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Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Molly Connally, Kings Park Library, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
POPE JOAN - A THOUGHT PROVOKING NOVEL!,
By Allen (Tampa, Fla. USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Pope Joan: A Novel (Paperback)
Ms. Cross has put together enough history with the right amount of alleged fiction to produce the story, albeit taking place in the 9th century, that has been discussed and passed from generations to generations until here we are today (in the 21st century) still reading about the alleged female Pope who ruled Rome.I totally digested the book and recommend to anyone reading the book that they pay particular attention to the author's research, notes and comments. I also found the fact that she chose the female pope to write about as a plus for the reader. My amazing reading experience is the fact that as a Catholic I opened the book with a chuckle over even the possibility of a female pope and closed the book saying: "Could it be true?" "Why not?" After all, remains of female gladiators have been discovered; Civil War women disguised as men served our country, etc., why not the female pope as portrayed by Ms. Cross? I thank the author for an intriguing story; for challenging my imagination and stimulating excellent controversial discussions.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very good depictions of Medieval Europe & decent scholarship,
By Constance S. Edwards "constanceedwards" (Lafayette, CO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Pope Joan: A Novel (Paperback)
Unlike one of the previous reviewers, I do find this book to be plausible, given the context. We're not talking about some random village girl who goes and does nothing with her life but get married and have a passel of babies. An extraordinary life is filled with extraordinary events. Equally fantastic, to my mind, is the life of Princess Clotild, who took over her convent with the aid of her sister nuns, recruited bandits and waged open warfare on the bishopric, and essentially made havoc of the clerical system at the end of the 6th century. Her tale seems outrageous, but is documented. Alas the poor fictional heroine, who does not conform to modern American standards of realism and self-help platitudes.... she will be despised!Ms. Cross got most of her history down - and where she miffed it, she usually realizes it. That alone makes this a valuable book for the average reader. There are no Victorian carriages or Renaissance barges intruding their way into the story. She crafted a world that most people have no clue about. Her scholarship is reasonably good; she is dealing with an era with little or no documentation. She might have looked into the papstfabeln a bit more, but otherwise, did a good job for a non-historian. Finally, I like the love story. Most of us will never have to face the choice between career and love; that has been one of the benefits of the feminist movement we forget to count. But until less than a century ago, that was the only option for women who did not want the standard path.... and so it is a glimpse for us to remind us how much we have gained.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Papal mystery,
By A Customer
This review is from: Pope Joan: A Novel (Paperback)
I just finished this book and loved it! I was alittle skeptical to continue when I first started it as I am easily upset about references to torture and medieval lifestyles. I am so glad that I continued reading. Unfortunately, the scenes of torture and representations of women as being lowlier than dogs was fact in this era (ninth century) and an important part of the story. They provided the basis for understanding what drove Joan to make the decision to live her life as a man. She was a woman filled with a passion for learning and exploring all that life had to offer the men of her time, but was forbidden for women to know. She was brave in the face of danger, had a keen and intelligent mind, and yet always exhibited an underlying femininity as she nurtured the sick, the poor and the children and when she spoke of her love, Gerold. She not only wanted to better her own life, but was committed to helping those around her as well.I am not Catholic and was completely unaware of her so-called legend. It is still debated as to whether or not she existed; some believe that the Catholic Church has deliberately removed her from any records of the time to avoid having to deal with the embarrassment of her rise to be Pope (the author spends a short time at the end of the book presenting this debate). I, for one, want to believe she existed. She represents all that is good in people and proves that we can attain our goals if we truly believe in them. Definitely, recommended reading!
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