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"It's so
gratifying to read about those rare heroes whose strength of vision
enables them to ignore the almost overpowering messages of their own
historical period... Pope Joan has all the elements one wants in a
historical drama--love, sex, violence, duplicity and long-buried
secrets. Cross has written an engaging book." -Los Angeles
Times |
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“A fascinating and
moving account of a woman’s determination to learn, despite the
opposition of family and society. Cross vividly creates the 9th
century world…Above all, she brings to life a brilliant, compassionate
woman who has to deny her gender to satisfy her desire for learning.
Highly recommended." -Library
Journal (starred review) |
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“Cross makes an
excellent, entertaining case that in the Dark Ages, a woman sat on the
papal throne… Lavishly plotted, the book brims with fairs, weddings,
and stupendous banquets, famine, plague, and brutal battles…A
colorful, richly imagined novel."
-Publishers Weekly |
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”Pope Joan
reveals the harsh realities of the Dark Ages. Violence is rife in the
government, church and home; logic and reason are shunned as
“dangerous ideas” and women are considered useful only as men’s
servants and child bearers. The novel explores the extraordinary life
of an independent, intelligent and courageous woman who overcomes
oppression and ascends to the highest level of religious power…Cross’
masterful use of anticipation, as well as the sweeping historical
landscape of the story, keep “Pope Joan” intriguing…an exciting
journey through history as it’s being made."
-San
Francisco Chronicle |
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“Eloquently written and spellbinding in
its account of this legendary figure.”
-The Arizona Republic |
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“The life of an intelligent, headstrong
woman in 9th-century Europe, the kind of woman who might have dared
such an adventure in an era when obedience was a woman’s most admired
trait…Cross succeeds admirably, grounding her fast-moving tale in a
wealth of rich historical detail.”
-Orlando Sentinel |
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“A story of passion and faith--and a
reminder that some things never change, only the stage and players
do.”
-Ft. Worth Morning Star Telegram |
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"Stormy early Church history, Viking and
Saracen raids, the collapse of the Carolingian empire, and a heroine
who would rather give up everything than live without learning--this
is the stuff of grand entertainment. The well researched background
gives a real sense of time and place to this splendid tale of the
legendary "lost" female Pope." -Judith
Merkle Riley |
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"A vivid and compelling re-creation of
the Dark Ages" -Booklist |
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“A remarkable woman uses her considerable
intellect--and more than a little luck--to rise from humble origins to
become the only female Pope, in this breakneck adventure.” -Kirkus
Reviews |
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"Donna Cross's Pope Joan brings the
savage ninth century vividly to life in all its alien richness. An
enthralling, scholarly historical novel."
-Rebecca
Frasier |
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"A fine historical
novel capturing the ninth century in all its complexity and
illuminating a woman whom history deliberately chose to forget."
-Karleen Koen |
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“A page-turner!”
-Glamour Magazine |
