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Normal Women: Nine Hundred Years of Making History
The #1 New York Times bestselling historical novelist delivers her magnum opus—a landmark work of feminist nonfiction that radically redefines our understanding of the extraordinary roles ordinary women played throughout British history.
Most histories have been written by men, about men, relegating women—with the exception of a few queens—to the shadows of time. Now, bestselling author Philippa Gregory reveals the importance of ordinary women, providing a more balanced and truer chronicle that expands and adds rich detail to the story of Great Britain.
In Normal Women, Gregory draws on an enormous archive of primary and secondary sources to rewrite British history, focusing on the agency, persistence, and effectiveness of everyday women throughout periods of social and cultural transition. She sweeps from the making of the Bayeux tapestry in the eleventh century to the Black Death in 1348—after which women were briefly paid the same wages as men, the last time for seven centuries—to the 1992 ordination of women by the Church of England, when the church accepted, for the first time, that a woman could perform the miracle of the mass.
Through the stories of the female soldiers of the civil war, the guild widows who founded the prosperity of the City of London, highwaywomen and pirates, miners, ship owners, international traders, the women who ran London theaters and commissioned plays from Shakespeare, and the "female husbands" who married each other legally in church and lived as husband and wife, Gregory redefines "normal" female behavior to include heroism, rebellion, crime, treason, money-making, and sainthood. As she makes clear, normal women make history.
Normal Women will include black-and-white illustrations throughout and a full-color insert.
Most histories have been written by men, about men, relegating women—with the exception of a few queens—to the shadows of time. Now, bestselling author Philippa Gregory reveals the importance of ordinary women, providing a more balanced and truer chronicle that expands and adds rich detail to the story of Great Britain.
In Normal Women, Gregory draws on an enormous archive of primary and secondary sources to rewrite British history, focusing on the agency, persistence, and effectiveness of everyday women throughout periods of social and cultural transition. She sweeps from the making of the Bayeux tapestry in the eleventh century to the Black Death in 1348—after which women were briefly paid the same wages as men, the last time for seven centuries—to the 1992 ordination of women by the Church of England, when the church accepted, for the first time, that a woman could perform the miracle of the mass.
Through the stories of the female soldiers of the civil war, the guild widows who founded the prosperity of the City of London, highwaywomen and pirates, miners, ship owners, international traders, the women who ran London theaters and commissioned plays from Shakespeare, and the "female husbands" who married each other legally in church and lived as husband and wife, Gregory redefines "normal" female behavior to include heroism, rebellion, crime, treason, money-making, and sainthood. As she makes clear, normal women make history.
Normal Women will include black-and-white illustrations throughout and a full-color insert.
688 pages, Hardcover
First published October 26, 2023
About the author
Philippa Gregory
139 books35k followersDR PHILIPPA GREGORY studied history at the University of Sussex and was awarded a PhD by the University of Edinburgh where she is a Regent and was made Alumna of the Year in 2009. She holds an honorary degree from Teesside University, and is a fellow of the Universities of Sussex and Cardiff. Philippa is a member of the Society of Authors and in 2016, was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Historical Fiction Award by the Historical Writers’ Association. In 2018, she was awarded an Honorary Platinum Award by Neilsen for achieving significant lifetime sales across her entire book output. In 2021, she was awarded a CBE for services to literature and to her charity Gardens for the Gambia. and was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
She welcomes visitors to her site www.PhilippaGregory.com.
Philippa's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/PhilippaGregoryOfficial
She welcomes visitors to her site www.PhilippaGregory.com.
Philippa's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/PhilippaGregoryOfficial
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 411 reviews
October 7, 2023
Olivia Cranmer. Mary Boyle. Barbara Leigh Smith. Flora Sandes.
Who are these women? Well - not only are these women new additions to my list of inspirational people, but they are women whose stories have gotten lost in history alongside millions of others.
This book is filled with empowering and uplifting tales, but also shocking and harrowing ones too.
You can read about how women were used as a "last resort" during The Black Death, of heroic acts during the War of the Roses, how the reformation of the church by King Henry VIII affected so many girls and women and the impact that the crowning of Queen Victoria had on women.
All incredibly well known historical events, in which millions of women's stories have been forgotten or have been left untold.
The book also discusses topics such as the traditions surrounding marriage and how they've changed through time, witchcraft trials and how women managed to delay or cancel their executions, religion and what it meant for women in the past and present day including their roles in the church and so much more!
It is filled with such powerful stories, quotes and extracts and I felt so much emotion throughout my experience of reading this.
There were inspirational stories and distressing stories, even the statistics and stories closer to present day filled me with disbelief! But whatever their tale consisted of, they deserve to be heard and our history deserves to be talked about.
This book is a celebration of women and it made me feel so proud to be one.
Who are these women? Well - not only are these women new additions to my list of inspirational people, but they are women whose stories have gotten lost in history alongside millions of others.
This book is filled with empowering and uplifting tales, but also shocking and harrowing ones too.
You can read about how women were used as a "last resort" during The Black Death, of heroic acts during the War of the Roses, how the reformation of the church by King Henry VIII affected so many girls and women and the impact that the crowning of Queen Victoria had on women.
All incredibly well known historical events, in which millions of women's stories have been forgotten or have been left untold.
The book also discusses topics such as the traditions surrounding marriage and how they've changed through time, witchcraft trials and how women managed to delay or cancel their executions, religion and what it meant for women in the past and present day including their roles in the church and so much more!
It is filled with such powerful stories, quotes and extracts and I felt so much emotion throughout my experience of reading this.
There were inspirational stories and distressing stories, even the statistics and stories closer to present day filled me with disbelief! But whatever their tale consisted of, they deserve to be heard and our history deserves to be talked about.
This book is a celebration of women and it made me feel so proud to be one.
January 4, 2024
Normal Women
I didn't really enjoy reading this book, and I normally love Phillippa Gregory books. I am amazed at other reviews of this book that have been so complimentary.
1. The book is very long (580 pages). I believe it could have been culled back quite alot. The Summary at the end of the book is 19 pages. Alot in the Summary is repetive- word for word repetitive. Same words in the main part of the book as written in the summary!
2. The first half of the book, dedicated at MOST 2 paragraphs to each woman. Most women only got 2 lines and nothing more. This made the book very jarring as one case was made after another. There is no flow. It would have been better if there were far fewer examples and they were actually detailed more fully. It was like find 10 cases in 16th century..and stick them on one page.
This may be because of the lack of written material because of the times, Phillippa documenting all that was known. However, reading it, it was all over the place, reading about one person and jumping next minute to another.
3. The second half of the book was more fleshed out, maybe because there was more material, but at the same time, alot was repetive and should have been scaled back. For instance there was 9 pages listing poor women whom were murdered by their husbands in 2019. Nine pages of lists only. Obviously horrible, but each woman was given 2 lines and that is it. It was lists only. I thought this was rather odd and this should have been edited better. It was weird only this year was chosen as well. How did this compare to other years or 500 years ago?
4. Note there is alot of identity and gender politics in the book, particularly towards the end. Not particularly talking about any woman, just general. The beginning of the book was all about cases and facts. This section was more theorising.
4. What did I enjoy about the book? The first half of the book was very interesting. And the general gist of the book is very thought provoking- how women were systematically treated by society throughout history. And it wasn't good. Even today, it makes you think about things, which to me is a good sign of a good book.
Overall the book was ok, I just found the book a bit excessive in content, repetitive and a bit of a missed opportunity.
I didn't really enjoy reading this book, and I normally love Phillippa Gregory books. I am amazed at other reviews of this book that have been so complimentary.
1. The book is very long (580 pages). I believe it could have been culled back quite alot. The Summary at the end of the book is 19 pages. Alot in the Summary is repetive- word for word repetitive. Same words in the main part of the book as written in the summary!
2. The first half of the book, dedicated at MOST 2 paragraphs to each woman. Most women only got 2 lines and nothing more. This made the book very jarring as one case was made after another. There is no flow. It would have been better if there were far fewer examples and they were actually detailed more fully. It was like find 10 cases in 16th century..and stick them on one page.
This may be because of the lack of written material because of the times, Phillippa documenting all that was known. However, reading it, it was all over the place, reading about one person and jumping next minute to another.
3. The second half of the book was more fleshed out, maybe because there was more material, but at the same time, alot was repetive and should have been scaled back. For instance there was 9 pages listing poor women whom were murdered by their husbands in 2019. Nine pages of lists only. Obviously horrible, but each woman was given 2 lines and that is it. It was lists only. I thought this was rather odd and this should have been edited better. It was weird only this year was chosen as well. How did this compare to other years or 500 years ago?
4. Note there is alot of identity and gender politics in the book, particularly towards the end. Not particularly talking about any woman, just general. The beginning of the book was all about cases and facts. This section was more theorising.
4. What did I enjoy about the book? The first half of the book was very interesting. And the general gist of the book is very thought provoking- how women were systematically treated by society throughout history. And it wasn't good. Even today, it makes you think about things, which to me is a good sign of a good book.
Overall the book was ok, I just found the book a bit excessive in content, repetitive and a bit of a missed opportunity.
February 25, 2024
Very detailed analysis of women's role since Anglo saxon to modern day and forever changing environment restricting and opening up women's role in society. Very interesting read historically
October 21, 2023
Four stars
Normal women make history is the best overall summary of this great non fiction book. This spans from 1066 to modern times and we see how culture, and social changes affected us. So often we only hear about the how men shaped our world yet this gives us a fresh take on history and finally we see the importance and determination of women.
I loved hearing about how over time we have had women fighting for the causes yet been seen as inferior. We meet women who were hidden from history. Women who were inventors , campaigners, and fighters. Meeting those that built our society and those that rebelled. I loved this book from start to finish and plan to show it to my son and daughter. This could well and should well be in the school libraries as our children should learn about normal women who made the world a better place.
Normal women make history is the best overall summary of this great non fiction book. This spans from 1066 to modern times and we see how culture, and social changes affected us. So often we only hear about the how men shaped our world yet this gives us a fresh take on history and finally we see the importance and determination of women.
I loved hearing about how over time we have had women fighting for the causes yet been seen as inferior. We meet women who were hidden from history. Women who were inventors , campaigners, and fighters. Meeting those that built our society and those that rebelled. I loved this book from start to finish and plan to show it to my son and daughter. This could well and should well be in the school libraries as our children should learn about normal women who made the world a better place.
June 5, 2024
Sat down to read 1 chapter and accidentally read the entire thing and consumed 1000 yrs of female history. I could not stop reading and I learnt so much everyone pls read
August 2, 2023
I was lucky enough to read an unfinished ARC of Philippa Gregory's first foray into Historical Non-Fiction and I really enjoyed the whole thing.
Gregory's background as a Historical Fiction author helped breath a lot of life in this very detailed account of women's history. While the book was extremeley long and sometimes repititious I really liked skimming through and finding facts and subjects that resonated with me.
I think Gregory offers a fresh viewpoint and didn't get bogged down in framing things in the same way most Historians might feel obliged to. Would reccomend checking this out if you're curious.
Gregory's background as a Historical Fiction author helped breath a lot of life in this very detailed account of women's history. While the book was extremeley long and sometimes repititious I really liked skimming through and finding facts and subjects that resonated with me.
I think Gregory offers a fresh viewpoint and didn't get bogged down in framing things in the same way most Historians might feel obliged to. Would reccomend checking this out if you're curious.
December 15, 2023
I feel like I took a class…. In the best way possible.
April 15, 2024
Knew there was a reason I never could finish any of her other books: she's all show and no substance. She should have just written a directory of women's names and their occupations - since this seems to be the only point of this book. There is no why something happened or why some law or attitude changed and little to no historical context (or does she assume that the reader is a better than average educated Brit who already knows all the dates and royals and so forth?). Then there's all the contradictory information: women had no legal status, women ran their own businesses, women could not inherit, women inherited all the time, women were paid the same as men (for a time), women were considered inferior. All at the sr time???
Even skimming (seriously, are we supposed to remember any of those names after reading this????) for 50%, I was too frustrated to continue.
Even skimming (seriously, are we supposed to remember any of those names after reading this????) for 50%, I was too frustrated to continue.
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March 8, 2024I think the afterword is what ties this book together. Initially I was kind of disappointed in the lack of narrative because I felt like the book was mostly made up of statistics and anecdotes (because it is), but the afterword left me satisfied. I feel like I understand what she was trying to do with this book and I agree with most of it.
If you want a 688 page feminist argument supported by a ridiculous amount of research, definitely read this.
If you want a 688 page feminist argument supported by a ridiculous amount of research, definitely read this.
December 5, 2023
I would give it 6 stars if I could
September 21, 2024
3.75 stars
August 10, 2024
I listened to the audiobook, mostly narrated by the author, which isn't offered as a choice on Goodreads at this time. I was pleased with the first two-thirds of this book which describes the lives of (primarily) British women at different levels of society beginning around the time of the Norman Conquest, continuing through changes resulting from the Black Death, the War of Roses, and the Tudor period. Examples of women who managed success in such areas as skilled trades, soldiering, religion, and medicine are provided through extensive examination by the author of primary and secondary sources. It was fascinating and inspiring, much of it new to me.
However, the closer the book gets to Victorian and modern times, the more it veers repeatedly into female oppression and gender issues. Of course, severe inequalities existed and continue to be problematic today. They need to be examined and pointed out. My problem with the later part of this book is the dominance they exert to the near exclusion of real progressive change in modern times. I was expecting to find out more of the women who had struggled so hard to improve equality for women as well increasing options that are now open to people along the entire spectrum of gender.
I am a progressive feminist and have never lived within the restrictions expected of women in the
mid-20th century. I support the rights of people of all genders to live their fullest, most authentic lives. Yet I grew tired of what came to be repetitious scolding by the author in the last part of this book. She has a valid point, but it loses power with its anger and persistence. I understand her descriptions of gender inequality because I had seen and experienced them myself, but I also have observed progress and have benefitted from numerous courageous role models who smoothed my path. I wanted to have some of these women (and men) given the credit with more space for their important contributions in this book.
It is difficult for me to rate this book. The first parts would warrant 4 or more stars while, sadly, the last sections deserve significantly fewer. I finally settled on 3 in order to express my appreciation for the information provided as well as my disappointment in what was missing. I am in outlier in this opinion as many readers were more enthusiastic about this book as a whole.
However, the closer the book gets to Victorian and modern times, the more it veers repeatedly into female oppression and gender issues. Of course, severe inequalities existed and continue to be problematic today. They need to be examined and pointed out. My problem with the later part of this book is the dominance they exert to the near exclusion of real progressive change in modern times. I was expecting to find out more of the women who had struggled so hard to improve equality for women as well increasing options that are now open to people along the entire spectrum of gender.
I am a progressive feminist and have never lived within the restrictions expected of women in the
mid-20th century. I support the rights of people of all genders to live their fullest, most authentic lives. Yet I grew tired of what came to be repetitious scolding by the author in the last part of this book. She has a valid point, but it loses power with its anger and persistence. I understand her descriptions of gender inequality because I had seen and experienced them myself, but I also have observed progress and have benefitted from numerous courageous role models who smoothed my path. I wanted to have some of these women (and men) given the credit with more space for their important contributions in this book.
It is difficult for me to rate this book. The first parts would warrant 4 or more stars while, sadly, the last sections deserve significantly fewer. I finally settled on 3 in order to express my appreciation for the information provided as well as my disappointment in what was missing. I am in outlier in this opinion as many readers were more enthusiastic about this book as a whole.
April 14, 2024
3.5
I applaud Gregory’s ambition but this ultimately started to feel very repetitive and more of a list of women doing things. I found myself zoning out as the book went on and felt some parts were only discussed at a superficial level (which does make sense as she is talking about 900 years of history). I’m wondering if this would have been better if it had been broken up into one or two volumes but I do think it’s a great overview or a jumping off point of UK women’s history.
I applaud Gregory’s ambition but this ultimately started to feel very repetitive and more of a list of women doing things. I found myself zoning out as the book went on and felt some parts were only discussed at a superficial level (which does make sense as she is talking about 900 years of history). I’m wondering if this would have been better if it had been broken up into one or two volumes but I do think it’s a great overview or a jumping off point of UK women’s history.
April 7, 2024
"Like a poltergeist summoned by men’s imagination, sometimes a warning banshee, sometimes an angel in the corner, this [natural woman] calls women to either live up to an unrealistic ideal or rebel against it. Most women queasily worry why, if it is the ‘nature’ of women, does it feel so unnatural to me? Millions of us have had that sinking feeling of not fitting the mould; in my own life experiences – as a tomboy, an apprentice to a trade, a professional, a scholar, a mother and a feminist – I have often felt completely out of step."
This book is a monumental achievement: a 900-year history of English women, in almost as many pages. Gregory sets a cracking pace, divvying up the centuries into era-based chapters, which in turn are grouped thematically. Each theme is littered with examples running to a couple of sentences each, with conclusions and generalisations heavily referenced (the notes section runs to several hundred pages). No individual gets more than a paragraph - this is a history of women, not the life writing Gregory is more well known for - with the focus on trends that shaped women and that women shaped. Gregory, as the above quote makes clear, is showcasing the diversity of women's lives, and indeed of women themselves, while tracking the gradual shifts in their economic, legal and social constraints and opportunities. Gregory includes diverse sexualities, varying and cohesive class experiences, and women from different racial backgrounds, as well as the experiences of gender-diverse people in every section. She tracks laws such as witchcraft, scolding, sexual and domestic violence, marriage and inheritance.
It can be an exhausting read - you do need to pace it. There is a lot here - it would be astonishing to see what Gregory left out as she has fitted so much in. The structure has plusses and minuses: within each era, it can be hard to get a sense of progression as the themes jump around (Victorian era and WW1 are in the same section, for example). Her humour is occasional, but at times, pee-yourself good. That you have read a few hours' worth of factual material to get to the one-liner possibly makes it much funnier.
There is a real point here, which becomes clearer in the contemporary section, where Gregory's anger comes through more clearly, along with her sarcasm, such as in this description of the post-war period: "The commission quoted women’s inferior physical strength to that of male workers, and said that women were less able to deal with ‘surprise situations’. Despite this lack of alertness, women were not at all surprised to find their wages fell from 53 per cent of the male rate to 45 per cent."
This frustration also comes from the things that the book tends to have in common: the persistence of sexual violence and the condoning of it, and the burden that sits on working-class women:
"We are indeed ‘right to worry about women carrying the double burden’, but we could have worried about this any time in the last 900 years. Working-class women have carried the double burden of wage work and production for the family ever since wages were paid for work and they had to go outside the home to earn money as well as produce at home. The double burden is hard but profitable when home production is high and wages are good, but it is unendurable when neither is enough to sustain the life of the woman herself or her children."
Nevertheless, this book largely celebrates the variety of womanhood and the ways women have shaped and responded to history. At times, I had been disconcerted by the extraordinary nature of some of the "normal" women featured here, but Gregory makes a persuasive case in summing up her approach:
"The history of women is a struggle over identity and inclusion: we are all ‘normal’ women even when we have been described as exceptional or deviant or inadequate, even when our vanity prompts us to stand apart, or our ambition to compete with each other."
This book is a monumental achievement: a 900-year history of English women, in almost as many pages. Gregory sets a cracking pace, divvying up the centuries into era-based chapters, which in turn are grouped thematically. Each theme is littered with examples running to a couple of sentences each, with conclusions and generalisations heavily referenced (the notes section runs to several hundred pages). No individual gets more than a paragraph - this is a history of women, not the life writing Gregory is more well known for - with the focus on trends that shaped women and that women shaped. Gregory, as the above quote makes clear, is showcasing the diversity of women's lives, and indeed of women themselves, while tracking the gradual shifts in their economic, legal and social constraints and opportunities. Gregory includes diverse sexualities, varying and cohesive class experiences, and women from different racial backgrounds, as well as the experiences of gender-diverse people in every section. She tracks laws such as witchcraft, scolding, sexual and domestic violence, marriage and inheritance.
It can be an exhausting read - you do need to pace it. There is a lot here - it would be astonishing to see what Gregory left out as she has fitted so much in. The structure has plusses and minuses: within each era, it can be hard to get a sense of progression as the themes jump around (Victorian era and WW1 are in the same section, for example). Her humour is occasional, but at times, pee-yourself good. That you have read a few hours' worth of factual material to get to the one-liner possibly makes it much funnier.
There is a real point here, which becomes clearer in the contemporary section, where Gregory's anger comes through more clearly, along with her sarcasm, such as in this description of the post-war period: "The commission quoted women’s inferior physical strength to that of male workers, and said that women were less able to deal with ‘surprise situations’. Despite this lack of alertness, women were not at all surprised to find their wages fell from 53 per cent of the male rate to 45 per cent."
This frustration also comes from the things that the book tends to have in common: the persistence of sexual violence and the condoning of it, and the burden that sits on working-class women:
"We are indeed ‘right to worry about women carrying the double burden’, but we could have worried about this any time in the last 900 years. Working-class women have carried the double burden of wage work and production for the family ever since wages were paid for work and they had to go outside the home to earn money as well as produce at home. The double burden is hard but profitable when home production is high and wages are good, but it is unendurable when neither is enough to sustain the life of the woman herself or her children."
Nevertheless, this book largely celebrates the variety of womanhood and the ways women have shaped and responded to history. At times, I had been disconcerted by the extraordinary nature of some of the "normal" women featured here, but Gregory makes a persuasive case in summing up her approach:
"The history of women is a struggle over identity and inclusion: we are all ‘normal’ women even when we have been described as exceptional or deviant or inadequate, even when our vanity prompts us to stand apart, or our ambition to compete with each other."
January 16, 2024
Most of it is a 4 star book and would still recommend it. It is 3 stars as I have complex feelings about how it is trans inclusive but at points erases trans masc people. It is a hefty book that could have done with more editing but overall still works well as a queer inclusive feminist book with interesting information and is going on my books to reread list.
January 21, 2024
I find the idea that biological sex is an Enlightenment myth very bizarre, and this did blight my enjoyment of the book, which I would otherwise have rated more highly. The over-arching narrative of the book (that of women being undervalued, misunderstood, misused and often murdered by men) is extremely depressing, which is, of course not PG's fault.
December 29, 2023
Well written and full of information. Slightly repetitive but with some very eye opening stories and facts about the lives of women throughout the centuries.
April 11, 2024
First, a thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.
Listen - I love the idea of this. I love the idea of giving credence to and a voice to women who have otherwise been overlooked by history. I love the idea of going over the evolution of misogyny (specifically in England) and unpacking what we've been presented as "human nature" and unmasking it as a creation of humanity, specifically men.
In practice, however... This book was pretty hard to get through. I started off reading it with my eyes, and was having such a hard time getting through it, so I had to wait for the book to come out and use an Audible credit to get it on audio to listen to.
And it still took me a fairly long time to finish!
I think it's just hard because you're being constantly bombarded with information, some of it jumping around between people and events rather quickly - so I felt really overstimulated and overwhelmed throughout the whole thing.
I commend Gregory for her research and work in this - and I think it was a wonderful idea for a book, and a very ambitious undertaking, but in practice... I'm not sure it really was executed as well as it could have been. But I can't give really specific feedback on what would have made it better.
Listen - I love the idea of this. I love the idea of giving credence to and a voice to women who have otherwise been overlooked by history. I love the idea of going over the evolution of misogyny (specifically in England) and unpacking what we've been presented as "human nature" and unmasking it as a creation of humanity, specifically men.
In practice, however... This book was pretty hard to get through. I started off reading it with my eyes, and was having such a hard time getting through it, so I had to wait for the book to come out and use an Audible credit to get it on audio to listen to.
And it still took me a fairly long time to finish!
I think it's just hard because you're being constantly bombarded with information, some of it jumping around between people and events rather quickly - so I felt really overstimulated and overwhelmed throughout the whole thing.
I commend Gregory for her research and work in this - and I think it was a wonderful idea for a book, and a very ambitious undertaking, but in practice... I'm not sure it really was executed as well as it could have been. But I can't give really specific feedback on what would have made it better.
November 15, 2023
I've been a fan of Philippa Gregory's fiction for years now so when I saw she was coming out with a non-fiction about women in history I knew I had to read it, and I absolutely loved this from start to finish.
The sheer amount of research which would have gone into this book is staggering, and it's unbelievable how women's rights have changed so vastly over the centuries, going from bad to worse to better again. The stories in this book are shocking and heartbreaking at times, but also inspiring and uplifting.
This will definitely one of my favourite books of the year and I could actually see myself revisiting this, which I rarely do for non-fiction. 100% recommend for everyone!
The sheer amount of research which would have gone into this book is staggering, and it's unbelievable how women's rights have changed so vastly over the centuries, going from bad to worse to better again. The stories in this book are shocking and heartbreaking at times, but also inspiring and uplifting.
This will definitely one of my favourite books of the year and I could actually see myself revisiting this, which I rarely do for non-fiction. 100% recommend for everyone!
November 26, 2023
This absolutely blew my mind again and again and again. It’s essentially the ‘her’story of women from 1066 to 1994 who found ways to gain power and respect and were shot down by men… over and over and over again. It’s shocking, horrifying, awe-inspiring and fascinating - again and again over 700 pages!
June 15, 2024
Ok, this is going to be a hard one for me to rate, as I DNF'd at roughly 28% of the way into the book.
I just couldn't anymore with the constant explanations of how women were silenced, violated, raped, murdered and treated as less than by the men in power.
Yes, it happened back then and is happening now in all parts of the world, but I just couldn't stomach it anymore. Yes the men back then, the poor ones, were also treated horribly, money or the lack of it was a factor in how the men were treated, but the poor men seemed to not have it quite as bad as the women, even the wealthy ones. But to be fair, this book wasn't focusing on the men, so I don't have much to compare it to.
This book was a HARD read and wasn't enjoyable after a while.
It also jumped around chronologically when in the 1400-1700 span of time. The book seemed to have been divided by different aspects of society, women and religion, women and war, etc., so there was a lot of jumping back and forth within the different sections. I would have preferred to see the same span of time dealt with, then progress on to the next in a logical time fashion, but I am sure it was broken down the way it was because it made more sense that way. There isn't a lot of source material the further back one goes, so maybe going in time order wouldn't have made sense?
Not a bad book and written in an engaging way, but there is only so much of murder of women as witches or because they were the wrong religion or having their rights slowly being taken from them that I can handle, engagingly written or no.
3.5 rounded down because I just couldn't finish it.
3, an incredibly important read, just also very difficult to get through, stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and HarperOne/HarperVia for an eARC of this book to read and review.
I just couldn't anymore with the constant explanations of how women were silenced, violated, raped, murdered and treated as less than by the men in power.
Yes, it happened back then and is happening now in all parts of the world, but I just couldn't stomach it anymore. Yes the men back then, the poor ones, were also treated horribly, money or the lack of it was a factor in how the men were treated, but the poor men seemed to not have it quite as bad as the women, even the wealthy ones. But to be fair, this book wasn't focusing on the men, so I don't have much to compare it to.
This book was a HARD read and wasn't enjoyable after a while.
It also jumped around chronologically when in the 1400-1700 span of time. The book seemed to have been divided by different aspects of society, women and religion, women and war, etc., so there was a lot of jumping back and forth within the different sections. I would have preferred to see the same span of time dealt with, then progress on to the next in a logical time fashion, but I am sure it was broken down the way it was because it made more sense that way. There isn't a lot of source material the further back one goes, so maybe going in time order wouldn't have made sense?
Not a bad book and written in an engaging way, but there is only so much of murder of women as witches or because they were the wrong religion or having their rights slowly being taken from them that I can handle, engagingly written or no.
3.5 rounded down because I just couldn't finish it.
3, an incredibly important read, just also very difficult to get through, stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and HarperOne/HarperVia for an eARC of this book to read and review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2024
Learned and unlearned things through this book - as two examples - women regularly jousted, and there were equal pay laws (that were then revoked after a few hundred years) in the 15th century. I was also infuriated every few pages at something ridiculous against women; but incredibly worth the read to understand the daily lives of women throughout history, to really paint their stories and lives truthfully.
Also appreciated the sass of Philippa Gregory, out in force towards utterly deserving subjects. For example - ‘He described one woman, Alice Mitchell, who had cut her lovers throat as ‘typical’. ‘Homosexual relations are also a cause of suicide in women,’ Ellis wrote in 1879. Ellis himself had an open marriage with writer Edith Lees, who was sexually actively with women during their relationship, without murdering anyone.’ lolol
Also appreciated the sass of Philippa Gregory, out in force towards utterly deserving subjects. For example - ‘He described one woman, Alice Mitchell, who had cut her lovers throat as ‘typical’. ‘Homosexual relations are also a cause of suicide in women,’ Ellis wrote in 1879. Ellis himself had an open marriage with writer Edith Lees, who was sexually actively with women during their relationship, without murdering anyone.’ lolol
November 22, 2023
I highly recommend this to anyone passionate about women’s history or history at all! Something drew me to this book for sure.
The wonderful Philippa Gregory examines the remarkable lives of a myriad of women, in a collection of fascinating and radical stories. Stories that tell of their survival and valiance in the face of extreme prejudice and patriarchy. The women often overlooked, they’re here in these very pages. Medieval to modern day women.
Let’s just say, these individuals did a lot in their time. Busy carving their mark and passionate about change. You’ll be surprised at how many names are listed in this book too. These very real people just explode onto the page and rightly so.
Everything is split into sections. A little repetitive in places but there’s so much depth to Gregory’s writing that you kind of ignore it after a while. We had women pulled from the household and into battle. We had women partaking in jousts, primarily a male chivalric sport. We had women who loved women and marriage that was acknowledged to some degree. Women for the first time, or at least what is recorded, campaigned and fought, wrote their own books, wore clever disguises and issued their own currency. Yes, a woman named Mary Long minted her own half penny.
This was their capital and it’s astonishing the level of work that has gone into Gregory uncovering these hidden archives. A wonderful book to get your teeth into and the perfect gift ⚜️
#historylovers #womeninhistory #historicalwomen #britishhistory #normalwomen #bookreview #bookblog
The wonderful Philippa Gregory examines the remarkable lives of a myriad of women, in a collection of fascinating and radical stories. Stories that tell of their survival and valiance in the face of extreme prejudice and patriarchy. The women often overlooked, they’re here in these very pages. Medieval to modern day women.
Let’s just say, these individuals did a lot in their time. Busy carving their mark and passionate about change. You’ll be surprised at how many names are listed in this book too. These very real people just explode onto the page and rightly so.
Everything is split into sections. A little repetitive in places but there’s so much depth to Gregory’s writing that you kind of ignore it after a while. We had women pulled from the household and into battle. We had women partaking in jousts, primarily a male chivalric sport. We had women who loved women and marriage that was acknowledged to some degree. Women for the first time, or at least what is recorded, campaigned and fought, wrote their own books, wore clever disguises and issued their own currency. Yes, a woman named Mary Long minted her own half penny.
This was their capital and it’s astonishing the level of work that has gone into Gregory uncovering these hidden archives. A wonderful book to get your teeth into and the perfect gift ⚜️
#historylovers #womeninhistory #historicalwomen #britishhistory #normalwomen #bookreview #bookblog
March 18, 2024
This book was both engaging and informative. The author delved deep into the historical and societal issues that have plagued women, people of colour, and immigrants over the course of the past nine centuries. Though the content contained within is deeply disturbing, I found myself captivated by the author's ability to convey such complex issues in a relatable and accessible manner.
However, while I found the book to be an excellent read overall, I must admit that there were times when I felt that it became somewhat repetitive. While the length of the book itself did not deter me, I feel that if it were more streamlined, it could have been even more impactful. Nonetheless, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about the historical and societal factors that have contributed to the marginalisation of women throughout history.
However, while I found the book to be an excellent read overall, I must admit that there were times when I felt that it became somewhat repetitive. While the length of the book itself did not deter me, I feel that if it were more streamlined, it could have been even more impactful. Nonetheless, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about the historical and societal factors that have contributed to the marginalisation of women throughout history.
August 31, 2024
This book needed a strong editor. While actually quite interesting, the redundancy of telling the tale of every woman who was a carpenter in rural France in medieval times becomes monotonous.
September 13, 2024
I was writing a whole long review and then goodreads deleted it :( basically this book is really good and i also i want to share this sick jk rowling burn:
“The science, the history and the lived experience suggest that forcing people into one of two categories is as fictional as a ‘sorting hat’ – we are more diverse and more varied, and more changeable over time, in a richer multiple world than the binary model described.”
“The science, the history and the lived experience suggest that forcing people into one of two categories is as fictional as a ‘sorting hat’ – we are more diverse and more varied, and more changeable over time, in a richer multiple world than the binary model described.”
November 3, 2024
Alright this book deserves 5/5 not 4/5 like I gave it originally. This is an incredible feat of research and writing. Literally 900 years of British history focusing on women outside of just queens and notable women. This is women in all forms, good, bad, neutral, and normal.
Gregory covers shifting attitudes towards women’s work, sexuality, marriage, education, protest, sport, and so much more. It’s often uncomfortable and brutally honest. There are celebrations of women throughout history, but it’s not fluffy and set in reality which was often difficult for women.
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This book really pops off - im still digesting this but extremely well done.
Gregory covers shifting attitudes towards women’s work, sexuality, marriage, education, protest, sport, and so much more. It’s often uncomfortable and brutally honest. There are celebrations of women throughout history, but it’s not fluffy and set in reality which was often difficult for women.
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This book really pops off - im still digesting this but extremely well done.
November 9, 2023
exceptionally researched & brilliantly uplifting. there are a variety of accounts of women who lived worlds apart but are united by this overarching experience of sisterhood. i thoroughly enjoyed reading this, it takes you through history without feeling laborious to read (which is an impressive feat!). plus there are so many women which are insanely cool, agnes hotot & anne bonny are personal favourites of mine.
January 6, 2024
UPDATED REVIEW
After writing my original review I went back to this book and I’m so glad that I did. The chapters covering the 19th and 20th century are so interesting. I agree with the author when she writes in her afterward that “one of the standout ideas… is the compulsive habit of men, through history, to define the ‘Nature of Women’”. And this made up label has then has been the basis for laws about women and ways to control women.
ORIGINAL REVIEW
I’m giving this 3 stars but it’s probably worth saying that I didn’t finish this. This book is very well researched and is full of facts (and women’s names) but I didn’t particularly enjoy the format in which the information was presented. I would possibly pick this book up again though to read some later sections in it.
After writing my original review I went back to this book and I’m so glad that I did. The chapters covering the 19th and 20th century are so interesting. I agree with the author when she writes in her afterward that “one of the standout ideas… is the compulsive habit of men, through history, to define the ‘Nature of Women’”. And this made up label has then has been the basis for laws about women and ways to control women.
ORIGINAL REVIEW
I’m giving this 3 stars but it’s probably worth saying that I didn’t finish this. This book is very well researched and is full of facts (and women’s names) but I didn’t particularly enjoy the format in which the information was presented. I would possibly pick this book up again though to read some later sections in it.
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