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

by Janina Ramirez

Femina is a really interesting book about medieval women and history by Oxford-based historian Janina Ramirez. The title is revealing in itself: ‘FEMINA’ was what Ramirez found scribbled in library catalogues alongside texts known to be written by a woman. It’s likely they were considered less important and hence not preserved. In the book, Ramirez introduces various medieval women and what we know about them, authors of famous texts like Julian of Norwich or the Loftus Princess, who lived in the 7th century when Christianity was just coming to England and we know only from her bones and her pendant. As Ramirez writes at the opening of the book, “Far from being ‘unrecoverable,’ developments in archaeology, advancements in technology and an openness to new angles have made medieval women ripe for rediscovery.” Ramirez is a very engaging writer and knows just how to pique your interest (she also presents history on TV).