A very interesting read told from a different perspective than usual.

I learnt a lot about women in history but it was very detailed, too much so and I actually lost interest in several places.

Great if you're interested in history but not if you want an easy read!

This is a thought provoking book, which is successful in that it has made me further question popular history books for the general reader, and it is well written and engaging. I’m dissatisfied to the extent that it is (hopefully) making a historically dated argument (I may be optimistic here!) and does so in a disjointed way.

The book is a series of essays about various medieval women, but I found it dissatisfying overall, since other than relating to medieval women, the essays are otherwise disconnected. As the only narrative thread linking these stories is that they are about women, it does not provide the “new history of the Middle Ages” which is the book’s subtitle, and I found any pattern too fragmentary, although the essays are engagingly written and well researched. Ramirez’s excellent introductory essay concludes identifying the book’s purpose more honestly: “We need a new relationship with the past, one which we can all feel a part of. Finding these extraordinary medieval women is a first step, but there are so many other silenced voices waiting to have their stories heard.”

Ramirez’s essay style of an introduction to each chapter’s subject by reference to a relatively contemporary event (for example the 1997 canonisation of the fourteenth century Jadwiga, “King” of the Poles in chapter 7), followed by an imaginative verbal recreation of an event in the individual’s life and then an exploration of their wider historical significance is a good approach. But it does become repetitive and underlines the discontinuity of the essays.
The book is well illustrated with photos of artefacts, artistic reconstructions and useful maps, but for me there appears to be an idiosyncratic choice of historical figures, some well known, others unknown (the Loftus “Princess”), although each essay is engaging and full of interesting stories. Also, after introducing her eminent women in the early chapters, Ramirez can appear to go off on a tangent due to the lack of records, but skilfully brings the narrative back to her chosen exemplar of a worthy woman in the period, providing relevant context for their significance.

In her final thoughts, Ramirez says : “Like so many others, I have been led by generations of historians before me, their contemporary agendas often presented in the guise of empirical truths. I have tried a different, but similarly loaded, approach in this book, putting the spotlight on women. It is no less biased, and is representative of the time in which I am writing. But by re-examining extraordinary women like Hildegard and Margery, casting a new light on over-written females like Æthelflæd and Jadwiga, and using recent discoveries to reconstruct lost individuals like the Loftus Princess and Birka Warrior Woman, the medieval world has taken on a different complexion.”

My overall impression is of the book trying to make a larger argument (thesis) from a collection of engaging essays about medieval women who were influential in their time. Instead the book reads like a collection of case studies with which to make the argument that the role of historically significant medieval women has been downplayed when histories of the medieval period were being being written in the eighteenth to twentieth centuries. This is “topped and tailed” with essays outlining Ramirez’s argument, that the histories of the medieval period need to be expanded to reflect the simplification and distortion of women’s roles, and this book provides some examples of historically significant medieval women.
The challenge identified in this book can be seen to have been accepted in books such as Michael Woods’ 40th anniversary updating of In Search of the Dark Ages published earlier this year, which includes new chapters on the historically significant Anglo Saxon women Aethelflaed, Lady Wynflaed and Eadgyth. The ongoing challenge for popular history writers will be to incorporate the stories of historically significant women seamlessly into broader narrative history, so widening our understanding. It is a difficult balancing act to show relevance and significance, but not to be read by modern readers as just inclusion as positive discrimination of “token” women.

I received a Netgalley copy of this book, but this review is my honest opinion.

Medieval history with women written back in.

If you know little about this period of history, or you have preconceived notions about how we lived then, this book will be an eye-opener.

Ramirez sets out a wealth of information, and shows how medieval culture still influences modern life.

Extensively researched and well-balanced.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC.

This is Herstory rather than History. Referencing medieval women whose influences and contributions to the past have been mainly erased from the history books by the educated male dominated society.
Some names have survived, but this book looks at the forgotten and more diverse ones.
Extremely well researched I found these women quite amazing, although I am not well acquainted with this period of history.
For me it was a book to interchange with a lighter read, one I did not have to concentrate on!
Entertaining, diverse and informative. Enjoy.

M Thankyou NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this in advance. What a masterpiece. Puts women back into the history books. Really brilliant read.

Misunderstood, side notes, or left out completely... "Femina" is a stark reminder of just how much of the history of the human race is missing, incomplete, or just plain wrong - all because women weren't considered all that important. It makes for fascinating reading, but left me with a sadness for everything we've lost. "Femina" feels like it should be the first volume in a very long series.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

I have long been a fan of Janina Ramirez's television documentaries and am so grateful to receive an ARC of her superb upcoming book Femina. This much-needed piece of scholarly work provides insight into the incredible women who have been long-ignored by male scholars -- from women behind the Bayeux tapestry to medieval female entrepreneurs. The abundance of photographs of historical objects is very helpful, although they would have been so much nicer in full colour rather than black and white. I will certainly be recommending this book to students who enjoy exploring history beyond the curriculum and are curious to learn more about the overlooked role of women through the ages!

Femina is an exploration of great medieval women, some I’d heard of, others I hadn’t. It’s a familiar period of history for me, but looked at from a usually overlooked feminine standpoint. I enjoyed the author’s enthusiastic voice guiding me and introducing me to some of her favourite people.

The book is well illustrated and referenced, recommended for any general reader as well as those more interested in medieval history.

Femina is long overdue. Finally, a history book with the women put back in!

This was really refreshing and I loved the style of writing. It is a genuine page-turner and very accessible, but not dumbed-down.

I loved this book. So many women I had never heard of before, and they had such important and influential lives. An eye-opener of a book which is also really enjoyable to read.

A novel. look at history with a new light on influential european women. The book is expertly crafted,

showing us their contributions in church, administration, social status and politics. The women were always

there- just hidden

The book is written in a stylish manner and is a compelling read. I enjoyed the observations immensely..

A well-researched factual page-turner..

This was not quite what I was expecting. It is a piecing together of information and archeology that gives an insight into the different lives of women who history has forgotten. I found it interesting but I think I was expecting more of a narrative style. The history is really interesting and it's intriguing the way the author has carefully researched and pieced together the lives of different women. That said I like the way you can dip in and out of the chapters should one area be of more interest than others e.g. spies!

I couldn’t resist this book, particularly when it feels like the gains made by feminism are being eroded and this book highlights the amazing women of the middle-ages who have been wiped clean from the history books.
I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.
This book is a passionate discussion of the role women played in the middle-ages and made me reassess my own assumption that women played no role except to marry and have children and had no voice. But as the author describes this is perhaps a Victorian concept.
The author focuses on a few women – some known and some unknown- carefully presenting her evidence and explanation as to why these women were amazing.
She starts with the unknown warrior woman found buried in Loftus, North Yorkshire buried with her weapons and the world’s continued disbelief that women could fight to Jadwiga, a powerful Monarch whose husband seemed to be remembered by history more than her.
The author presents her facts in a highly enjoyable way, I never felt I was reading a boring old history book and at times it was like I was reading my favourite historical fiction. The book is never preachy and the author’s passion for the subject shines through.
My only minor criticism ( and more than I wanted to read more) is that it focuses on European history and would have loved to read about more amazing women around the world.
Perfect for anyone
Who loves books on less described aspects of history and those who love a feminist twist in their history.

I reviewed Femina by Janina Ramirez for book recommendation site LoveReading.co.uk
I’ve chosen it as a LoveReading Star Book and Liz Pick of the Month.
Please see the LoveReading site for the full review.

*Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.*

One of my favourite genres is books centering forgotten female stories and figures, and this is exactly what Ramírez has written in Femina.

As she puts it in the author's note, "I am not here to convince you that it is high time we put women at the centre of history. Many have already done that." And she is correct, because thousands of women have tried and for the most part, begun to succeed. What is necessary, rather, is that these women have their stories told and remembered.

Femina examines case studies of women from throughout the early ages by analysing artifacts, providing contextual information and interspersing the text with vivid descriptions to bring the ancient women to life. In 9 chapters, Ramírez expertedly weaves an astounding narrative firmly explaining how, if not wrong, but distorted modern history truly is.
The amount of male figures who simply wouldn't, or even didn't, accomplish what they've been credited without a woman's intervention for was ridiculous. It seems absurd that these powerful icons could just be forgotten.
That's what really makes Femina stand out.

A second reason for this is Femina gives a reason for this revisionist history we learn today. We all know WHO rewrote history (men) and WHAT they rewrote (anything featuring a powerful woman) but why? And how? Femina examines this point carefully.

My only criticism would be that the book is heavily focused on central and western Europe, I think a broader scale would be great.

From medieval queens, to Viking warriors, Ramírez truly does shine a light into the inner workings of the pre modern ages. I think this should be essential reading for anybody, of any age, learning history.

I DNF’d this book. While the essay/thesis style of writing was refreshing to read, non-fiction just isn’t for me. I rated it 3 stars because I can see why people who do enjoy non-fic, would enjoy this book. The topics were interesting albeit a little jumbled/disorganised and the addition of diagrams, photos and other images was nice to have to break up the otherwise lengthy passages of texts. The unique use of women from history who aren’t well known really makes this book standout from other non-fic texts on the same topic.

I've been waiting for a long time to read this book! 'Femina' is part social history, part reappraisal and an entirely clear-eyed evaluation of life in the West during the Middle Ages as seen through the eyes of select women. Ramirez ably balances archaeology, theory, biography and art, but her words really come to life as she tells stories and sets scenes. Those who already know about Hildegard von Bingen and Margaery Kempe will find fresh ideas, and there are plenty of surprises to keep potential medievalists entertained.

As a fan of Ramirez's appearances on the You're Dead To Me history podcast and someone with a pre-existing interest in women in medieval history, I was predisposed to like this book- however, there's so much to recommend it beyond just the authour and subject matter. Femina is a lively and engaging catalogue of remarkable women from the middle ages, from the Birka Warrior Woman to Jadwiga of Poland. I knew very little about all of them going in except their names and the broadest sketches of their lives- what Femina gave me was a thoughtful and balanced look at these women that took into account their context and the way they reflected it, as well as using them to then question our assumptions about that context.

I think, for me, that's the biggest selling point of Femina. It is, at heart, a very honest book. Ramirez has no interest in 'girlbossifying' any of these women. She takes pains to present them in all their complexity and dismisses easy answers in favour of a more nuanced approach. For example, in the chapter on Hildegard von Bingen, Ramirez points out how this medieval mystic had a lot of support from those around her, and encountered sympathetic male listeners as often as she did misogyny. She also underlines that this in no way makes the achievements of Hildegard, or any of her other subjects, less remarkable.

This is refreshing and helps us to see the medieval period as one not unlike our own, where people have a mix of beliefs and assumptions, some of them contradictory. The past is not a monolith- and by using the stories of these women, Ramirez demonstrates this ably.

Femina is a collection of thoroughly researched snippets of information where females were either left out of historical events of the Middle Ages altogether or their contribution was misunderstood.

Janina Ramírez has developed techniques of prizing the information away from where it is hidden and bringing it into plain sight.

I enjoyed the book although some information was of much more appeal than others, the real interest is that she has shown that with determination and hard work this information can be found.

As she works in the closer past, as I hope that she will, information will be easier to find and more doors will be opened and myths quashed.
Well done Janina, thank you for an interesting read, and good luck in your future quests.

My thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy for honest review.