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Summary: This is an AWESOME book!
Review: I really loved this book. Not only did it have a new and exciting event happening at the turn of every page but, it gave us the feeling that we were there! The message of the book is really important, especially for women.
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Summary: A Legend for Our Times
Review: Fact or legend, the lesson of Pope Joan is the same for us. Church policy toward women still has all the medieval murkiness that is so appalling in Donna Cross's book. The author has been faulted for projecting 20th-century feminist sensibilities into her narrative, but that is one of its strengths. This is a powerful retelling of a legend in terms our generation can understand. What more, or better, can a novelist do?The book itself is a delight: An enormously sympathetic, and yet enigmatic, heroine; powerful, evocative language; and a compelling narrative. The portrayal of a woman making her own way in the Dark Ages in many ways equals that in Sigrid Undset's masterpiece, Kristin Lavransdatter (a book that is highly recommended for Pope Joan fans). I was surprised, pleasantly, to see the passion in so many of the reader comments here; I don't feel alone now in my admiration for this book.
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Summary: A well-told and poignant story.
Review: Taking the legend of Pope Joan as a seed, Cross has written a plausible and very readable tale. It is a tale to strike terror and pride into the heart of any modern woman of intellect, for it is the story of an intelligent woman - born in the times when women were property, chattels, strictly limited in the roles they could play in society - who breaks free to attain one of the greatest positions of power in her world. Joan is exposed to learning only by accident, through her brother's tutor. She must defy an abusive father, and a mother who would limit her for her own safety, in order to follow her compulsion to learn more. When her brother dies, she daringly takes his robes, and takes up his identity in order to go further in her studies, and in the church. This is a well-told and touching story. The veracity of the legends behind Pope Joan is questionable, but that is irrelevant. IF Pope Joan was real, this is how it COULD have happened. And in that spirit, it is extremely well-done. A very satisfying book.
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Summary: Only allowed 5 stars? Too bad...
Review: Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross deserves a million stars! I have read many many books since I have read this one, and Pope Joan still reigns as being the best book I have ever read. I even voted it Amazon.com's best book of the millennium, it's that good! There are so many people that have read this book and loved it, and I recommend it to all of you with the utmost confidence. Pope Joan is fabulous!
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Summary: An Intriguing Legend That Myths the Mark
Review: In her novel, POPE JOAN, Ms. Woolfolk Cross perpetuates the long-standing notion that a woman, disguised as a man, was ordained a Catholic priest, rose through the ranks of the hierarchy, and eventually was elected pope. She has crafted an interesting (though hardly original) rendition of the Pope Joan myth, one that will no doubt influence yet another generation of the creduluous to believe in the historicity of the nonexistent popess. As with all fables, the Pope Joan myth has no objective factual basis. The legend has been around for a long time, though unfortunately not much serious historical fact-finding has been done that would objectively evaluate the evidence (or lack of it). This situation has changed recently with the release of two notable new books that deal with the subject: THE LEGEND OF POPE JOAN by Peter Stanford, and POPE FICTION: ANSWERS TO 30 MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE PAPACY, by Patrick Madrid. Stanford, author of the former book, provides an interesting and well-written account of the legend, including an array of historical and oddities that, he proposes, supports the veracity of the myth. His conclusion is to accept the myth as fact, and he does his best to make the case for this position. In POPE FICTION, on the other hand, Madrid delivers a compelling critique of the Pope Joan myth, endeavoring to show it is nothing more than a legend. He traces the the story to its origins (the first verifiable evidence of the myth pops up some 400 years *after* Joan was to have reigned -- this silence especially from foes of the Catholic Church who would have had much to gain from broadcasting the story if it had been true, is one of several serious problems for the claim that Joan ever existed). Ms. Woolfolk Cross's book rekindles the discussion and has invited a new generation of historians to investigate the myth afresh and debate the evidence. I was entertained by POPE JOAN, but found the historical evidence against the myth presented in POPE FICTION difficult to argue against. That book demonstrates rather conclusively that there is a lot less to this odd story than meets the eye.
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Summary: Great Book! Hard to put down. A real page turner!
Review: An amazing woman. The story behind Pope Joan is very interesting. Always made you wonder what was around the corner.
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Summary: A book that makes you believe.
Review: A great novel. Once I started this book, I had trouble putting it down. I even found myself sliding it under some papers at work and sneaking in a couple chapters when things got slow. The historical detail is a credit to the author; bringing the story of this incredible woman to life with a passion that encourages everyone to believe in something, whether it be God, country, or self. A must read for any lover of historical fiction, male or female.
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Summary: Go Joan!
Review: Captivating! I could not put this book down! Its rich descriptions pull you into the story and grab onto you. Girl power at its best in the dark ages of man! Joan's intelligence, integrity and strength kept the story alive from cover to cover!
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Summary: This is a readers dream and a writers masterpiece!
Review: Pope Joan was an intellectually enlightening and beautifully written novel. I started reading this book for a class project, and I got so involved in it, I just couldn't stop. The author has outdone herself, and it is evident that a lot of work went into writing this. If you have the time to stay glued to a chair for at least half a day, this book has your name on it.
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Summary: So it's a page turner as the reviews say!
Review: Pope Joan is perfectly immortalized by the lines in the book- a novel that documents the travails of a woman who lived in the medieval era and sought to defy all the rules that prevented women of her time from climbing the social and economic ladder. Pope Joan is one book you would want to read over and over again. It's one book you would want to have in your bookshelf and brag to friends.
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