Book Review: ‘Femina’ by Janina Ramirez

I’m a big fan of Janina Ramirez on Twitter and TV but new to her writing – thanks to NetGalley for granting me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the premise for this book – a kind of re-evaluation of what we think we know about the middle ages and a reinstatement of women within that historical narrative. Ramirez starts from the idea that actually we do know about some powerful and influential women from this time period, but that the dominant narrative of kings, battles and manly Vikings have erased them. When I saw ‘we do know’, I really mean that Ramirez knows – I didn’t have a clue and was pleased to be introduced to some of history’s forgotten women.

The book is divided into sections that cover different aspects of women’s power in the medieval era, for example ‘Warriors and Leaders’, ‘Artists and Patrons’ and ‘Entrepreneurs and Influencers’. Given Ramirez’s background as an art historian, I was unsurprised (but very pleased) to see a focus on the visual arts – from the way that medieval women have been portrayed to the art created by the women themselves. In particular, I found the chapter discussing the female creators of the Bayeux Tapestry fascinating – especially the creative choices they made and the women included in the tapestry itself (which, yes, is actually an embroidery). The book is packed with illustrations too, something that is helpful for the reader unfamiliar with medieval art (like me).

One of the things that I really loved about the book was that it jumped between the middle ages (the forgotten women) and modern-day discoveries that have helped to uncover the history. There’s also lots about how this era of history continues to impact today’s world – the fact that the book started with the story of Emily Wilding Davison, suffragette and medievalist, won me over instantly. I had no idea that Davison’s (possibly intentional, maybe accidental) death in front of the King’s horse at the 1913 Derby could be connected to her studies of medievalism and her vision of fighting a new oppression – she viewed the medieval era as a time when women had more freedom than the misogynist Edwardian age she lived in. A totally new perspective on a famous moment in suffragette history. All fascinating and a bit heartbreaking, to be honest.

It’s worth saying that I listened to the audiobook alongside my reading of the book. The audiobook is narrated really well by Ramirez herself and it really brings the work to life. I’d recommend the recording wholeheartedly, although you do obviously miss out on the illustrations along the way.

For readers interested in the medieval era and women’s history, this is a must. It’s tragic that history often doesn’t include women as ‘women’s history’ really shouldn’t be a separate thing, but here we are. The medieval era isn’t my usual area of interest, but this book covers some really interesting ground and I’m really glad I picked it up. It’s meticulously- researched, engagingly-written and often fascinating and inspirational.

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Header photo by Birmingham Museums Trust on Unsplash and shows the Quest for the Holy Grail Tapestries (The Arming and Departure of the Knights). Not a medieval painting, but a medieval subject and designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones, a Pre-Raphaelite and one of my personal favourites!