Femina, Janina Ramirez
Femina, Janina Ramirez
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Femina
A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of It

Author: Janina Ramirez

Narrator: Janina Ramirez

Unabridged: 11 hr 56 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/28/2023

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

A groundbreaking reappraisal of medieval femininity, revealing why women have been written out of history and why it matters

The Middle Ages are seen as a bloodthirsty time of Vikings, saints and kings; a patriarchal society that oppressed and excluded women. But when we dig a little deeper into the truth, we can see that the “Dark” Ages were anything but.

Oxford and BBC historian Janina Ramirez has uncovered countless influential women’s names struck out of historical records, with the word FEMINA annotated beside them. As gatekeepers of the past ordered books to be burned, artworks to be destroyed, and new versions of myths, legends and historical documents to be produced, our view of history has been manipulated.

Only now, through a careful examination of the artifacts, writings and possessions they left behind, are the influential and multifaceted lives of women emerging. Femina goes beyond the official records to uncover the true impact of women, such as:Jadwiga, the only female king in EuropeMargery Kempe, who exploited her image and story to ensure her notorietyLoftus Princess, whose existence gives us clues about the beginnings of Christianity in EnglandIn Femina, Ramirez invites us to see the medieval world with fresh eyes and discover why these remarkable women were removed from our collective memories.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

About Janina Ramirez

Dr. Ramirez is an Oxford lecturer, BBC broadcaster, researcher and author. She has presented and written over thirty hours of BBC history documentaries and series on TV and radio, and written five books for children and adults.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Maja on November 14, 2022

PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I'VE READ THIS YEAR 😍 The second I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. From the first page I was sold. And unto the end, I was enthralled. ❤️ What I Loved ❤️ Feminist approach: From the beginning I loved Ramírez' aim of telling the story of the middle ages through the......more

Goodreads review by Elena on March 05, 2023

Wenn wir an das Mittelalter denken, haben wir meist folgendes düsteres Bild vor Augen: Männer erobern als Könige und Krieger die Welt, während sich Frauen um Kinder und Burgen kümmern oder als Prostituierte für das (männliche) Vergnügen zur Verfügung stehen - fernab des binären Geschlechtersystems f......more

Goodreads review by Sharon-anne on July 25, 2022

Disappointing I found this very frustrating and disappointing but that’s probably mostly due to my expectations of what I thought this book was going to be. Truthfully, I feel the title is misleading. Within the book it acknowledges it only looks at a ‘handful’ of women and that’s true. I can’t say......more

*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 yo......more

Goodreads review by Bagus on August 18, 2022

The first thing that came to mind when I picked up this book is that this book should not be categorised as a ‘history’ book. Rather, we should call it ‘herstory’ since it highlights the unheard voices of women during the medieval period in Europe (no puns intended). The medieval period is often see......more