A fascinating way to learn about a part of history that's little known.

Pope Joan is a good read. I couldn't put it down. Joan is a very compelling character. I was immediately drawn in to her desperate yearning for knowledge and freedom at a time when almost everyone around her was illiterate and women were little more than property. Cross paints a fascinating 9th century back drop with plenty of accurate medieval historical events and details. I found myself looking up battles, maps and people highlighted throughout the story. I know very little about this time period before reading the book so it was a lot of fun. The inner workings of medieval Papal Rome were amazing, a bit like a Greek tragedy. Was Joan actually a pope? We will probably never know for sure but it definitely makes a great story and Cross gives a nice summary of her thoughts and seven years of historical research that went into the book. I highly recommend this book. It made for a lively book club discussion!

It was a great read! I liked the character development, the historical aspects, and well everything about it!

We found Pope Joan to be very interesting as historical fiction. Set in the 9th century, the book shows how bleak life was for the poor, how women were devalued, and how corrupt the Catholic Church was. The author blurred the lines between fact and fiction with regard to whether Pope Joan really existed as an historical figure. However, she explained in the Author's Note what dates and events she changed to enhance the story.

I loved this book to the very last paragraph. This is a must read, if you are a fan of "Pillars", "World without end" or the "White Queen" then this is worth the time. The latin and greek was a little much but well worth the adventure

I say why not? because I think it's completely plausible that there really was a Pope Joan. With revisions made throughout history to suit the times I can absolutely believe that she may have existed. For that reason alone, I recommend this book.

Very interesting book about the only woman pope. Made a believer out of me.

“Pope Joan: A Novel” by Donna W. Cross

OK! I have to admit it now…I did not want to read this book; a book about a female Pope in the Dark Ages???? Really, nothing about it piqued my interest. But, because it was a book club selection, I had to read it. And, gosh, I’m really glad I did. I could not put this book down. By book’s end, I wanted to rush out and buy copies of this book for all my female friends and family members!! Yes, it was that good!

It is “awe-inspiring”….a true inspiration to women. A masterpiece! And I think Ms. Cross is a genius. “Pope Joan” is a fictional account of the widely held belief that Pope John Anglicus may have been a female. The novel represents well, I think, the Dark Ages and what life was like for women. Joan possessed a passion for knowledge and was blessed with a “male’s intellect”…but was “trapped” in a female’s body. The story shows how Joan overcame the obstacles dealt to her and how her quick mind and ambitious spirit allowed her to secretly lead a man’s life.

The portrait Ms. Cross paints of the Dark Ages and the lives of women seems to be an accurate representation of the time. It is a true depiction of the female empowered! Get it! Read it! Feel empowered!
from my book bagg blog @ www.keepitsimplesweetee.com/books.htm

Epic story, both exciting and adventurous, as well as thought provoking and emotional. Fantastic look at life and hardships (of women especially) in the 900s.

Beginning the book with some skepticism, I soon stopped about one third of the way through to perform a bit of historical research. Energized by the prospect of how the author would approach this very controversial female Pope, I dived in and soon found myself reading in every spare moment.

Could a woman disguise herself as a man to reach the highest rank of the ninth century Catholic Church? Although it may seem implausible, let’s not place judgment based on our 21st century experience and enlightenment. There have certainly been documented cases of similar ruse throughout world history, and after all the story of Pope Joan took place in the very darkest of the dark ages.

An enjoyable read.

Overall I liked the book. At times, it was a little slow moving and had a little bit too much information. But it was really a great read. I liked the characters and found the history part very interesting. I would suggest to read it and learn more about Pope Joan.

This seems to be an accurate account of the difficulties of women in the Dark Ages. Joan is a fascinating character.

Wonderful Book--

A very good historical fiction book. Interesting and informative dating way back and how the church suppressed all information about 'embarrassing' events. This is a very long book and not a quick read BUT a worthwhile read.

Unless maybe you are really into that time period.

great history - ask a Catholic if this ever happened, your answer would be no. Ask a historian, your answer would be yes.

Not knowing much about the 9th century it was interesting to read a book based in that era. And makes me want to read more about the medieval times. I could not put this book down!

This book had a lot of great information. I really like that at the end of the book the author put in notes about why she put in some of the things that she did in the book. She also let you know what was real and what she just added in herself.

Our book club enjoyed this book very much. It grabbed your attention from the start and held it throughout the entire story. A great book that generated much discussion around the controversy of woman pulling off the ultimate scheme of portraying a man in a monastery during the 9th century. Our hostess recommended watching the movie that was shown on REELZ and we were also honored to chat with the author, Donna Wolfolk Cross, during our meeting.

We really liked this book - we had some great discussion about women's rights, education, and the role of power and money in the church at various points in history.

Well written - kept my interest throughout - very informative of what Joan had to face being a woman in a time when woman were not respected for having any intelligence. Felt the author presented information in a historical way but left the reader the right to form their own opinion

I had this book on my shelf for years, always passing it by, but once I started it, I didn't want to put it down. It was amazing.

Never knew this story might be true. Also it was interesting to think about how many women might have masqueraded as men. Very well researched. As a Catholic who remembers pre Vatican II very nice to see the Latin.

Great discussion material.