Pope Joan Book Discussion

The December 2006 selection is Pope Joan: A Novel by Donna Woolfolk Cross.

The synopsis of the book, as copied from the book's website linked above, as follows:

As its title reveals, the novel is based on the life of one of the most fascinating, extraordinary women in Western history--Pope Joan, a controversial figure of historical record who, disguised as a man, rose to rule Christianity in the 9th century as the first and only woman to sit on the throne of St. Peter.

Brilliant and talented, young Joan rebels against the medieval social strictures forbidding women to learn to read and write. When her older brother is killed during a Viking attack, Joan takes up his cloak and identity, goes to the monastery of Fulda, and is initiated into the brotherhood in his place. As Brother John Anglicus, Joan distinguishes herself as a great Christian scholar. Eventually she is drawn to Rome, where she becomes enmeshed in a dangerous web of love, passion, and politics. Triumphing over appalling odds, she finally attains the highest throne in Christendom.

Pope Joan is a sweeping historical drama set against the turbulent events of the 9th century -- the Saracen sack of St. Peter's, the famous fire in the Borgo that destroyed over three-quarters of the Vatican, the Battle of Fontenoy, arguably the bloodiest and most terrible of medieval conflicts. The novel is a fascinating vivid record of what life was really like during the so-called Dark Ages, as masterwork of suspense and passion that has as its center an unforgettable woman, reminiscent of Jean Auel's Ayla, Jane Austen's Emma, and other heroines who struggle against restrictions their souls will not accept.

Although we did meet to discuss this book, a majority of the members had not yet read the book, so we did not discuss it. Also, we were distracted by more important matters -- Ashley's baby shower! I know that several members actually have read the book, and I'm still working on it. So, please, go ahead and discuss it, create a new post, or merely comment on this one.

The Women's Book Club -- The Blog

When Nicole, Meredith and I began The Women's Book Club in August of 2002, we had in mind one simple objective -- to bring women together to read books for fun, and talk about them! Nicole and I were sitting on her porch one day, lamenting how we never read books for fun anymore. All I ever read were books for school, and all Nicole read were various editions of the Bathroom Reader. It was at that moment that The Women's Book Club was formed. Meredith chose the first book -- Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland. We sent out invitations to women we knew, inviting them to read the book and come together to discuss it, and to invite women they knew. (And most importantly, we made the event a potluck.)

Since then, our group has read 30 books (which are listed in the sidebar). We try to meet monthly, however, it is difficult to do so with everyone's busy schedules. Because of the difficulty in every member attending each meeting, and also, because we have had so many of our members move away over the years, I have finally decided to create a forum for discussion that will be more convenient for absentee members.

I have invited all of our members, active and inactive, to contribute to this blog. Discussion isn't limited to books we've read as a group. If you read a great book, feel free to talk about it. If you want to talk about a previous book we've read, or even just suggest books to read in the future, go for it. I hope that this blog will be an extension of The Women's Book Club's original purpose -- to bring together intelligent women to talk about interesting books. While we will still be meeting (hopefully more regularly now that the holidays are over), I hope everyone will contribute in some way to the on-line discussion.

Also, contribution is not limited to members of the Lexington book club. If you wish to comment, please do so. And if you are interested in becoming a contributor, e-mail me at andrea.welker@yahoo.com.