Rating: 
Summary: A Very Eye-Opening View of the Catholic Church
Review: My mother suggested this book to me, and although at first I didn't think I'd enjoy it, I was so glad I read it. Not only was the writing exquisite, the story superb, but it was extremely well researched. Although the story is fictitious it is based on lots of fact and I appreciated the sections after the book offering some insight into the authors mind. A great book for anyone intersted in Catholicism or World History, or just a great book.
Rating:
Summary: Captivating and Engrossing
Review: Some have heard of the infamous Pope Joan, the woman who disguised herself as a man, and achieved the highest status of the time...The Pope, but many have not. Donna Woolfolk Cross has brought the legend of Pope Joan to life. The novel is written in a fictional sense, but weaves many of the little known facts into the tale. You decide for yourself...Joan was considered a very abnormal woman who's desire to learn was ungodly and considered sinful. A woman's place was to be subserviant to men. The reader will experience the struggle and conflict that Joan experienced as she embarked on her journey of higher actualization. To say that Joan was immune from seeking and wanting love would be untrue. The reader will follow Joan as she reconciles her feeling for her one true love. The characters have been created with amazing detail and are a very good representation of the time. One can create a visual image of the atire; the struggle to meet basic needs; and mostly the status and order that prevailed among the classes. I highly recommend Pope Joan, both to the individual and to any book club. This novel was truly engrossing, it offers a different perspective than the traditional patriarical view of past times. Pope Joan will spark conversations, heighten your awareness, and remain in your memory for a very long time.
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Summary: A wonderful tale of an exceptional woman
Review: As a lover of historical fiction and a former Catholic, I found Pope Joan to be entertaining and informative. Ms. Cross's depiction of the time in which Joan may have lived - and I think probably did - painted a picture of lives strictly controlled by the Church and one which afforded women little choice and no recourse. The idea of an intelligent female disguising herself as a man to achieve something more than the narrow roles of either wife (you may substitute the word chattel) or nun is very easy to believe, especially since Joan's mother, a strong woman who was made to accept a subserviant position in life, imparted a sense of something more to her girl child. As for being able to hide the fact of her womanhood, one only needs to remember the attitudes of the day. Bathing was considered to be something of a sensuous experience and therefore sinful and certainly, the exposing of one's body to another would be construed as an invitation to sin. The idea that Joan could hide her gender from others, even in an environment as insulated as the Vatican, isn't hard to embrace. The historical research done by Ms. Cross makes a strong argument that Joan did, in fact, exist. The notion that her existence was expunged from the records of a male dominated institution is also easy to believe. Weaving historical fact with informed suppostion, I think that Donna Woolford Cross has written a novel of great beauty and passion. If nothing else, it is an inspiration to those who would think that a life must be lived within limits imposed by others. I highly recommend this story.
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Summary: POPE JOAN. A WOMAN OF STATUS
Review: Once in a great while we come across a novel that is excellent; not only in it's reading, but in it's writing. That novel for me was Donna Woolfolk Cross' historical fiction novel, Pope Joan. Because I totally read a book cover, to cover, I was impressed with the research notes at the end of the book and the serious effort of Ms. Cross to make this novel as historically correct as her pen and history would allow. The story of Joan, in and of itself is intriguing; leaving the reader to wonder: "Was she a myth, a mystery or a reality"? But whether Joan existed or not; however, is not the subject of the book. Pope Joan is the story of a strong female who paid her dues and suffered the consequences, and whose life, be it real or imagined, has been the subject of debate by learned scholars for centuries. How could she not be an interesting subject as so well portrayed by the author? I highly recommend Pope Joan as an engrossing and intriguing historical fiction novel not only for adult readers, but for young adult readers as well.
Rating: 
Summary: Keeps you reading
Review: If you are a woman, Pope Joan is going to make you look at the world we live in today and be thankful for the times we live in. Although the...portrayal of the main character, Joan, was not always realistic and believable,[the times were]realistically create[d]... Very interesting! I found myself enjoying the history of the era. I would not have been able to last a day back then. This book can really get you aggravated, hearing about the mentality of men in those days. That is one of the things that kept me reading because I wanted to see how Joan would peservere. This book just puts in writing something we all know today, woman and men are equals. The author also manages to create a romantic side to the story which I feel kept the book on the lighter side. Although it is in excess of 400 pages, it will not take you long to read because you will want to keep going back to it. It is a love story within a historic story. I did not want the book to end. Reading Pope Joan has led me to reseach further on the subject. I want to know more facts so I can decide if she was real person. If you had questions about the church before, this book will make you think even more. I recommend to read and enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Good story -- terrible terrible writing
Review: Pope Joan is one of those books which make you think based on its concept; unfortunately, the writing and characterization is awful. If Danielle Steele were to write historical fiction, this would be it.... The concept is fascinating; a woman, disguised as a man, becomes an inspirational doctor and eventually the Pope. Could it have happened? Blows my mind to think about it. Cool stuff. Could it have happened as written by this author? No, not at all. The depiction of Joan as a youth is terribly unrealistic; the language she uses is not authentic, not even for a gifted child. There is a romantic sub-plot which is not believable, and seems to be thrown in. It is not consistent with the overall characterization of Joan. If we're lucky, maybe it will be a movie-of-the-week with Tori Spelling sometime soon. (Note that the afterward is surprisingly informative)
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Summary: CREATIVE, SENSITIVE AND SENSATIONAL
Review: The writing style of Donna Woolfolk Cross sets a marvelous stage for the heroine of this wonderful novel. The authenticity of the historical times surrounding the life of Joan, gives us insight into not only the atmosphere of the church doctrine, but of the disruptive period in history encompassing the Viking Wars; the class structure and the fight for absolute power. Add to all of that, a young girl with a dream that can only be achieved through the use of deception; a forbidden love story fraught with a gamut of emotions and the coveted title of Pope. Then take the girl, take the title; put them together and you have POPE JOAN! I recommend this exciting read to everyone who enjoys a truly good story. I also highly recommend this is an excellent read for young adults. My thank you to the author.
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Summary: Pope Joan Myth or History?
Review: This is a must read for anyone who enjoys Historical Fiction. The story of Joan grabbed me from the beginning and still has my attention w/questions after it was over. Now I want to know more about his real person was she a myth or fact in Catholic History? Joan is a compelling character and makes you question how many other women of that time chose the same path. Your pulse will quicken and you'll feel all the pain and turmoil that Joan goes through and hope each choice in her life is the right one. Joan will leave you feeling stronger than when you started this book. This is classic literature.
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Summary: Great history, so so book
Review: The idea of Pope Joan is fascinating. To think that a woman could completely disguise herself to her peers and rise to the position of Pope! Cross obviously did a lot of research on the time period, as historical aspects fill the book. However, the story is just not there. It's like a stone skipping across the surface of a pond. There is no depth or feeling to the tale and the reader is practically told who to like and dislike. It reads like a superficial account of one's life, moved forward by historical events, but with no emotional commitment. The story has encouraged me to read further about Pope Joan, but all in all, I was not impressed with the story
Rating: 
Summary: A COMPELLING ADVENTURE
Review: When my book club chose, "Pope Joan" I was chagrined, assuming it would be laborious, tedious reading of ancient fact. NOT! I pleasantly discovered that factual history combined with an equal part fiction, makes a winning recipe for intoxicating reading. As the reader, you are off on a journey with Joan, "a "mere woman," scorned by her society. Her excursion is packed full of ingredients for superb drama; a brutal childhood, cunning deception, grisly wars, feasts and famines, intelligent scheming, treacherous brawn, and an enchanting love story. Cross does an excellent job of keeping the reader entrenched in the action, allowing rest only in intimate moments. I can see this book made into a sweeping epic akin to "Cleoprata" or "Ben Hur." Read this book for the fiction, but realize while doing so, you amass factual accounts of 800 B.C. culture that is engrossing. What a wonderful way to study history!
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