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"It's so
gratifying to read about those rare heroes whose strength of vision
enables them to ignore the almost overpowering messages of their own
historical period... 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 |
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"Lavishly
plotted, the book brims with fairs, weddings and stupendous banquets,
famine, plague and brutal battles...a colorful, richly imagined
novel." -Publishers Weekly |
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"A vivid
and compelling re-creation of the Dark Ages" -Booklist |
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"Cross'
first novel, based on the life of the controversial historical figure
Pope Joan, is a fascinating and moving account of a woman's
determination to learn despite the opposition of family and
society...Cross vividly creates the 9th century world...Above all, she
brings to life a brilliant, compassionate woman who has to deny her
gender to satisfy her desire for learning. Highly recommended. -Library
Journal |
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"A
masterful use of anticipation and a sweeping historical
landscape...Cross' story takes an exciting journey through history as
it's being made." -San Francisco Chronicle |
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"Debut of
the month...A page-turner" -Glamour Magazine |
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"So much
engrosses in this exceptional historical fiction...Pope Joan brings to
life a most intriguing personality and reveals a talent who should be
heard from again soon." -King Features Syndicate Review |
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"Stormy
early Church history, Viking and Saracen raids, the collapse of the
Carolingian empire, and a heroine who would rather give up everything
than live without learning--this is the stuff of grand entertainment.
The well researched background gives a real sense of time and place to
this splendid tale of the legendary "lost" female Pope." -Judith
Merkle Riley |
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"Donna
Cross's Pope Joan brings the savage ninth century vividly to life in
all its alien richness. An enthralling, scholarly historical novel."
-Rebecca Frasier |
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"This is
the way history should be written--with pace and color and great
narrative excitement. For those who wonder if Pope Joan ever lived,
Donna Woolfolk Cross has brought her vibrantly to life. A memorable
read!" -Reginald Rose |
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"A fine
historical novel capturing the ninth century in all its complexity and
illuminating a woman whom history deliberately chose to forget." -Karleen
Koen |
