all her siblings, she is often denied the chance to learn because of her sex. The Dark Ages were a time when womens brains were thought to be smaller than a man's and only needed for child bearing. Why teach a girl to read and write? Joan cannot accept this. She runs away with her older brother, and after he is killed in a Viking attack, she disguises herself and assumes his identity at a Benedictine monastery. As Brother John Anglicus, she is sought out for her great healing abilities and religious intellect, until eventually she is elevated to the highest throne in the world at the time, the papacy.

The story of Pope Joan, a woman who lived disguised as a man and rose to become pope of the Church in the ninth century, is one of the most fascinating in Western history, and one of the least known. Most that have heard of her regard her story as a legend contrived by Protestant reformers, or so the Catholic Church would have you believe, not at all based on facts. But as Viriville said, legend and history are often one in the same.

Even though much is not known of the Dark Ages, Woolfolk Cross has done her homework here. This book is well-researched and well-written. I was completely sucked in and had a hard time putting it down. I found the history fascinating. These troubled times were especially difficult for women - as they still are today in some countries. They had no property rights, no opportunity for education. They could be beaten and raped by their husbands at will. So it seems completely logical that a woman would chose to disguise herself as a man. She certainly wouldn’t have been the only woman in history to do so.

So why deny she existed at all? Extreme mortification of course, that a woman could deceive so many. History provides many examples of the deliberate falsification of records to suit the masses. But what of the proof? What of the so-called chair exam, where each candidate was examined to prove his manhood as part of the medieval papal conservation ceremony for almost six centuries? What of the “shunned street” in Rome on which Joan reportedly “John Anglicus gave birth to a child…”

Even with these facts, given the confusion of the ninth century, it is impossible to know for sure if she existed. We may never know if there really was a Pope Joan. True or not, I sure had a good time reading about it though. An excellent book.

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Jun 24, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, best-books-ever

Amate e leggete la storia di Giovanna.

"La papessa Giovanna è uno dei personaggi più straordinari e affascinanti della storia occidentale, e uno dei meno conosciuti. Molti non ne hanno mai sentito parlare, e chi ne ha sentito parlare considera la sua storia una leggenda."
Queste sono le parole dell'autrice.
Non possediamo di reali fonti storiche, che provino che questa figura femminile, così determinata e saggia, sia realmente esistita e sia diventata un Papa.
Giovanna è un personaggio straordinar...more

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Dec 12, 2009 Tara Chevrestt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, women-that-really-existed-fiction, rome

"Let her copy the behavior of a dog who always has his heart and his eye upon his master: even if his master whip him and throw stones at him." That is an excerpt from the book. It was in a wedding ceremony, spoken to the bride of course. What a lovely time that must have been to be a woman! I liked this book very much due mostly to the fact it is about an amazingly strong, courageous, and gutsy woman. She struggled like no other heroine I have yet read about. The first half of the book has more...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Chrissie rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hf, kirkus, bio, text-checked, italy, disliked, france, religion

NO SPOILERS!!!

In conclusion, having completed this novel, having struggled through to the end, I can say I did not like it. I didn't like it from the start to the end. When I voice this opinion, I am obviously in the minority. I do appreciate that the author concluded with an informative author's note, which supports her belief that Pope Joan did exist, between the acknowledged Pope Leo IV and Pope Benedict III. I found her arguments undeniably convincing. I do not know whether Pope Joan existed...more

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Nov 21, 2009 Cynthia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-group, read2009

The entire time I was reading this book I was trying to decide if I liked it or not. I especially enjoyed the first 3/4 of the book, with its description of how Joan moved from childhood to adulthood and made her way as a man in the society of the early Middle Ages. Of course I was appalled by the treatment of women, of considering them to be evil if they dared to open their mouths or use their brains, and I was grateful to have been born now rather than then. However I found the last portion of...more

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Aug 15, 2008 Keani rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone believing in gender equality

Shelves: reviewed

I read the Indonesian version. Once I saw it in the bookstore , I grabbed and put the book into my shopping bag. And, reading it was such a thrilling experience. It is unbelievable to learn that a Pope was once in the hand of a woman, a partly-Saxon woman.

Partly considered as a religious hoax, Pope Joan is such a controversial character in Catholicsm. Not many believe in her existence as a true story. But some of historical track might show that she was there and then under a shadow of male supe...more I read the Indonesian version. Once I saw it in the bookstore , I grabbed and put the book into my shopping bag. And, reading it was such a thrilling experience. It is unbelievable to learn that a Pope was once in the hand of a woman, a partly-Saxon woman.

Partly considered as a religious hoax, Pope Joan is such a controversial character in Catholicsm. Not many believe in her existence as a true story. But some of historical track might show that she was there and then under a shadow of male superiority.

Joan grew up in a family of a Christian father and a Saxon mother that secretly held her original belief. Gudrun was married to a man who had defeated her people. Gudrun, Joan's mother, secretly taught Joan about Saxon's religion that was still held by her also secretly. The dual teachings she received from her parents shaped her into a unique person. In one side she was very eager to learn about modern education represented by her father faith, in the other side she became a person who didn't take for granted all the teaching of Christianity. She asked her eldest brother (dead of a disease) to teach her how to read when no woman could even get that privilege at the era. She was a much greater thinker compared to John, her other brother who wanted to be a warrior but made a pious man by the father. Later Joan continued to live as John who actually killed in pride as a warrior.

Her journey leading to papacy was actually a winding road in which her courage, intelligence and loyalty were tested. She had to sacrifice much of her personal interest to gain her top-most achievement, becoming a Pope.

Aside from any controversy debatable until now, Pope Joan should be an icon of thinking person. She had been in her positions since she became what others didn't -- even male who was considered capable and superior at that time. She was moving with her measured knowledge. She lived under her accurate management. And, she ran her life with priorities.

However, Joan was a woman who NATURALLY loved a man and she could not bear her love to that Gerold, love of her life. She got pregnant (again kept secret from others) by Gerold and died in early pregnancy. At the end of her life, her "inferiority" was uncovered.

Love is Nature and Nature has never told lies. One stands because of love but one can fall because of it.

Hope it enlightens :-)(less)

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May 19, 2008 Gerilyn rated it 1 of 5 stars

I was so torn while reading this book. It was decent writing, the characters were strong--but there were a few problems for me. Everyone was a caricature with the exception of Joan. What I really hated, though, was how the author took a great possibility of a story and turned it into flaming feminist rhetoric. Every favorite feminist theme was there, from rape and abuse to abortion. Why can't smart girls sew and cook as well as dumb ones? And why isn't it OK to be dumb, for that matter, if you'r...more

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Mar 19, 2008 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Pope Joan is a story of intrigue, mystery and swashbuckling excitement. It is also historical fiction at its finest! The ninth century was a brutal time of constant warring between countries, neighbors and even within families. Women were merely chattel, to be used for breeding, cooking and cleaning. Education was not even a consideration. The only hope for a woman to learn to read and write was to find a benefactor who was willing to risk persecution to teach her. At the time, some women were a...more

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Apr 03, 2008 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Kathy by: Susan from book club

Shelves: book-club, fiction, historical, legends, drama, love-stories

This was a choice for my book club and on first looking it over I expected it to be a little slow and boring. It took me awhile to actually pick it up and start reading it, but it didn't take long at all once I started reading it to really get into it. I found the story fascinating. It takes place in the 9th century A.D. and centers around a young woman with great intelligence and ambition. Reading about the religion and general culture of the time and the attitudes toward women was really inter...more This was a choice for my book club and on first looking it over I expected it to be a little slow and boring. It took me awhile to actually pick it up and start reading it, but it didn't take long at all once I started reading it to really get into it. I found the story fascinating. It takes place in the 9th century A.D. and centers around a young woman with great intelligence and ambition. Reading about the religion and general culture of the time and the attitudes toward women was really interesting. The author did seven years of research for the book so I trust that the historical details are mostly accurate.

This is a work of fiction and just read as a novel I found it to be a compelling and well-told story. The historical details made it all the more interesting. I think my biggest gripe would be that there are multiple instances where something major happens just in the nick of time that keeps Joan on her course. If it were implied that God was involved in these events because she had a mission to fulfill or something, I might accept that, but that doesn't seem to be the case. They just seem to be contrived conveniences and a little over the top. In the mindset of the book, God really doesn't seem to interfere in the people's lives in any way. That seems to be a big part of Joan's thinking. Her attitude followed the quote, "Pray as if everything depended on God and work as if everything depended on you." This quote may have even been in the book or something very similar. She wasn't content to sit around and have faith that God would solve problems, she got to work on them herself, although she did pray also.

Joan did many things in the course of the book that were deceptive and downright sinful, which bothered many other members of my book club considering she was outwardly religious and serving God. I definitely see this point, but I feel like I give her a little more lenience based on her circumstances and alternatives. Considering the corruption and wickedness she witnessed among the church and its leaders, including her own horrible father, it is a wonder that she even maintained any faith or goodness. However, there was a point where I felt her actions were inexcusable and unnecessary. Overall, though, I admired her strength, courage, and intelligence and the book certainly made me appreciate how far we've come since the Dark Ages. (less)

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Dec 04, 2007 Stephanie "Jedigal" rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was another member's pick in my (all female) book club. It was not universally liked, but most felt as I did. This book was a super fast, and very enjoyable read. It does well one of the things I like best in historical fiction: spins an entertaining story that keeps me engaged while I absorb a (hopefully accurate) portrayal of the historical setting (time, place, culture, etc.).

At its heart, this story is a great romance. Be warned, the protagonist is much younger than her life's love, an...more This was another member's pick in my (all female) book club. It was not universally liked, but most felt as I did. This book was a super fast, and very enjoyable read. It does well one of the things I like best in historical fiction: spins an entertaining story that keeps me engaged while I absorb a (hopefully accurate) portrayal of the historical setting (time, place, culture, etc.).

At its heart, this story is a great romance. Be warned, the protagonist is much younger than her life's love, and this struck at least one of our readers as offensive (a bit pedophiliac), but the rest of us took it as part of the time, and as the story is told from the point of view of the young woman, we did not feel she was taken advantage of.

There are some occurances of deux ex machina, but again, they advanced the story, which I was enjoying and didn't distress me. I personally found the protagonist to be sympathetic, the plot was fast moving and varied, and it was just plausible enough for suspension of disbelief to last during the reading. It didn't hold up to club discussion, but for a fun read it was terrific.

The ONLY thing I found annoying is that the author chooses to provide some "facts" in an afterword about the possibility of the actual existence of a Pope Joan. While her arguments seem convincing, it will not take much further research to uncover many many arguments supporting the opposing view that she does not even mention.

I enjoyed the story regardless of its likelihood of truth. What bothered me about this was the implication of forthrightness. I would rather the author had left this out, or had been more upfront that there are additional arguments against the existence of Pope Joan, but that the author personally believes she did exist, or something else more honest. (I think a great example of this would be the afterword in Brian Hall's "I Should Be Extremely Happy In Your Company".)

This is a tiny minor complaint though. So overall, while perhaps not the most scholarly work of historical fiction I've read, it was a fun engaging book. (less)

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Dec 27, 2007 Joseph Soltero rated it 5 of 5 stars

Pope Joan has recently become one of my most favorite books. To think, I bought it months ago, and it’s sat on my shelf all that time. I guess now is the time when I needed to read the book.

Cross has done a superb job bringing the tale of Pope Joan to life in this riveting, epic page-turner. From the very first page, you become irresistibly engrossed in the captivating saga of this girl who was born into a world that limited her behavior, but could not dominate her ambitious spirit, determined t...more Pope Joan has recently become one of my most favorite books. To think, I bought it months ago, and it’s sat on my shelf all that time. I guess now is the time when I needed to read the book.

Cross has done a superb job bringing the tale of Pope Joan to life in this riveting, epic page-turner. From the very first page, you become irresistibly engrossed in the captivating saga of this girl who was born into a world that limited her behavior, but could not dominate her ambitious spirit, determined to achieve something greater in life. You get a fascinating window into the darkest part of the Dark Ages in Europe, where guilt was tried by tests such as immersion in water or walking on fire, and verdicts were rendered by the party that had the most witnesses; where few people could read, and books were so precious and mysterious because they were seldom seen.

Joan’s character is quite compelling to me as someone who loves to learn. I simply can’t imagine having the thirst for knowledge that I have, and not being able to exercise it. By her own efforts as well as with the help of chance, Joan is able to teach herself Latin and Greek, step deeper into the Catholic Church by donning the identity of a man, and finally find herself elected pope! And these things she does not simply out of selfishness to lead a better life, but because she feels the overwhelming need to perfect herself and the lives of those around her. Numerous obstacles threaten to expose her, but, having come from a society that would rob her of her own will, she makes it her mission as pope to do all she can to change this.

I found Joan’s faith to be a little of a mystery. Raised by a Saxon mother who secretly worshipped the old gods, and by an over-religious Christian canon for a father, she appears as a child to live in a kind of harmony with the faiths. Later on, as an adolescent and then adult, she shows belief in God, but the book alludes to her occasional doubts. If she believes the Bible to be the Word of God, then how does she explain those New Testament verses which limit her role in society because of her sex? Her own answer is never made clear; the only part of the book where this is addressed appears to have her play devil’s advocate, and not necessarily sharing her own opinion. I see Joan as an opportunist who believes that if she has this uncontrollable will to learn and to contribute positively to society, then it is derived from God, and nothing else, not even the Holy Book, can deny her goals.

I can’t recommend this book enough to anyone who enjoys reading about the strength and resourcefulness of the human spirit. I read it in about a week and a half. I simply couldn’t put it down. Then I discovered it will be made into a movie set to come out in 2009! I can’t wait.(less)

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Dec 19, 2007 Mary Seay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'll pick this book from my shelf at odd times during the year, and no matter what page I land on I get sucked in all over again. It's an engrossing read, well-researched and well-written, that brings each character to life with stunning clarity. The author crafts the heroine in such a way that her perceptions on the current state of the church are far from the heresy one might worry would pervade this novel. In fact, for me, it reinforced the intelligence and plain-clothes wisdom of Christ that...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Gina Rheault rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

During the recent lead up to Pope Francis I, I wondered why, really, had Benedict resigned. I conjured a story where, post-mortem, he was discovered to be a marginally transgendered woman who had lived as a man. Big hush up! But that story already was done already, almost a thousand years ago. Pope Joan.

This novelization is recent, and did not engage me... oh well, will have to write this Vatican blockbuster myself. Dan Brown, step aside.... :-)

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Oct 09, 2009 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I debated. But, ultimately I had to give this historical fiction book 5 stars, because it drew me in immediately and became a “can’t put down book.” Oh my!! This look at 800 A.D. portrays the ignorance of the period, corruption of religion, unrighteous power, poverty, violence, and wealth of the appropriately named Dark Ages, while showing that some in the human family struggle to learn, seek love, and attempt to progress. It doesn't matter whether or not Pope Joan actually lived, the story is c...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow! This book was really a STRETCH for me...first of all reading ninth century history was difficult and a challenge due to vocabulary alone. But it also challenged me historically. I want to read more and understand more about this time in history. I loved the book and am always drawn to the story of a strong woman. It's well worth the read and the thoughts that it provokes!

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Mar 07, 2012 Olivia rated it 3 of 5 stars

The author, Donna Woolfold Cross, did an incredible job of bringing this character to life. If not for a strong suggestion from a trusted friend, I may not have read this book. The research involved, especially from a non Catholic, needs to be appreciated. And, yes, history indicates there was a Pope Joan. Enlightening reading. Very good.

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Dec 17, 2009 Allison rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a great historical fiction book. I was a little spoiled as I knew how it ended, thanks real history!; I can't tell much more incase you read the book. It was well-written, fascinating, and provides much insight into the role and life of women in the middle ages. Pope Joan is a connectable (Is that even a word?) character. I am still a little baffled that no one knew she was a woman. Recommended for an older/more mature teenager or adult. I can't see too many teenagers enjoying the book;...more

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Jan 06, 2011 Sue rated it 5 of 5 stars

Really Great Book !!! Myth or Truth I will believe the Truth of Pope Joan !

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Mar 10, 2008 daysgoby rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Major Bedhead, anyone who enjoys historic fiction

Recommended to daysgoby by: M&Co.

This was brilliant. Not too many historic novels can grip you - this one I sat reading until two a.m.!

A really well-written story without the two major pitfalls of many historical novels (too many characters, and pages upon pages of explaining things that were done then that aren't done now. A simple 'Then X spread the rushes' is much better than two and a half pages of diatribe on how she gathered the rushes and what exactly was on the floor beneath, how this might lead to sickness, etc and etc...more

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Dec 13, 2011 Glendamyers rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a very interesting story. It takes place in the 7th century - during the dark ages. It would be very difficult to live in that time. Only nobility and clergy were educated - men that is. Women we never educated.
Joan suffered in her youth at the had of a cruel father. He was a village priest of little standing. It was during the time when priests could still marry - but it was not totally common. Her father had captured her mother during a crusade against the "heathens". He only wanted...more

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Dec 14, 2008 Reinhold rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

Gute historische Fiktion

Seit Jahrhunderten diskutiert man die These, dass im 10. Jahrhundert eine Frau auf dem Stuhl Petri gesessen haben soll. Es gibt "Beweise" und "Gegenbeweise" und dieses Themas nimmt sich die Autorin hier an. Aber es ist keine Auseinandersetzung der Tatsachen, sondern vielmehr reine Fiktion die hier geschrieben wird. In vielen Punkten weicht die Autorin bei der Beschreibung der Johanna davon ab, was dieser historisch zugeschrieben wird. Dies tut aber letztlich nichts zur Sa...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Sue rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

A very fine piece of historical fiction, really a 4.5 rating. I had heard tales of a WOMAN in the papal seat before, but thought they were known to be legend. In her author's notes, Cross makes a compelling argument for the possibility that this story is, indeed, factual, and in her novel, she weaves a believable "what if" tale that gives even a skeptical reader cause to think, "Hmmm . . . this could actually have happened!"

Of course, if it did happen, we must also believe that the ninth centur...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Al rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Engaging . . . Pope Joan has all the elements: love, sex, violence, duplicity, and long-buried secrets."
--Los Angeles Times Book Review

For a thousand years men have denied her existence--Pope Joan, the woman who disguised herself as a man and rose to rule Christianity for two years. Now this compelling novel animates the legend with a portrait of an unforgettable woman who struggles againstrestrictions her soul cannot accept.

When her older brother dies in a Viking attack, the brilliant young

...more

"Engaging . . . Pope Joan has all the elements: love, sex, violence, duplicity, and long-buried secrets."
--Los Angeles Times Book Review

For a thousand years men have denied her existence--Pope Joan, the woman who disguised herself as a man and rose to rule Christianity for two years. Now this compelling novel animates the legend with a portrait of an unforgettable woman who struggles against restrictions her soul cannot accept.

When her older brother dies in a Viking attack, the brilliant young Joan assumes his identity and enters a Benedictine monastery where, as Brother John Anglicus, she distinguishes herself as a scholar and healer. Eventually drawn to Rome, she soon becomes enmeshed in a dangerous mix of powerful passion and explosive politics that threatens her life even as it elevates her to the highest throne in the Western world.

"Brings the savage ninth century vividly to life in all its alien richness. An enthralling, scholarly historical novel."
--Rebecca Fraser, Author of The Brontës

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Amazon.com Review

One of the most controversial women of history is brought to brilliant life in Donn Woolfolk Cross's tale of Pope Joan, a girl whose origins should have kept her in squalid domesticity. Instead, through her intelligence, indomitability and courage, she ascended to the throne of Rome as Pope John Anglicus.

The time is 814, the place is Ingelheim, a Frankland village. It is the harshest winter in living memory when Joan is born to an English father and a Saxon mother. Her father is a canon, filled with holy zeal and capable of unconscionable cruelty. His piety does not extend to his family members, especially the females. His wife, Gudrun, is a young beauty to whom he was attracted beyond his will--and he hates her for showing him his weakness. Gudrun teaches Joan about her gods, and is repeatedly punished for it by the canon. Joan grows to young womanhood with the combined knowledge of the warlike Saxon gods and the teachings of the Church as her heritage. Both realities inform her life forever.

When her brother John, not a scholarly type, is sent away to school, Joan, who was supposed to be the one sent to school, runs away and joins him in Dorstadt, at Villaris, the home of Gerold, who is central to Joan's story. She falls in love with Gerold and their lives interesect repeatedly even through her Papacy. She is looked upon by all who know that she is a woman as a "lusus naturae," a freak of nature. "She was... male in intellect, female in body, she fit in nowhere; it was as if she belonged to a third amorphous sex." Cross makes the case over and over again that the status of women in the Dark Ages was little better than cattle. They were judged inferior in every way, and necessary evils in the bargain.

After John is killed in a Viking attack, Joan sees her opportunity to escape the fate of all her gender. She cuts her hair, dons her dead brother's clothes and goes into the world as a young boy. Gerold is away from Villaris at the time of the attack and comes home to find his home in ruins, his family killed and Joan among the missing. After the attack, Joan goes to a Benedictine monastery, is accepted as a young man of great learning, and eventually makes her way to Rome.

The author is at pains to tell the reader in an Epilogue that she has written the story as fiction because it is impossible to document Joan's accesion to the Papacy. The Catholic Church has done everything possible to deny this embarrassment. Whether or not one believes in Joan as Pope, this is a compelling story, filled with all kinds of lore: the brutishness of the Dark Ages, Vatican intrigue, politics and favoritism and most of all, the place of women in the Church and in the world. --Valerie Ryan

From Publishers Weekly

Cross makes an excellent, entertaining case in her work of historical fiction that, in the Dark Ages, a woman sat on the papal throne for two years. Born in Ingelheim in A.D. 814 to a tyrannical English canon and the once-heathen Saxon he made his wife, Joan shows intelligence and persistence from an early age. One of her two older brothers teaches her to read and write, and her education is furthered by a Greek scholar who instructs her in languages and the classics. Her mother, however, sings her the songs of her pagan gods, creating a dichotomy within her daughter that will last throughout her life. The Greek scholar arranges for the continuation of her education at the palace school of the Lord Bishop of Dorstadt, where she meets the red-haired knight Gerold, who is to become the love of her life. After a savage attack by Norsemen destroys the village, Joan adopts the identity of her older brother, slain in the raid, and makes her way to Fulda, to become the learned scholar and healer Brother John Anglicus. After surviving the plague, Joan goes to Rome, where her wisdom and medical skills gain her entrance into papal circles. Lavishly plotted, the book brims with fairs, weddings and stupendous banquets, famine, plague and brutal battles. Joan is always central to the vivid action as she wars with the two sides of herself, "mind and heart, faith and doubt, will and desire." Ultimately, though she leads a man's life, Joan dies a woman's death, losing her life in childbirth. In this colorful, richly imagined novel, Cross ably inspires a suspension of disbelief, pulling off the improbable feat of writing a romance starring a pregnant pope.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Dec 30, 2012 Iceman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Segundo a lenda, entre os séculos IX e XI, Joana teria nascido provavelmente em Constantinopla (existem outras hipóteses), e que, sendo mulher, faz-se passar por homem conseguindo romper com as proibições que estavam determinadas às mulheres e tornar-se uma figura importante da igreja católica ao ponto de ter sido eleita Papa. Nos entretantos, a lenda refere também que era amante de um oficial da guarda suiça e que, inclusivamente, chegou a ficar grávida, conseguindo omitir essa gravidez devido...more Segundo a lenda, entre os séculos IX e XI, Joana teria nascido provavelmente em Constantinopla (existem outras hipóteses), e que, sendo mulher, faz-se passar por homem conseguindo romper com as proibições que estavam determinadas às mulheres e tornar-se uma figura importante da igreja católica ao ponto de ter sido eleita Papa. Nos entretantos, a lenda refere também que era amante de um oficial da guarda suiça e que, inclusivamente, chegou a ficar grávida, conseguindo omitir essa gravidez devido às largas vestes do sumo pontífice.

Há várias versões desta lenda que de facto situam esta personagem entre os séculos IX e XI, no entanto e atá à data, embora subsistam teorias da conspiração que referem existirem provas encerradas nos cofres do Vaticano e muitíssimos outros testemunhos, na realidade não existem evidencias concretas nem da existência de tal personagem, nem sequer da possibilidade de alguma mulher ter ocupado a cadeira de S. Pedro, o mais alto cargo da igreja católica.

Em todo o caso o livro de Donna Woolfolk Cross é ficção e torna-se espantoso face às descrições e ao contexto histórico abordado. A autora é exímia a descrever a época conturbada por conflitos e chacinas, assim como em construir todo um trama que nos envolve e nos situa em plena Europa na Alta Idade Média, ou, como muitos dizem, na época das trevas, época marcada por uma imensa intolerância e fanatismo religioso que originou um domínio absoluto por parte do clero.

Achei fascinante o trabalho da autora. Revelou ter efectuado uma excelente pesquisa da época, pois, no caminho que traça para a sua personagem, a autora sabe contextualizar a acção e integrar ou ir explanando os factos da lenda, obviamente com muitos pontos em branco, com factos históricos reais. Achei isso espantoso e é esse aspecto que me leva a considerar esta obra como um romance histórico muito bom, sem que, no entanto, ache importante referir a pouca capacidade da autora ou a incoerência na criação literária da personagem de Joana. Ou seja, segundo a lenda, Joana foi uma mulher muito culta que, fazendo-se passar por homem numa época tão conturbada, conseguiu enganar tudo e todos e ascender ao mais alto cargo da igreja católica. Pois bem, o que vamos assistindo, na construção da personagem, é a de alguém ingénua, muito certinha e até, por vezes isso transparece, algo, vá lá, palerma. Confesso que isso me desagradou e dei por a mim a pensar qual o objectivo da autora, sendo que vingou a tese que a autora sabia que este livro teria um público maioritariamente feminino, por isso, pretendeu empregar um tom mais cor-de-rosa, mais piegas.

Independentemente de se acreditar que a Papisa Joana existiu, e isso é algo que facilmente se pode investigar dada a imensa informação que já existe, o que interessa neste livro é o trajecto da personagem dentro da bem documentada época, e isso a autora fá-lo com classe. No fim, ficamos com a certeza da autora e, sobretudo, felizes por nos ter sido permitido viver tantos dias numa época distante, onde a barbárie imperava.(less)

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Smart, Strong Women	3	32	Aug 27, 2012 01:06pm
What did you think of this book, religious objections aside?	17	87	May 04, 2012 01:17pm
Historical Fictio...: Sept/Oct 2011: Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross (Medieval History)	140	148	Nov 01, 2011 03:51am

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