This book took me much longer than anticipated simply because it contains so much information. It covers 900 years of women's history and features so-called normal women—not the rulers or exceptional women, but the lives of ordinary women.
Sadly, we can still recognize the same prejudices against women in current times as in the Medieval years. The male desire to see women as inferior and incompetent still haunts us and prevents women from receiving equal pay to men. Misogyny seems to be entwined with racism and homophobia, and has been for centuries. The fantasy that white men are supposed to be in control of everything holds us back, but even in Medieval times women found ways to use their talents.
It seems to always be assumed that the most important relationship in a woman's life is a husband, but I would suggest it is more often her mother, daughter, or close friend(s). I have always maintained that men come and go, but the women in my life are permanent. Men may try to limit us, but it seems we can always wiggle out of those limits to build lives that we are happy with.
Informative and infuriating.
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