“Pope Joan has all the elements one wants in a historical drama—love, sex, violence, duplicity, and long-buried secrets. Cross has written an engaging book.”—Los Angeles Times Book ReviewIn this international bestseller and basis for the 2009 movie of the same name, Donna Woolfolk Cross brings the Dark Ages to life in all their brutal splendor and shares the dramatic story of a woman whose … dramatic story of a woman whose strength of vision led her to defy the social restrictions of her day.
For a thousand years her existence has been denied. She is the legend that will not die—Pope Joan, the ninth-century woman who disguised herself as a man and rose to become the only female ever to sit on the throne of St. Peter. Now in this riveting novel, Cross paints a sweeping portrait of an unforgettable heroine who struggles against restrictions her soul cannot accept.
Brilliant and talented, young Joan rebels against medieval social strictures forbidding women to learn. When her brother is brutally killed during a Viking attack, Joan takes up his cloak—and his identity—and enters the monastery of Fulda. As Brother John Anglicus, Joan distinguishes herself as a great scholar and healer. Eventually, she is drawn to Rome, where she becomes enmeshed in a dangerous web of love, passion, and politics. Triumphing over appalling odds, she finally attains the highest office in Christendom—wielding a power greater than any woman before or since. But such power always comes at a price . . .
“Brings the savage ninth century vividly to life in all its alien richness. An enthralling, scholarly historical novel.”—Rebecca Fraser, author of The Brontës
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What a hoot! The postscript describes research showing that a female pope may well have existed. This female pope attempts and partially succeeds in reversing the stupidity and superstition of traditional religion and replacing it with reason. One comes to care about the characters, but the book is worth a read just for the acting out of the …
This is one of my ALL time favorite books!
Fiction or fact, Pope Joan was a captivating read. A tragic story of how repressed women were back in time, and of the lengths of what some would do to live the lives they felt they deserved. I can’t help but feel that although written as fiction, the story of Joan was very true. Hard to put down, highly recommended!
Good fictionalized biography of one of the world’s most ignored women. Yes, she really existed. And this book added good dialog and description (the fiction part) to an amazing story. Not a ‘dry’ read at all.
So nice to visit this book again- I remember reading it years ago. The storytelling is compelling and keeps the reader’s attention. A really good read for admirers of The medieval era
Not sure of the authenticity of the story, but was a joy to read. Well written.
Interesting book about a time period that I didn’t know much about.
I had always heard that there had been a female pope centuries ago, but this was the first that I read about it. I understand the book has been fictionalized but now I am interested in learning more about this interesting woman. Fascinating story.
Great book.
This book is a biography of a woman who was too smart for the times. She flourished when she behaved & dressed like a man (and no one knew she was a woman). She was stymied when she dressed like a woman with all the limitations placed on her because of the mores of the times. It is a fascinating portrait of an intelligent woman who tries to have …
I would like more of this historical fiction.
Well written. A topic I have never heard of before. Plausible.
Amazing story.
Very well-written.
Fantastic! I really was enlightened by what was written. Truth? Not sure, but it could be.
A book I will read again. The author brings a legend alive in believable and realistic story-telling. The weaving of the story is fabulous and I found myself enthralled and sympathetic with the characters, especially our heroine, Joan.
If you like historical fiction and stories about strong women, this fills the bill. Apparently, according to the end notes, this is based on a legend that has endured for more than 1100 years–that a woman who lived as a man became pope in the 9th century. The unfortunate part of this inspiring, moving story is the sappy romance the author chose …
Amazing
Absolutely outstanding!
One of the best books I’ve read for a long time. The characters seemed real and the events taking place seemed to be realistic. Very true to the time period,
What a surprise. Of course I knew by the title, but church/catholic history is not my thing so it was quite fascinating to think there could have been a female pope.