"—Michele Campbell. The author crafts the heroine in such a way that her perceptions on the current state of the church are far from the heresy one might worry would pervade this novel. This was absolutely everything you could want in a historical fiction. If you've read the Clan of the Cave Bear series, you've met this heroine before - she's perfect, she invents everything, she can heal everyone of everything, she's a proto-New Age Woman who has fallen in love with the perfect man. Cross convinced me that Pope Joan was an actual historical figure who was briliant and compassionate and through her sheer force of will climbed her way up the church hierarchy right in the midst of the Dark Ages to be anointed as Pope. A great read, she describes many common practices that the leaders of the church follow tod. An enthralling epic about two trailblazing female doctors in 19th century New York. In this book, a very intelligent and likable girl attempts to find her way out of this life only to be kicked back by conservative religious leaders every step of the way. It's a glowing testament to the power of one woman's dream to break free from the world's restraints and be recognized for her mind instead of her gender. I actually really liked this for what it was. She is the... If she made a sound, the menacing hand would pounce. Visitors can view some of BookBrowse for free. There was just so much to love and be entertained by. Cross convinced me that Pope Joan was an actual historical figure who was briliant and compassionate and through her sheer force of will climbed her way up the church hierarchy right in the midst of the Dark Ages to be anointed as Pope. I'm not a fan of this time period, ninth century, I saw one episode of GOT and knew it wasn't for me, and the writing here wasn't that great, but the story was! Very entertainin. Referring to Joan's pregnancy, the... Find books by time period, setting & theme, Read-alike suggestions by book and author. Love it! I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed this book! I actually really liked this for what it was. Search String: Summary | What did you think of this book, religious objections aside? I loved the first third or so of the book, but the rest could have been so much better. Steeped in history, Cross explains how this happened with a fascinating tale of ambition and adventure. in English. In contrast, a professor of history said, "I think we shouldn't even think about [Pope Joan] at all. Cross has written an engaging book.”—Los Angeles Times Book ReviewIn this international bestseller and basis for the 2009 movie of the same name*,* Donna Woolfolk Cross brings the Dark Ages to life in all their brutal splendor and shares the dramatic story of a woman whose strength of vision led her to defy the social restrictions of her day.For a thousand years her existence has been denied. As fan of historical fiction I do believe this is a first for me, and I liked it. We cringe as we see how brutal life was with disease, no freedom, exacting religious leaders, hard for the poor to find food, the rich overindulged and sickening.