OUTRAGEOUS WOMEN OF THE MIDDLE AGES

by Vicki "Le—n ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 27, 1998

The history of the Middle Ages generally presents the brave deeds of men, and Le—n, through painstaking and thorough research, presents the stories of 14 influential women of Europe, Africa, and the Far East, from 500 B.C. through A.D. 1500. Among them is Aud, a Viking woman from Norway, who, as a grandmother, moved her family to Iceland in a boat built of oak and pine; Matilda, of England, who fought ""to win over the majority of English vassals""; Eleanor of Aquitaine, ""the most celebrated queen of the Middle Ages""; Hildegard of Bingen, who possessed vast visions and spiritual gifts; Khadija bint Khuwaylid, the first wife of the prophet Mohammed; and Murasaki Shikibu, of Japan, who wrote The Tale of Genii. Detracting from the inherently fascinating material is the author's regular use of contemporary slang--""tough cookies,"" ""trotted the globe,"" ""grandkids,"" ""bum's rush,"" ""[marriage] on the rocks,"" ""whippersnapper,"" ""eggheads and nerds,"" etc.--which may prevent the book from withstanding the test of time.

Pub Date: March 27, 1998

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 128

Publisher: Wiley

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1998

Categories: CHILDREN'S