{"product_id":"poet-mystic-widow-wife-the-extraordinary-lives-of-medieval-women-9780520430822","title":"Poet, Mystic, Widow, Wife: The Extraordinary Lives of Medieval Women","description":"\u003cb\u003e\"Brilliantly revealing history of medieval women . . . Howes's debut has just the right meld of insightful research, enjoyable storytelling and contemporary contexts.\"--\u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"A history of medieval women's lives as told through the prism of four exceptional individuals. . . . throughout, the tensions of medieval womanhood strain and stretch--eroticism and purity, sexuality and motherhood, silence and speech.\"--\u003ci\u003eThe \u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003ePoet, Mystic, Widow, Wife \u003c\/i\u003echarts the lives and times of four medieval women writers--Marie de France, a poet; Julian of Norwich, a mystic and anchoress; Christine de Pizan, a widow and court writer; and Margery Kempe, a no-good wife--who all bucked convention and forged their own paths. Largely forgotten by modern readers, these women have an astonishing amount to teach us about love, marriage, motherhood, friendship, and earning a living. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Reading the words of these four writers, Hetta Howes engagingly reveals how everyday women lived, survived, and thrived in medieval times. Who did they marry and why? Did they ever have extramarital affairs? Could they earn money and become self-sufficient? Could they be leaders? What did they think about death--and what about life and their place in it? \u003ci\u003ePoet, Mystic, Widow, Wife\u003c\/i\u003e paints a vibrant portrait of these women, their world, and the ways they speak to us today.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Hetta Howes\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of California Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/10\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 244\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.79lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.90h x 5.91w x 0.87d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780520430822\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eHetta Howes\u003c\/b\u003e is Senior Lecturer in Medieval and Early Modern Literature at City University of London. Named as a BBC\/AHRC New Generation Thinker, she regularly contributes to broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 and 4 and writes for publications such as the \u003ci\u003eTimes Literary Supplement \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eBBC History Extra\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Hetta Howes \/ Paperback \/ English","offer_id":47809118371997,"sku":"9780520430822","price":42.77,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_412a5d67-1453-4359-8c9b-406fcd84f6b1.jpg?v=1775556728","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/poet-mystic-widow-wife-the-extraordinary-lives-of-medieval-women-9780520430822","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}