Pope Joan

If nothing else, this book will pique your interest because, truth or legend, the story is intriguing. It's the tale of a young woman who craved knowledge but was denied this opportunity because only religious people were educated in the 9th century. Determined and strong-willed, she assumes the identity of a man, sets out to learn, and eventually becomes Pope. Much research went into this story; it is rich with details of the day-to-day life and customs of the Dark Ages, as well as the vicious power struggles that took place in the churches and monasteries of medieval times. The author does a really great job of not just describing the torturous methods of fighting but also conveying the horror of entire villages being annihilated. Rumor has it that the legend is true and that upon discovery, the Catholic Church removed all evidence of a female Pope. I found it quite plausible that there was indeed a female Pope. Notes from the author at the book's end further support this theory. However, the tale is thought-provoking and an adventure featuring action, romance, mystery, murder, and lethal secrets. The only problem I had was that the story drags a little in the middle, and I found myself skimming.

"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 Book Review

In this international bestseller and basis for the 2009 movie of the same name, Donna Woolfolk Cross brings the Dark Ages to life in all their brutal splendor and shares the dramatic story of a woman whose strength of vision led her to defy the social restrictions of her day.

For a thousand years her existence has been denied. She is the legend that will not die-Pope Joan, the ninth-century woman who disguised herself as a man and rose to become the only female ever to sit on the throne of St. Peter. Now in this riveting novel, Cross paints a sweeping portrait of an unforgettable heroine who struggles against restrictions her soul cannot accept.

Brilliant and talented, young Joan rebels against medieval social strictures forbidding women to learn. When her brother is brutally killed during a Viking attack, Joan takes up his cloak-and his identity-and enters the monastery of Fulda. As Brother John Anglicus, Joan distinguishes herself as a great scholar and healer. 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 office in Christendom-wielding a power greater than any woman before or since. But such power always comes at a price . . .

1. Donna Woolfolk Cross wrote the story of Pope Joan as a work of fiction. Do you think there really was a Pope Joan?

2. How important is it that Pope Joan actually existed? Are there lessons to be learned from this story whether it's true or not?

3. One reviewer said, "After finishing Donna Cross' novelization of Joan's life, one may want her to be a real person, only because it is so gratifying to read about those rare heroes whose strength of vision enables them to ignore the almost overpowering messages of their own historical periods." In contrast, a professor of history said, "I think we shouldn't even think about [Pope Joan] at all. It's bunk." Which interpretation do you agree with? Why?

4. Many priests and nuns, in recent years, have urged the Vatican to ease restrictions on how far women may advance in the Church hierarchy. What are the implications of Pope Joan's story with regard to the limitations placed on women by the Church?

5. One reviewer wrote, "Pope Joan--is a reminder that some things never change, only the stage and the players do." Do you feel there are similarities between the way women live in various societies today and the way they lived in society then?

6. According to the author, Joan's story was universally known and accepted until the seventeenth century. Why do you think that changed?

7. Why do you think medieval society considered it unnatural and a sin for women to educate themselves or be educated?

8. Why might medieval society have believed so strongly that education hampered a woman's ability to bear children? What purpose might that belief have served?

9. One reviewer wrote, "Joan earned disapproval because her intelligence and competence challenged prevailing male opinion that women lacked the ability for scholarly or clerical pursuits." Were there other females of ancient or medieval times who challenged this prevailing opinion?

10. What other strong female characters have you encountered in books? What are the similarities and differences between those characters and Joan?

11. Did Joan make the right choice when she decided to disguise herself as her dead brother following the Viking attack?

12. What do we learn about medieval medicine, and the logic of the learned medieval mind, in Pope Joan?

13. What happens to Joan when she tries to improve the lives of women and the poor? Why were Church and civic leaders so resistant?

14. Discuss the inner conflicts Joan faces - between the pagan beliefs taught by her mother and the Christian beliefs she learns from religious instructors; between her mind and her heart; between faith and doubt. How do these conflicts affect the decisions she makes?

15. Do you think Joan's secret would ever have been discovered had she not miscarried during the Papal procession?

16. According to one reviewer, "Joan has the kind of vices - stubbornness and outspokenness - that turn out to be virtues." Do you agree? Why or why not?

An interesting take on the timeless topic of living in a culture ruled by men and religion. Sadly, there continue to exist many cultures where women are abused, and the behavior is sanctioned by the church. Joan's ability to overcome immense odds and become Pope in the 9th century will inspire females of all ages. Joan's drive to acquire knowledge is also noteworthy, as is reflecting and debating the logic of a female actually becoming Pope without anyone's knowledge. Reading about the Medieval period is also educational and an interesting conversation topic.