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Women of the Middle Ages: A Window into the World of Medieval Women
Not yet published
Expected 30 Mar 26- GenresNonfictionHistory
224 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 30, 2026
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26 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.
Seriously, I can't get over the idea that the reason Adam and Eve hid from God was because Adam was losing his battle with lust and had an erection (Augustine's theory). What? I need to pass this information on to every single person I know. Too bad I blocked so many toxic people out of my life. Ah, those people wouldn't appreciate it, anyway. Too Puritan.
I could definitely see someone rewriting Heloise and Alebard's story into a romance book. Which, when she was forced into marriage against her will, not really a romance. The whole saga was crazy.
Really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend this!
Seriously, I can't get over the idea that the reason Adam and Eve hid from God was because Adam was losing his battle with lust and had an erection (Augustine's theory). What? I need to pass this information on to every single person I know. Too bad I blocked so many toxic people out of my life. Ah, those people wouldn't appreciate it, anyway. Too Puritan.
I could definitely see someone rewriting Heloise and Alebard's story into a romance book. Which, when she was forced into marriage against her will, not really a romance. The whole saga was crazy.
Really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend this!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thanks to Pen and Sword for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy.
I was incredibly excited to read Women of the Middle Ages. As a woman, I feel passionate about learning more about the complex history of women in all kinds of ‘worlds’. That's why I'm very happy with the recent increase in the number of books being published about women in history 🙏🏻. However, most of these books are about women of high nobility or royal descent. This book does the opposite by telling us about women in all kinds of positions, which is why this book is a MUST for anyone fascinated by historical women...
This book begins with an important and fascinating chapter. It teaches us how medieval views on gender were based not only on religious beliefs but also on biological beliefs. Although most of these biological (and sexual) beliefs sound ridiculous and have been proven incorrect today, it is still important to provide the right context for reading this book. I therefore greatly appreciate that this has been included.
In “Those Who Pray,” we follow a number of women in religious (public) positions. It begins with an introduction and an overview of the gender expectations of women in medieval societies. This is very important because it gives us the right background to understand why a woman would enter a convent. Interestingly, the first part of the chapter begins with a ‘forbidden’ love story between a monk and a young woman. A series of love letters not only teaches us not only about their intense relationship but also gives us a glimpse into their feelings and motivations. The affair ended rather unhappily and shows us how a woman's image determined the success they could achieve.
Living examples of this were Catherine of Siena and Marie d'Oignies. Both are introduced in this book as young devoted women who became known and respected for their intense religious devotion (and good deeds). Although their lives differed greatly, they had two important things in common. They both had visions, and they both sacrificed their health for their faith. The extreme hunger and isolation that women had to endure in order to gain the same recognition as men shows us what medieval people expected of a pious woman.
We also learn about various religious settlements and movements. I found this part very interesting, as I knew very little about it. The Beguines, for example, were a women's movement who lived in communities to devote their lives to prayer and caring for the poor, without taking vows. We follow their rise and fall, which was very interesting.
In the second part, we follow ‘Those Who Commanded’. This chapter focuses on noble and royal women. I particularly liked the choice of the ‘main character’, namely Adela van Blois, Stephen Henry's wife and mother of Stephen van Blois, King of England. It follows her influence and popularity. Although her power was limited, her story proved that women could exert great influence and power over their husbands and manage state affairs in difficult times. At the same time, we read about women who were not accepted and about the influence of mothers on kings. Among the royal family and the nobility, we see a unique phenomenon of women from higher social backgrounds marrying men from lower social backgrounds.
In the third part (one of my favorites), we learn about “Those Who Laboured.” A common myth today is that women were not allowed to work and only stayed at home. This is far from the truth. This chapter debunks this myth by introducing us to women who worked on farms, in the textile industry (wool and silk), in trade, and as alewives! Beer brewing was particularly unique and enabled women to work as alewives or even brew and sell their own ale. Women also worked as maids and midwives. The section on midwives was both interesting and shocking. Expectations of midwives were high, and one wrong decision could ruin everything. The mortality rate was high, and complications often arose during childbirth. In addition to their work outside the home, they were still expected to run the household and care for the children.
I really enjoyed the last part of the book, which told the story of women in Viking communities. Unlike Christians, Vikings considered women to be equal to men. Women had more rights and could, for example, get divorced, etc. I really appreciate this chapter because I think this topic is often overlooked.
To conclude this review, I would like to give some compliments regarding the writing style, choice of subjects, and research! Throughout reading the book, you can feel the effort and research in the writing. This was truly a fascinating and unique read. I learned a lot of new things, which was not only fun but also really refreshing!
This one has that 5-star writing, research, and story, so what else can I do than give this a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review?!
I was incredibly excited to read Women of the Middle Ages. As a woman, I feel passionate about learning more about the complex history of women in all kinds of ‘worlds’. That's why I'm very happy with the recent increase in the number of books being published about women in history 🙏🏻. However, most of these books are about women of high nobility or royal descent. This book does the opposite by telling us about women in all kinds of positions, which is why this book is a MUST for anyone fascinated by historical women...
This book begins with an important and fascinating chapter. It teaches us how medieval views on gender were based not only on religious beliefs but also on biological beliefs. Although most of these biological (and sexual) beliefs sound ridiculous and have been proven incorrect today, it is still important to provide the right context for reading this book. I therefore greatly appreciate that this has been included.
In “Those Who Pray,” we follow a number of women in religious (public) positions. It begins with an introduction and an overview of the gender expectations of women in medieval societies. This is very important because it gives us the right background to understand why a woman would enter a convent. Interestingly, the first part of the chapter begins with a ‘forbidden’ love story between a monk and a young woman. A series of love letters not only teaches us not only about their intense relationship but also gives us a glimpse into their feelings and motivations. The affair ended rather unhappily and shows us how a woman's image determined the success they could achieve.
Living examples of this were Catherine of Siena and Marie d'Oignies. Both are introduced in this book as young devoted women who became known and respected for their intense religious devotion (and good deeds). Although their lives differed greatly, they had two important things in common. They both had visions, and they both sacrificed their health for their faith. The extreme hunger and isolation that women had to endure in order to gain the same recognition as men shows us what medieval people expected of a pious woman.
We also learn about various religious settlements and movements. I found this part very interesting, as I knew very little about it. The Beguines, for example, were a women's movement who lived in communities to devote their lives to prayer and caring for the poor, without taking vows. We follow their rise and fall, which was very interesting.
In the second part, we follow ‘Those Who Commanded’. This chapter focuses on noble and royal women. I particularly liked the choice of the ‘main character’, namely Adela van Blois, Stephen Henry's wife and mother of Stephen van Blois, King of England. It follows her influence and popularity. Although her power was limited, her story proved that women could exert great influence and power over their husbands and manage state affairs in difficult times. At the same time, we read about women who were not accepted and about the influence of mothers on kings. Among the royal family and the nobility, we see a unique phenomenon of women from higher social backgrounds marrying men from lower social backgrounds.
In the third part (one of my favorites), we learn about “Those Who Laboured.” A common myth today is that women were not allowed to work and only stayed at home. This is far from the truth. This chapter debunks this myth by introducing us to women who worked on farms, in the textile industry (wool and silk), in trade, and as alewives! Beer brewing was particularly unique and enabled women to work as alewives or even brew and sell their own ale. Women also worked as maids and midwives. The section on midwives was both interesting and shocking. Expectations of midwives were high, and one wrong decision could ruin everything. The mortality rate was high, and complications often arose during childbirth. In addition to their work outside the home, they were still expected to run the household and care for the children.
I really enjoyed the last part of the book, which told the story of women in Viking communities. Unlike Christians, Vikings considered women to be equal to men. Women had more rights and could, for example, get divorced, etc. I really appreciate this chapter because I think this topic is often overlooked.
To conclude this review, I would like to give some compliments regarding the writing style, choice of subjects, and research! Throughout reading the book, you can feel the effort and research in the writing. This was truly a fascinating and unique read. I learned a lot of new things, which was not only fun but also really refreshing!
This one has that 5-star writing, research, and story, so what else can I do than give this a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review?!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I found parts of this book interesting and was excited when the foreword mentioned that other books on women tend to tell the stories of the same few great women and that this book would try and answer the question of what life was like for the typical woman in the middle ages was like. However, the book fails at that. It is poorly structured, poorly written, and poorly researched. It uses a lot of quotations of primary sources, which works well when the author compares different views on female biology and medieval medicine in general, however less so when quoting multiple pages out of primary source with out any source criticism. Most notably hagiographies are used uncritically as a source without any expression or doubt or thoughts about genre conventions. Important contextual information is left out. For example, when discussing the story of a teacher that seduced his female student, nothing is said about her age or the reasons why marriage would hurt his career. It is also said that she didn't want to be married because that would mean having children, but she already had a child. Since the sources used are that of the teacher and his victim, it is unclear what the wider reaction to her and his ideas were. This becomes a pattern where the author ignores the interesting context for salacious details and when discussing ideas doesn't actually quote or explain reactions to these ideas.
The use of quotations is also problematic because they are not clearly marked. only a single ' is used and the text itself doesn't always make clear the source. The author also goes on long tangents telling long stories to make points that could have easily been summed up in two sentences. The style is also bad and nonacademic. for example "royal blood courses through her veins" Prose that would be considered cliche in a pulp novel. The author repeats himself clumsily and sometimes makes bold statements, only to contradict them later. At one point he lists all the literary influences of a writer and lists pretty much the whole of medieval literature using terms that overlap like courtly love and Arthurian romances.
His interpretation of things is questionable. He refers to sexual imagery in religious writing, but of the two examples he gives, one refers to a tree, and the other contains no imagery, it is just a poem where a woman says that she is going to abstain from sex and her beloved isn't happy about it. Another point the author criticizes monks for not giving communion to an anchoress, but then claims that they were eager to do just that.(it seems that the monks had a policy aimed at preventing too close a relationship between the female clergy and encouraging excessive confession) Another bad interpretation is that women not being let inside a monastery is a restriction on their travel.
The author has a tendency to treat misogyny as a living thing, assuming men want to control women for the sake of controlling women or that women were target for injustice, just because they are women. Because of this he overlooks other factors. When comparing two countesses by marriage he ignores the fact that one faced a rival claim and the other didn't when explaining why one was able to exercise power after her husband's death and the other didn't. Also, the important context of succession rules is left out (although the story contains a few mentions of brothers deposing one another.) At the same time the author leaves out a lot of bad treatment that women received. For example, the heads of household, who were usually men, were allowed to use violence to discipline everyone from their wives to their servants. Also, the author's research misses the various guilds that allowed women and he mostly focuses on alewives, making the mistake of equating small beer with ale.
The last section of the book is where he makes his theses clear. He explains the Norse story of creation, which he explains he clearly thinks is superior to the Biblical account in terms of gender relations. He then makes the unfounded claim that Early Medieval Scandinavia was basically gender egalitarian. I know from reading experts as well as some of the sagas, that this was not the case. He falsely claims women could choose their spouses and tries to spin wealthy men having an harem as some sort of polyamorous utopia. As the final straw he uses an account of Rus merchants using their sex slaves in public as an indication of freedom! Somehow this also shows a tolerance for homosexuality.
The use of quotations is also problematic because they are not clearly marked. only a single ' is used and the text itself doesn't always make clear the source. The author also goes on long tangents telling long stories to make points that could have easily been summed up in two sentences. The style is also bad and nonacademic. for example "royal blood courses through her veins" Prose that would be considered cliche in a pulp novel. The author repeats himself clumsily and sometimes makes bold statements, only to contradict them later. At one point he lists all the literary influences of a writer and lists pretty much the whole of medieval literature using terms that overlap like courtly love and Arthurian romances.
His interpretation of things is questionable. He refers to sexual imagery in religious writing, but of the two examples he gives, one refers to a tree, and the other contains no imagery, it is just a poem where a woman says that she is going to abstain from sex and her beloved isn't happy about it. Another point the author criticizes monks for not giving communion to an anchoress, but then claims that they were eager to do just that.(it seems that the monks had a policy aimed at preventing too close a relationship between the female clergy and encouraging excessive confession) Another bad interpretation is that women not being let inside a monastery is a restriction on their travel.
The author has a tendency to treat misogyny as a living thing, assuming men want to control women for the sake of controlling women or that women were target for injustice, just because they are women. Because of this he overlooks other factors. When comparing two countesses by marriage he ignores the fact that one faced a rival claim and the other didn't when explaining why one was able to exercise power after her husband's death and the other didn't. Also, the important context of succession rules is left out (although the story contains a few mentions of brothers deposing one another.) At the same time the author leaves out a lot of bad treatment that women received. For example, the heads of household, who were usually men, were allowed to use violence to discipline everyone from their wives to their servants. Also, the author's research misses the various guilds that allowed women and he mostly focuses on alewives, making the mistake of equating small beer with ale.
The last section of the book is where he makes his theses clear. He explains the Norse story of creation, which he explains he clearly thinks is superior to the Biblical account in terms of gender relations. He then makes the unfounded claim that Early Medieval Scandinavia was basically gender egalitarian. I know from reading experts as well as some of the sagas, that this was not the case. He falsely claims women could choose their spouses and tries to spin wealthy men having an harem as some sort of polyamorous utopia. As the final straw he uses an account of Rus merchants using their sex slaves in public as an indication of freedom! Somehow this also shows a tolerance for homosexuality.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you so much to Pen and Sword and Netgalley for the advance review copy! As always all opinions shared below are 100% my own.
Women of the Middle Ages by Luke Daly is an exploration of the lives of women in Europe in the medieval period with special focus on 9th century to 13th century. It covers a wide range of topics from religion to childbirth, trade and travel.
The book is split into three main topics: Those who prayed, those who commanded and those who laboured with each taking up about a third of the book length.
I admit that when I picked up the book, I was under the impression that more space would be given to the daily lives of women versus ladies of nobility or religious figures. Of course, religion and politics shaped much of the lives of women in the middle ages and I understand that it's women from more influential families that often got recorded, but selfishly I had been hoping to get a closer peek at every day women.
We did get a glimpse of that briefly in the third section as we covered the occupations of alewomen, midwives and even craftswomen. But because they all shared a little under a third of the book, it meant they were all covered briefly and sporadically. They didn't go into as much detail as I hoped, with some parts causing me to pause (for example, it was my understanding that small beer and ale were different products?)
Because the topics were too broadly covered, it meant that many generalizations had to be made. Especially I think in the final section when the author started discussing how different women were treated in Norse culture.
It is true that women held more equality and agency there, but I feel that because we didn't go more into the details of the laws and societal norms, generalizations from some of the primary source stories, I think, painted an incomplete picture of how women (and men) actually lived their lives. Especially that those stories presented tended to be again more concerned with the wealthy and influential figures in society.
Still, I was introduced to many topics and figures I hadn't heard about before as well as several interesting primary sources that I can visit for more details
Women of the Middle Ages by Luke Daly is an exploration of the lives of women in Europe in the medieval period with special focus on 9th century to 13th century. It covers a wide range of topics from religion to childbirth, trade and travel.
The book is split into three main topics: Those who prayed, those who commanded and those who laboured with each taking up about a third of the book length.
I admit that when I picked up the book, I was under the impression that more space would be given to the daily lives of women versus ladies of nobility or religious figures. Of course, religion and politics shaped much of the lives of women in the middle ages and I understand that it's women from more influential families that often got recorded, but selfishly I had been hoping to get a closer peek at every day women.
We did get a glimpse of that briefly in the third section as we covered the occupations of alewomen, midwives and even craftswomen. But because they all shared a little under a third of the book, it meant they were all covered briefly and sporadically. They didn't go into as much detail as I hoped, with some parts causing me to pause (for example, it was my understanding that small beer and ale were different products?)
Because the topics were too broadly covered, it meant that many generalizations had to be made. Especially I think in the final section when the author started discussing how different women were treated in Norse culture.
It is true that women held more equality and agency there, but I feel that because we didn't go more into the details of the laws and societal norms, generalizations from some of the primary source stories, I think, painted an incomplete picture of how women (and men) actually lived their lives. Especially that those stories presented tended to be again more concerned with the wealthy and influential figures in society.
Still, I was introduced to many topics and figures I hadn't heard about before as well as several interesting primary sources that I can visit for more details
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ebook in exchange for a fair review.
3/5 stars
Women of the Middle Ages sets itself apart from other historical works by focusing on women of a wide range of social classes. It follows several specific women, but also explains the role of women in society as a whole at that time.
I have mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, I do love that it doesn’t just focus on queens or duchesses or noblewomen. I think that the common woman is not written about enough and could easily be ignored. However, I was not a huge fan of the style of writing. It didn’t seem to be able to decide whether it was narrative, stating the feelings and thoughts as if the narrator themselves were speaking, or informative, focusing on the facts as written in historical sources. If it was more narrative, I think it may have a wider appeal, but I do respect the informative parts.
In some ways, I think we don’t spend enough time with each woman as she comes up, but at the same time, I think some things are focused on for too long. Sometimes, I wanted more, and sometimes, I wanted to move onto the next section because I didn’t feel that there was much more that I needed to know. There were absolutely great information and interesting points, but it dragged at certain points.
This is more of a personal issue, but the paragraphs of this book were much too long. I struggle to focus on a paragraph that lasts for most of a page; my eyes just don’t want to stay on each word as it comes. Because of this, I worry about the accessibility of the physical book.
3/5 stars
Women of the Middle Ages sets itself apart from other historical works by focusing on women of a wide range of social classes. It follows several specific women, but also explains the role of women in society as a whole at that time.
I have mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, I do love that it doesn’t just focus on queens or duchesses or noblewomen. I think that the common woman is not written about enough and could easily be ignored. However, I was not a huge fan of the style of writing. It didn’t seem to be able to decide whether it was narrative, stating the feelings and thoughts as if the narrator themselves were speaking, or informative, focusing on the facts as written in historical sources. If it was more narrative, I think it may have a wider appeal, but I do respect the informative parts.
In some ways, I think we don’t spend enough time with each woman as she comes up, but at the same time, I think some things are focused on for too long. Sometimes, I wanted more, and sometimes, I wanted to move onto the next section because I didn’t feel that there was much more that I needed to know. There were absolutely great information and interesting points, but it dragged at certain points.
This is more of a personal issue, but the paragraphs of this book were much too long. I struggle to focus on a paragraph that lasts for most of a page; my eyes just don’t want to stay on each word as it comes. Because of this, I worry about the accessibility of the physical book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Excellent short history examining the role of women in the Middle Ages.
The book divides the story between women who sought church-related roles, in many cases non-Bible women but more often than not widows, aristocratic women who more often than not in times of war or the Crusades took control of the property as chatelaine and guardian or sometimes due to inheritance laws, ruled, the common women who had a heavy road to bear. The author has chosen excellent examples of both roles. I especially enjoyed the section dealing with the beguines and anchoresses who chose to remove themselves from the secular word (a hint: interested in knowing more about the beguines read #Canticle). On the aristocratic side Adele of Blois is simply fascinating. The section on what ordinary women had as options what one expects - I’m just glad I didn’t have to live in the age of no electricity and internet. Those women who did have my sincere adoration.
The author shows us that while choices for most women were pretty cut and dry - subservience to the male per biblical thinking - women of the Middle Ages did have some freedoms that over time were wrested from them. The 21st C is really not much different as far as women’s rights go.
Really enjoyed this book. I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Pen & Sword History, for allowing me to read this fine ARC.
#WomenoftheMiddleAges
#PenandSwordHistory
#LukeDaly
The book divides the story between women who sought church-related roles, in many cases non-Bible women but more often than not widows, aristocratic women who more often than not in times of war or the Crusades took control of the property as chatelaine and guardian or sometimes due to inheritance laws, ruled, the common women who had a heavy road to bear. The author has chosen excellent examples of both roles. I especially enjoyed the section dealing with the beguines and anchoresses who chose to remove themselves from the secular word (a hint: interested in knowing more about the beguines read #Canticle). On the aristocratic side Adele of Blois is simply fascinating. The section on what ordinary women had as options what one expects - I’m just glad I didn’t have to live in the age of no electricity and internet. Those women who did have my sincere adoration.
The author shows us that while choices for most women were pretty cut and dry - subservience to the male per biblical thinking - women of the Middle Ages did have some freedoms that over time were wrested from them. The 21st C is really not much different as far as women’s rights go.
Really enjoyed this book. I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Pen & Sword History, for allowing me to read this fine ARC.
#WomenoftheMiddleAges
#PenandSwordHistory
#LukeDaly
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If you feel like you need a bit of tit-bits in your life about the place and understanding of women in the Middle Ages, then this book is for you.
You get some basic overall info and also some examples of women throughout time (starting with Eve, yes, that one, and with the supposed sl*t Theodora, although I would have put in some Aelia Eudocia in there, just because people pass her over for her hubby), that for me hit a really nice balance. I saw that some of the other reviewers (I normally avoid reading the reviews for ARCs, but in this case I did) mentioned that they expected to have only stories about specific women, but I really do not get that from the title of the book, but ig you expect that, then you will be let down.
You can tell how much research went into making the book, and if something tickles your fancy, you can always dive deeper into the subject (one of the many reasons why I love citing).
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the ARC
You get some basic overall info and also some examples of women throughout time (starting with Eve, yes, that one, and with the supposed sl*t Theodora, although I would have put in some Aelia Eudocia in there, just because people pass her over for her hubby), that for me hit a really nice balance. I saw that some of the other reviewers (I normally avoid reading the reviews for ARCs, but in this case I did) mentioned that they expected to have only stories about specific women, but I really do not get that from the title of the book, but ig you expect that, then you will be let down.
You can tell how much research went into making the book, and if something tickles your fancy, you can always dive deeper into the subject (one of the many reasons why I love citing).
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Pen & Sword for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Luke Daly covers a multitude of sectors that women were involved in the Middle Ages, how they were treated and viewed. He provided examples of these different kinds of women by utilizing unique well-known women of the Middle Ages.
I really enjoyed this book as a history nerd who is always looking to learn something new. There were some parts where I became lost about the setting of some of the stories/examples, but I believe that this is due to my lack of knowledge on this subject.
I recommend this book to anyone who is trying to learn a more about history, specifically the Medieval Ages or anyone that is looking for a quick read about history that is digestible.
All opinions are my own
Luke Daly covers a multitude of sectors that women were involved in the Middle Ages, how they were treated and viewed. He provided examples of these different kinds of women by utilizing unique well-known women of the Middle Ages.
I really enjoyed this book as a history nerd who is always looking to learn something new. There were some parts where I became lost about the setting of some of the stories/examples, but I believe that this is due to my lack of knowledge on this subject.
I recommend this book to anyone who is trying to learn a more about history, specifically the Medieval Ages or anyone that is looking for a quick read about history that is digestible.
All opinions are my own
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Non-Fiction To Be Published March 2026
I learned a great deal about women's roles within different time periods within the full Medieval Period, how tradition, culture and the church changed those roles over time. What jobs, trades, duties and freedoms of women were molded by time, circumstances and politics of the time.
The beginning section asks the reader to set aside our modern day way of thinking, and I needed to keep reminding myself to do so.
I found the last section very interesting where it showed the different type of lives Viking women led as they held onto their original spiritual belief system well into the Medieval Period. I would have liked that section expanded upon in more detail.
I learned a great deal about women's roles within different time periods within the full Medieval Period, how tradition, culture and the church changed those roles over time. What jobs, trades, duties and freedoms of women were molded by time, circumstances and politics of the time.
The beginning section asks the reader to set aside our modern day way of thinking, and I needed to keep reminding myself to do so.
I found the last section very interesting where it showed the different type of lives Viking women led as they held onto their original spiritual belief system well into the Medieval Period. I would have liked that section expanded upon in more detail.
January 5, 2026
This book goes through a wonderful and sometimes tragic journey of looking at medieval women from pretty much all classes and lives. Which makes it absolutely fascinating, because as much as I love famous medieval queens like Eleanor of Aquitaine and Empress Mathilda. It was really interesting to read about all these “normal” women. I did find sometimes that it read a little bit too much numbers instead of the actual women, but I do totally understand that because that is the background information you need to understand how their lives worked. So that is easy to look over.
All in all I thought it was a really interesting read about so many women I had never heard about until this book. So if you are a medieval history enthusiast and you're looking for a history book to read this is definitely the one. For people that are interested in women and women’s history I would also definitely recommend this too, for it is a rich source of information for anyone who interests lie in these subjects. So get your notebook, or phone, ipad or just a pen ready to note down all the interesting facts and women.
All in all I thought it was a really interesting read about so many women I had never heard about until this book. So if you are a medieval history enthusiast and you're looking for a history book to read this is definitely the one. For people that are interested in women and women’s history I would also definitely recommend this too, for it is a rich source of information for anyone who interests lie in these subjects. So get your notebook, or phone, ipad or just a pen ready to note down all the interesting facts and women.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Women of the Middle Ages is a historical compilation of short stories about the hardships of gender inequality that women of that time period suffered, and how some of them got to have a semblance of power within all the constraints.
This isn't a book about queens or legends, but rather women in different social classes, how the norm was to be a submissive woman at the demands of men, and how a few lucky ones could demonstrate that women could do the job of men.
The narration as a whole was a little tedious, but the content is interesting. I would like the book to delve more into the stories of each woman.
This isn't a book about queens or legends, but rather women in different social classes, how the norm was to be a submissive woman at the demands of men, and how a few lucky ones could demonstrate that women could do the job of men.
The narration as a whole was a little tedious, but the content is interesting. I would like the book to delve more into the stories of each woman.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I went into this book expecting more about women in the Middle Ages, individual women. I came away with more information about the Middle Ages with a little bit of women sprinkled in.
I almost gave up on this book multiple times. Wading through religious history, male points of view and geography really made the book drag. However, this is very well researched, rich in the history of the time and really immersive.
Grab this book for a coffee table book to dip in and out of.
Advanced copy received from Netgalley.
I almost gave up on this book multiple times. Wading through religious history, male points of view and geography really made the book drag. However, this is very well researched, rich in the history of the time and really immersive.
Grab this book for a coffee table book to dip in and out of.
Advanced copy received from Netgalley.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This well-researched book is written in an engaging anecdotal style. The author surveys the lives of women in medieval times from various perspectives, including religious, royal and common life. My favourite sections are the ones dealing with occupations and lives of common women. It was illuminating, reading all the reasons why women would choose a monastic life. Not at all what you might think!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book is an incredible look into the way women were viewed and treated in the Middle Ages. Truthfully this book made me have visceral reactions to the cruelty and stigmas, but it’s very important to know how far we’ve come as a society. The storytelling is well-done and in a way that’s easily digestible even for novice history readers. I found myself interested the whole time, and inspired to look deeper into certain topics. I think everyone should read this!!
February 13, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Sword Press for the ARC of "Women of the Middle Ages."
Women's history is a subject I have a great deal of interest in, so books like this one always catch my eye. Unfortunately, I found this book to be somewhat lacking in scope, with the primary focus being on women of the church and the secondary focus of Adela of Blois. The third segment of the book does focus on the work of craftswomen of the Middle Ages, but I feel there could have been so much more about these women included in this book.
Women's history is a subject I have a great deal of interest in, so books like this one always catch my eye. Unfortunately, I found this book to be somewhat lacking in scope, with the primary focus being on women of the church and the secondary focus of Adela of Blois. The third segment of the book does focus on the work of craftswomen of the Middle Ages, but I feel there could have been so much more about these women included in this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to the publishers - Pen & Sword History - for giving me access to this book via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Like most books from this publisher it is easy-accessible, and gives a nice foundation for further reading. The bibliography also helps for further reading into the subject of Medieval women. Neatly sectioned into chapters. All in all a nice read.
Like most books from this publisher it is easy-accessible, and gives a nice foundation for further reading. The bibliography also helps for further reading into the subject of Medieval women. Neatly sectioned into chapters. All in all a nice read.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Really enjoyed this book about the lives of medieval women in different areas of society. Engaging storytelling and powerful stories mix to make a page turning narrative. Super glad to have read this!
January 29, 2026
A fascinating trip through the Middle Ages with the focus on the women of the time (yay!)—the saints, the nuns, the workers, and the midwifes (and child bearers). I loved that some of the monastic communities for women seemed more like hippie communes where they could find community, education, self-expression, and respite from the secular life (read: marriage and societal stereotypes), rather than typical nunneries. One particularly appealing order is described as comprising "a large following of women who were rich and poor, widows and virgins, old and young, prostitutes and man-haters alike."
I love books that explore hidden histories and this one was very accessibly written and engaging!
Thanks to Pen & Sword Books, via NetGalley, for gifting me this ARC! All opinions are my own.
I love books that explore hidden histories and this one was very accessibly written and engaging!
Thanks to Pen & Sword Books, via NetGalley, for gifting me this ARC! All opinions are my own.
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