Heroines of the Medieval World

by Sharon Bennett Connolly

This book looks at the lives of the women who broke the mold: those who defied social norms and made their own future, consequently changing lives, society and even the course of history. Some of the women are famous, such as Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was a duchess, Queen Consort of France, and Queen Consort of England, in addition to being a crusader and a rebel. Then there are obscure but no less remarkable figures such as Nicholaa de la Haye, who defended Lincoln Castle in the name of King John, and Maud de Braose, who spoke out against the same king’s excesses and whose death (or murder) was the inspiration for a clause in Magna Carta. Women had to walk a fine line in the Middle Ages, but many learned to survive—even flourish. 

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, Biography, Womens, Historical, Medieval History

320 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2019

Reviews

[Amy Clarke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great idea with a lot of potential, but poor execution

'Heroines of the Medieval World' is a non-fiction book focussing on the lives of notable women during the medieval period, so-called 'heroines' whose stories have largely been forgotten. At bringing together a range of women, from women as infamous as Joan of Arc to lesser known women such as Ingeborg of Denmark, this book excels. Connolly leaves no doubt that - despite an overwhelming focus on medieval men in our history books - women ruled, women led troops into battle, women were religious icons, and women defied men. Certainly, Connolly has to be commended for the impressive array of women she calls upon in this book.

Sadly however, Connolly's writing style throughout this book is quite wooden. This is partly due to her obsessive detailing of family trees, which mostly only serves to confuse the reader. It is also due in part to the source of Connolly's information: her own blog (historytheinterestingbits.com). Most of the stories are directly copied from here, resulting in a book which reads exactly like a series of blog posts stuck together, lacking fluidity and containing a lot of repetition.

The worst offender for repetition is Chapter 12: Captive Heroines, which focusses on the women of Robert the Bruce's family. On page 152 we are told of the story of Robert's coronation from the perspective of Christian, Robert's sister: "Robert then made a dash for Scone, hoping to achieve his coronation... On 25 March 1306 Christian and her husband were present when her brother was crowned King Robert I". Then, four pages later we are told the same story from the perspective of his daughter: "Bruce raced to Scone to be crowned... Elizabeth was at Robert's side when he was crowned at Scone on that spring day in March 1306". Only two pages later this very same story is told from the perspective of a different daughter: "Majorie's father Robert the Bruce, was one of the chief claimants of the Scottish crown... In 1306, following his coronation as King of Scots at Scone Abbey...". Finally, the story is re-told for the fourth and final time from the perspective of a noble-woman: "Robert the Bruce had raced directly to Scone... Bruce was crowned at Scone on 25 March". All of this is contained within pages 152-160. A more skilled writer would have told these stories as one and weaved the women's lives together; Connolly treats each story separately, giving the backstory to Bruce's coronation each time. Unfortunately, this type of repetition is common throughout the book, likely an artefact of joining together all her blog posts with little editing.

With more effort to convert her blog posts into stories suitable for a full-length book, Connolly could have created something excellent. The range of women she includes highlights her meticulous research, but unfortunately her writing has let her down. This book is not as dramatic or gripping as it could be given how remarkable these women were.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a faithful follower of Connolly's blog History....the Interesting Bits, you will recognize her style in this book and appreciate the varied stories of medieval women who were each a heroine in her own way. Focused mainly on the 11th -14th centuries, Connolly explores the largely interconnected lives of women who were princesses, wives, mothers, peacemakers, rulers, and so much more.

I was particularly interested in reading this book because, as a writer myself, I knew that I would find a treasure trove of ideas for new Plantagenet protagonists. Now, I simply cannot decide who to write about next!

This book is organized into chapters by theme. For example, stories of women who were warriors are told together in one chapter, mistresses in another. This leads to a bit of repetition as one woman's story might be in one chapter while her sister or mother might be in another, but those reminders could be nice, especially if one is reading this book in short sittings (which I would suggest it is ideal for). I would have preferred a chronological organization, but others may prefer the approach utilized.

Connolly has included a wealth of knowledge in this book - and quite a few lovely pictures! I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in how the medieval woman could leave her mark on a world largely ruled by men.

[Tony Riches · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes a woman a 'heroine'? Sharon Bennett Connolly's new book Heroines of the Medieval World is organised by theme, so it's perfect for 'dipping in' at a random page or section - and you can be fairly sure of learning something interesting.

As well as more obvious medieval heroines, such as Joan of Arc and Eleanor of Aquitaine, I was pleased to see women like Jacquline of Hainault finally having the attention they deserve. It also passes the test of inspiring you to find our more about the lives of some of the less well known women, (which I have already started doing.)

This book is also full of fascinating and sometimes gruesome details, such as how Matilda de Braose (whose heroic achievements include having sixteen children) was imprisoned in a dungeon by King John with her son and left to starve to death.

Some of Sharon's themes were a surprise, like the section on captive heroines or the idea of medieval mistresses being heroic. (I'd recently been reading about HenryVIII's 'Bessie' Blount and fell into the trap of not considering events from her point of view.)

This brings me to my main problem with this entertaining and highly readable book. Sharon Connolly admits these amazing women represent just the 'tip of the iceberg' of those she could have chosen to write about. It should have the subtitle 'Part 1' as there are so many more heroines, particularly from the Tudor period, I'd like to see included. I'm looking forward to the sequel: 'More Heroines of the Medieval World.'

[Caitlyn Lynch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so I’m going to start off by addressing the elephant in the room - or rather, the elephant that ISN’T in the room, and clearly hasn’t been invited to the room, because it’s not from Western Europe.

This book should rightfully be titled “Medieval Heroines of Western Europe”. The furthest east we venture is Poland, and that’s literally because there weren’t any women who ruled kingdoms in their own right in Western Europe in the period in question. Jadwiga of Poland is as close as you get.

With that noted, this isn’t a bad introduction to many of the most interesting women in Western Europe in this time period. Even those with little knowledge of history will have heard of some, like Joan of Arc and perhaps Eleanor of Aquitaine, but there are also some more obscure names (Hildegard of Bingen, Christine de Pisan, St. Julian of Norwich) who will interest those looking for a place to start further research. Even the legendary Eleanor of Aquitaine only gets nine pages devoted to her, which will perhaps demonstrate more clearly than anything else I could say that no woman described in this book gets more than a surface glance.

As something of a primer, however, this book is hampered by the author’s writing style, which is a bit too dense. She has a tendency to exhaustively delineate lineages, for example; something which would actually be much better communicated by a family tree diagram when she commences talking about a new heroine. And reading the paperback edition of this book, I was extremely disappointed by the photographic insert, most of which are contemporary, tourist-quality images of castle ruins apparently taken by the author herself and absolutely not appropriate in a book of this type. The few which were reproductions of images in museums were acceptable, but absolutely not things like a photograph of the entry to Canterbury Cathedral with modern-day tourists milling about!

In summary; this might be of interest if you want to know more about some of the more interesting women of medieval Western Europe, but be prepared for a rather dry writing style and that you will need to do further reading if you want to really delve into the life of anyone in particular. The excellent bibliography will give you a good place to start. I was, however, disappointed that the author didn’t look further afield and take the opportunity to introduce English-speaking audiences to medieval-era heroines of Asia and the Middle East, at least. Three stars.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I've ploughed through a non fiction book quite that quickly (under 24 hours)

Broken into sections rather than giving each heroine her own chapter or dealing chronologically with the women in question it gives page space to both the well known some of the era and those lesser known.

[Regan Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-Researched Account of Women of Significance

This is an accounting of significant women who lived in the medieval era, their lives, their men, their accomplishments and their trials. All but one (Joan of Arc) are noble. The author has divided them into the following categories:

The Medieval Ideal
Heroines in Religion
The Medieval Mistress
Scandalous Heroines
The Disinherited Heroines
The Pawns
Captive Heroines
Warrior Heroines
Women who Ruled
True Love
Literary Heroines
The Survivors

As a result, the book is not chronological, nor the women listed by country or even century. However, there is an index of names which can assist your locating a particular woman who might be included. It’s a scholarly work, well-researched and complete with references and notes.

A great addition to the library of anyone interested in women of this era. It is not, however, written so as to engage the emotions overmuch.

[Paula Lofting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms Connolly had started with her blog that concentrated on the medieval world with a focus on women. Her easy to follow style and impeccable research, especially on the genealogy of her subjects is what has made her wonderful blog so amazing and alluring.
Connolly delves into the fascinating worlds of these women drawing on a variety of resources and uses themes to explore the nuances of their lives, the roles they played in shaping the Christian western world and how they set the stage for the development of the premodern world.
I thought the themes an especially genius device to use to explore their lives looking at them from different angles. Her extensive knowledge of the times in which these women lived, loved and died shows in her writing style. Connolly knows her stuff and is able to bring the lives of these wome to life in the contexts of their worlds.
I highly recommend this book for all those who are looking for an in depth look at the loves of women in the medieval era and their interactions with the men they loved. Some super pictures also accompany this book which is so superbly presented!

[S.J.A. Turney · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the interest of transparency, I've been a friend of the author of this book on Facebook for years, our joint interest in history being the connection. That being said, our direct historical paths have rarely intersected, mine being military in the classical era and hers being more of a social history angle in the Medieval era. Then, oddly, there came a convergence. In the same year I signed up to writing a Medieval novel and selected as major characters two strong women, Sharon Bennett Connolly announced this book. Given the odd connection, I was dying to read it. I was therefore really pleased to be offered a review copy and a chance to be part of her blog tour.

My Medieval heroine characters (whose identity I will not reveal for fear of spoilers) actually do not appear in Sharon's books. In fairness they are REALLY obscure characters, so that's not a surprise. But the fact is that, despite their absence in the text, Sharon's book is a wealth of information and a learning curve for anyone wanting to research the role of women in the era. And, of course, for anyone simply with a passing interest in the subject. It has great value for research and just for general interest and gave me a number of new insights that will inform my own tale.

I had expected the book to be a series of biographies, with each section focusing on a different woman. I was surprised, therefore, to find that it had instead a thematic approach. Each chapter covers one aspect of women in the medieval era. One, I was interested to find, was about women and religion, which was the subject that currently interested me. But there are other aspects that also touch on my subject. Really, the book covers ever angle I can think of on the subject, missing nothing.

I shall condense my review of the book into pros and cons. You will be pleased to hear, no doubt, that I have only one con to mention and consequently I shall start with that.

Cons: The only downside I found in the book may be more of a failing in me. There was, I thought, a tendency to assume that the reader was familiar with the era and comfortable with the names and details. Consequently, I spent time either dazzled by a machine gun barrage of Medieval names or having to read back and re-check facts. I am, of course, used to writing Roman military, and while I'm currently working on Medieval stuff I spend a lot of time double and treble checking and correcting things. I suspect that this con is unlikely to touch on the general readership, since most people who buy and read this book will be more comfortable with the era and conventions than I. The upshot? Not much of a con at all I guess.

Pros? Well there's plenty, but four deserve mention specific here:

The sheer level of depth and research Sharon has put into every nuance of her book is impressive. In fact it is this level of detail that led in some way to my only con (noted above.) It is impossible to argue against the veracity of her text, she is simply that thorough. I consider at best 50% of my non-fiction books to be 'go-to' texts that I feel I can completely trust. This book has joined that illustrious section.

Also, it is put together in an almost conversational fashion, the information delivered in an easy, informal manner. There is an almost skald-like way she approaches these characters, as though they are not so historical characters under the microscope as friends about whom she has SO MANY STORIES.

The thematic approach means that I could concentrate on the aspects that had more connection with my own subject. I suspect that as a reviewer I should approach all aspects equally, but that's not really what non-fiction works are for. They are for specific research. And the organisation of this book works well in that respect in that it is also therefore non-consecutive and the reader can leap back and forth to the sections that are most pertinent without having to rely on missed text in between.

Finally, this book covers a huge swathe of time and geography. From the pre-Norman conquest world deep into the age of chivalry this is a really all-consuming text. One might think, given the very specific nature of the subject that it would focus on a short period or locale, but this is actually a more far-reaching work than I expected.
Bravo to Sharon for her depth of work.

In short, this is a very accessible and informative book that should appeal not only to the serious student or researcher into the subject but to anyone with an interest in the Medieval world and/or the role of women in history.

[Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, I really struggled with this book. I found the writing to be dry and un-engaging. The detailed family trees which focus mostly on the men in the family are unnecessary, even more so when discussing her husbands side of the family, and they only confuse the reader and serve to marginalise the heroine in question.

There is an awful lot of repetition going on in this book, especially concerning the women in the Bruce family. At one point I actually thought that I was picking up the book at the wrong page and therefore accidentally re-reading pages but it turns out that the chapters are really just stand alone blog posts, hence the heavy repetition. It's only after reading the review on here by Amy Clarke that I understood what the problem was.

An other disappointing book from Sharon Bennett Connolly and really it's my fault for getting carried away and buying both her books at the same time. Note to self, stop judging books by their titles.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heroines of the Medieval World collects together the stories of various women who lived in the Middle Ages. I was quite surprised by the range in the selection – this isn’t one of those books about historical women that feature only the infamous even when they’re meant to be about the “forgotten women” but ones from all levels of fame and Sharon Bennett Connolly’s definition of “heroine” is wider than Hollywood’s, where we have the women who have been universally celebrated, women who are heroines by modern standards and women who fulfilled the medieval ideal of womanhood. The rulers, the warriors, the lovers, the writers, the survivors, the scandalous – these are all ‘heroines’ in Connolly’s book.

The writing is clear and fairly easy to understand, though at times there is a bit of confusion or awkwardly phrased sentences simply because of the tiny pool of names medieval people drew on. It’s hard to write a concise, clear and comprehensible sentence about a mother and daughter with the same name, after all. I also wondered if the book could have been restructured – Connolly groups her heroines by “theme” (e.g. the warriors, the mistresses), but I wondered whether grouping them by chronology or by family (e.g. having a chapter dedicated to telling the story of the women connected to Robert the Bruce opposed to sprinkled throughout different sections) which would help avoid repetition and focus on the familial links, which is one of the things Connolly highlights in her afterword. Further dividing each themed chapter into separate biographies and removing the linking sentences was also something I wondered might have improved the book.

As I have said, the selection of women is quite broad (though Connolly admits that, with the exception of Joan of Arc, all belong to the upper levels of society), and, of the women I was already fairly familiar with, I couldn’t find anything to criticise and at times were delighted to find information that I hadn’t already come across. Sure, the biographies are often short and brief, but that’s part and parcel of the book’s format. There are women I’m surprised aren’t mentioned – Isabella of France, Catherine de Valois, the royal women of the Wars of the Roses, for instance – but Connolly says there are plenty more heroines that she didn’t cover. I can definitely envision a sequel to this book to cover more medieval heroines and would welcome it.

[Tracy O'Brien]

Incredibly well-cited for a popular history text, which I really appreciated.

This reads as a very scattershot selections of fun history facts, which has its pros and cons.

I appreciated that many of the figures mentioned weren’t ones I’d heard of many times before, but some of my favorite Jeannes were, sadly, missing— but Joan of Acre hadn’t made it onto my radar before, so I’m excited about that!

This text would be especially useful if you were looking for examples of specific kinds of heroines but weren’t too tied down to any given century— the organization I found frustrating for my particular purposes, because I have a 30 year range that I’m researching.

Heroines is very strong as a way highlight how diverse the lives of women were, and the focus on breadth instead of depth is actually really refreshing in a topic that’s full of exceptionalism and dominated by a small handful of historical figures.

[Diana Ridout · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since its beginning, I have been an avid reader of Sharon Bennett Connolly's blog, 'History - the Interesting Bits', in which the author finds and explores little known people and situations throughout history and blogs knowledgeably about them.

When I heard that she was writing a book showcasing the lives of women throughout history, women who have rarely been heard of and never had a voice of their own, I was delighted, not just because I genuinely felt that this author would do an exceptional writing job, but also because the role of a woman as a subject in history is so rarely covered and they, as gender, played major roles in so many situations, not just here in Britain but on the wider world stage, often changing the course of history very much from behind the scenes.

So many people never look behind the men folk of these ages and consider that the lives and actions of medieval women were totally restricted by the men who ruled the homes, countries and world in which they lived. It is so easy to think that all women from this era were downtrodden, retiring and obedient little housewives, whose sole purpose was to give birth to children (preferably little boys) and serve their husbands. In this groundbreaking book, Heroines of the Medieval World, the author looks at the lives of the women who defied social mores and made not just their own future, but the future of nations, changing lives, society and even the fate of nations.

Some of the women are famous, like the Maid of Orleans, but others I had never heard of and have now become fascinated by, Maud de Braose, for example and Ms Bennett Connolly's own favourite, Nicholaa de la Haye, who defended Lincoln Castle in the name of King.
As the author says, ''Heroines come in many different forms, and it is no less true for medieval heroines. They can be found in all areas of medieval life; from the dutiful wife and daughter, to religious devotes and to warriors and rulers. What makes them even more unique and heroic, compared to those of today, are the limitations placed on them by those who directed their lives; their fathers, husbands, priests and kings. Women have always been an integral part of history, although when reading through the chronicles of the medieval world, you would be forgiven if you did not know it. We find that the vast majority of written references are focussed on men. The chronicles were written by men and, more often than not, written for men. It was men who ruled countries, fought wars, made laws and treaties, dominated religion and guaranteed the continued survival of their world. It was the men, if anyone, who could read, who were trained to rule and who were expected to fight, to defend their people and their country.''
The book is written in a friendly, easily readable style that belies the impact and interest of the words, each of which has been carefully considered to ensure that the meaning is clear to any reader of any level and maintain its academic importance and integrity. Whilst primarily it is a book aimed at adults, a child interested in history would also benefit greatly and find it an enjoyable read that could be dipped in and out of and also kept as a valuable reference book. The book is carefully referenced and indexed and I can see this being a valuable ‘go to’ book for school projects as well as being an enjoyable read with its well defined concepts and clear,convincing language.

The author has not just attempted to strike out from the pack with something different and new, she has succeeded with this trail blazing book.

[Kelsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book, but it’s so confusing and dense. Connolly excruciatingly details the ancestry of each woman. I find it difficult to follow. She’ll start talking about one woman and then Segway into talking about the woman’s husband and then the children they have, and then circles back to all the wonderful things the woman did, then moves on to another person. It’s very confusing. It’s a shame, because this could have been an excellent book if it had been more focused. I’m sadly DNF’ing.

[AliC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories and historical facts. But it is like reading lecture notes.

[Annalise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I admire the research the author has done to put this book together, the poor writing and structure of this book was a huge disappointment and there were many times I wanted to give up. In terms of the way it is structured, the word 'jumbled' comes to mind. I think better effort could have been made to make the reader's experience more enjoyable. The writing is basic and is something one might find in a history student's notebook at a secondary school. If used as a reference, perhaps it is not so bad but good luck trying to easily find information! As mentioned, the structure is poor. Perhaps the author was trying to make this very dry material an interesting read and that's why the heroines are thrown around the book in no order whatsoever - but if this was supposed to be an interesting read the poor writing isn't helping at all. It might have been better if it was in chronological order and set up more like a textbook with all the details - better yet, just an outline for each heroine and the main points (after all, in this book every heroine's coverage starts with parents listed and birth date then any details about childhood and then marriage or adult life 'occupation') with adventures or interesting highlights included as stories within the reference.
Interesting topic, good effort and details, but very, very poor delivery!

[Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant book. It is very easy to read with lots of clear information that is well sourced . I loved it

[Kate Innes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed dipping into this fascinating book - a triumph of scholarship spanning Western European Medieval history. So few women have been accorded detailed historical analysis in the past. This book goes a long way to redress the balance. I found many interesting facts about my period of research, but also delightful and intriguing tales of women throughout the medieval centuries, struggling to preserve their own integrity and safety in the face of institutional misogyny and endemic violence. I found the organisation of the book into subject chapters - rather than chronological lists of women - suited my reading style and led to serendipitous discoveries. It necessarily focusses on women in the upper classes and aristocracy, as very few women leading ordinary lives can be uncovered in enough detail from the manuscript records. And there are some remarkable, charismatic, enigmatic, and frightening women amongst them! I recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone who has an interest in the period and would like to find out how the silenced half of the population lived.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. When I thought of the medieval times I would think of the men, the battles, the men who ruled all aspects of women’s lives, keeping them under their thumbs.
The author not only included Queens, Dutchess, Consorts and also less famous more “normal” women of the times. I had no idea that some women had led armies! Some women of these times dared to defy the men and made contributions in their own and important ways.
The fact that the author added past and current pictures helped to bring these stories alive. If you have any interest in medieval times, this is a very interesting and remarkable read!

[Cathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fascinating book, a collection about the (mis-)adventures of a wide range of famous, barely-known or infamous women of the Middle Ages. Their stories are inspiring, hair-raising and also sobering. And not all tales end well.

But the author's meticulous research and attention to detail brings these women back to life, centuries after they lived, loved, hated, or suffered. The book shows their challenges, trials and successes without glossing over the less savoury details.

A must-read for anyone interested in the medieval era, and how women really lived in what was essentially a man's world.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I thought this was going to focus on women in the UK and France but there are women from other European counties included here which was super cool. The vast majority I wasn’t aware of & learning their stories was fascinating. My only nitpick would be that it jumps around in time a lot but given the chapters are separated into different categories of heroines it’s understandable. It wasn’t easy to be a woman in medieval times but these women made their marks.

[Allie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy and interesting read! It was a good mix of well known (such as Eleanor of Aquitaine) and lesser known women of the medieval period. The chapters are divided into themes and are looked at separately. Because of this, there was some repetition in the back stories of the women from different angles. I understand why the author did this, but at times it was too much and felt like I was re-reading the chapter. Otherwise, great introductory read to give you snapshots of medieval heroines!

[Dori · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at European women of the middle ages from many walks of life, from scholars to nuns and abbesses to nobles and royalty. Sharon Bennett Connolly presents each woman with clarity and discusses both her history and her legacy in an easy to understand way. A must read for any lover of medieval history.

[Ella Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up from a visit to Oxfpyes Castle and it didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed this book it told the story of so many medieval heroines that no one knows much about and I have made notes to read more about some of these incredible women!
I would definitely recommend to any history lovers!

[Tea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very very interesting. I hadn't heard of most of these women, let alone knew anything about their contributions to the world around them.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

bravo,an excellent a well written and research history,I look forward to reading more of miss connolly works.

[Patricia Furstenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sharon Bennett Connolly's "Heroines of the Medieval World" was a joy to read. This book depicts the diverse and remarkable stories of medieval women, each of whom is an extraordinary heroine in her own right. Connolly expertly navigates the intricately intertwined lives of women who wore many hats, from princesses, wives, and mothers to peacemakers and rulers, and much more, with a primary focus on the 11th to 14th centuries.

As a fellow writer, I was drawn to this book in particular in search of inspirational stories, and it did not disappoint. The book is organized thematically, with separate chapters containing stories of warrior women, mistresses, and others.

I appreciate the amount of research and knowledge Connolly has put into this book, which is complemented by a delightful array of illustrations and photographs. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone curious about how medieval women defied societal norms and left an indelible mark on a world dominated by men. "Heroines of the Medieval World" is an excellent addition to the library of anyone interested in the women of the Middle Ages.