Normal Women
900 Years of Making History
By Philippa Gregory
why we picked it
Normal Women by Philippa Gregory is a distinctive resource that represents the culmination of her extensive work as both a novelist and historian. This compelling book presents a rich collection of narratives featuring real women from 900 years of English history, showcasing their diverse experiences and contributions to society.
Gregory’s meticulous research and engaging storytelling illuminate the lives of women often overlooked in traditional historical accounts, from the medieval era to the modern day. Each chapter serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience, creativity, and impact of these individuals, making it an invaluable source of inspiration for authors seeking to craft authentic and relatable female characters.
For any writer interested in exploring the complexities of women's experiences throughout history, Normal Women offers a wealth of insights and narratives that can spark creativity and deepen understanding. This book is not just a collection of stories; it is a testament to the strength and significance of women in shaping history.
Summary
Did you know that there are more penises than women in the Bayeux Tapestry? That the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 was started and propelled by women who were protesting a tax on women? Or that celebrated naturalist Charles Darwin believed not just that women were naturally inferior to men, but that they’d evolve to become ever more inferior?
These are just a few of the startling findings you will learn from reading Philippa Gregory’s Normal Women. In this ambitious and groundbreaking book, she tells the story of England over 900 years, for the very first time placing women—some fifty per cent of the population—center stage.
Using research skills honed in her work as one of our foremost historical novelists, Gregory trawled through court records, newspapers, and journals to find highwaywomen and beggars, murderers and brides, housewives and pirates, female husbands and hermits. The “normal women” you will meet in these pages went to war, ploughed the fields, campaigned, wrote, and loved. They rode in jousts, flew Spitfires, issued their own currency, and built ships, corn mills and houses. They committed crimes or treason, worshipped many gods, cooked and nursed, invented things, and rioted. A lot.
A landmark work of scholarship and storytelling, Normal Women chronicles centuries of social and cultural change—from 1066 to modern times—powered by the determination, persistence, and effectiveness of women.
