Life in Dark Ages of 9th Century Europe was hard and it was especially hard for women. It was even more difficult if you were a woman who wanted to be educated. Pope Joan is a historically fictional account of the life of Joan/John Angelicus who, according to legend, was made Pope and ruled the Catholic Church for about two years in the mid-ninth century.
Joan is the third child born to a Catholic priest and his pagan wife. A woman who he saved when the Christians invade the Saxon countries. She has two older brothers, Matthew and John. Matthew is very intelligent and is studying to be a priest as his father. John struggles with his studies but this is not a problem until Matthew dies. Now his father expects John to take Matthews place and become a priest, but John doesnt have the aptitude for studies and struggles with his lessons.
In the meantime, Joan has secretly started to learn she convinced Matthew to teach her before his death. Joan learns the lessons readily and strongly desires to learn more, but she has to do so without her fathers knowledge or she must face his wrath.
The Greek tutor her father hires to teach her brother John learns that Joan is an excellent student and wants to teach only her. Her father reluctantly agrees with the caveat that the tutor must work with both John and Joan.
Her Greek tutor leaves, but promises that he will send a new tutor for Joan. When the time comes for Joan to go for more tutoring, her father insists that the requested student is John (Johannes) and that the name Joan (Johanna) written on the letter is simply a mistake. Her brother John is taken for further study. That night, Joan sneaks out and follows the caravan with her brother.
In their new home, Joan befriends Gerold who becomes her benefactor and is allowed to continue her studies. Her brother John, while continuing his studies, is also allowed to pursue his true desire to become a soldier along with his studies.
A tragedy befalls the village where Joan lives and her brother is killed, but Joan is one of the lone survivors. As her brother was about to be sent off to a monastery, Joan takes this opportunity to assume his identity. She cuts off her hair and binds herself and heads off to the monastery to continue her studies and her life.
She is accepted as her brother, John, but also has to work very hard to not be discovered.
Eventually, she ends up in Rome working with the Curia. Much to her surprise she elected Pope. She has a very brief, roughly two year reign as pope.
The story ends at her death.
The Catholic Church has claimed the legend of Pope Joan to be a story to somehow subvert the Church. Yet, as the author has pointed out, the legendary story of King Arthur is consider based on fact and she has found less actual evidence of the existence of King Arthur than she has found for evidence of Pope Joan. The author did not want to prove or disprove the existence of Pope Joan, so she chose to write an historical fictional account of a woman who disguised herself as a man and accidentally became pope.
I had heard the legend of Pope Joan and enjoyed this story immensely. While reading the story, I knew that eventually she would become Pope, but I was always a bit apprehensive about whether or not she was about to be found out and what would happen so that she could continue living as a man.
The author constantly reminds the reader that Joan is not a man by writing about Joan as Joan. She is only referred to as Brother/Father/Pope John when addressed by other characters in the story.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction.
Joan is the third child born to a Catholic priest and his pagan wife. A woman who he saved when the Christians invade the Saxon countries. She has two older brothers, Matthew and John. Matthew is very intelligent and is studying to be a priest as his father. John struggles with his studies but this is not a problem until Matthew dies. Now his father expects John to take Matthews place and become a priest, but John doesnt have the aptitude for studies and struggles with his lessons.
In the meantime, Joan has secretly started to learn she convinced Matthew to teach her before his death. Joan learns the lessons readily and strongly desires to learn more, but she has to do so without her fathers knowledge or she must face his wrath.
The Greek tutor her father hires to teach her brother John learns that Joan is an excellent student and wants to teach only her. Her father reluctantly agrees with the caveat that the tutor must work with both John and Joan.
Her Greek tutor leaves, but promises that he will send a new tutor for Joan. When the time comes for Joan to go for more tutoring, her father insists that the requested student is John (Johannes) and that the name Joan (Johanna) written on the letter is simply a mistake. Her brother John is taken for further study. That night, Joan sneaks out and follows the caravan with her brother.
In their new home, Joan befriends Gerold who becomes her benefactor and is allowed to continue her studies. Her brother John, while continuing his studies, is also allowed to pursue his true desire to become a soldier along with his studies.
A tragedy befalls the village where Joan lives and her brother is killed, but Joan is one of the lone survivors. As her brother was about to be sent off to a monastery, Joan takes this opportunity to assume his identity. She cuts off her hair and binds herself and heads off to the monastery to continue her studies and her life.
She is accepted as her brother, John, but also has to work very hard to not be discovered.
Eventually, she ends up in Rome working with the Curia. Much to her surprise she elected Pope. She has a very brief, roughly two year reign as pope.
The story ends at her death.
The Catholic Church has claimed the legend of Pope Joan to be a story to somehow subvert the Church. Yet, as the author has pointed out, the legendary story of King Arthur is consider based on fact and she has found less actual evidence of the existence of King Arthur than she has found for evidence of Pope Joan. The author did not want to prove or disprove the existence of Pope Joan, so she chose to write an historical fictional account of a woman who disguised herself as a man and accidentally became pope.
I had heard the legend of Pope Joan and enjoyed this story immensely. While reading the story, I knew that eventually she would become Pope, but I was always a bit apprehensive about whether or not she was about to be found out and what would happen so that she could continue living as a man.
The author constantly reminds the reader that Joan is not a man by writing about Joan as Joan. She is only referred to as Brother/Father/Pope John when addressed by other characters in the story.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction.
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