REVIEW: Poet Mystic Widow Wife (Hetta Howes)

Book: Poet Mystic Widow Wife

Author: Hetta Howes

Premise: 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". Each broke new ground in women’s writing and left us incredible insights into the world of medieval life and politics.

This is a non-fiction book about the lives of medieval women in general, not just charting the lives of the four women in the title. A variety of topics are covered, including sex, marriage, fame and death. The writing was easy to follow and clearly well researched. I learnt quite a bit and I liked the comparison to modern day in the conclusion. An interesting read.