Pope Joan

De: Donna Woolfolk Cross

Narrado por: Barbara Rosenblat

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, Donna Woolfolk 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....

©1996 , 2009 Donna Woolfolk Cross (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Whether or not one believes in Joan as Pope, this is a compelling story, filled with all kinds of lore: the brutishness of the Dark Ages, Vatican intrigue, politics and favoritism and most of all, the place of women in the Church and in the world." (Amazon.com review)
"In this colorful, richly imagined novel, Cross ably inspires a suspension of disbelief, pulling off the improbable feat of writing a romance starring a pregnant pope." ( Publishers Weekly)

KittyDancer

I enjoyed the Pope Joan character. But i did like the Mention of how badly women were treated. She didnt change anything for women but was clever in saving herself from that horrible treatment.

Captivating story

What did you love best about Pope Joan?

Her character---she was brilliant, honest and true to her values despite what wrath that would bring down on her.

What did you like best about this story?

It gave a very honest potrayal of the dysfunction of the Church in the treatment of women, the cruel punishments inflicted on its members and the blatant hypocrisy of the hierarchy.

What does Barbara Rosenblat bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her narration was excellent! You could tell exactly which characters she was portraying by the changes in her voice. I love the audio books because I load them on my ipod and I can listen to them when I go walking or when I'm doing boring household tasks. I have a busy life and don't have time to sit and read a book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

My heart went out to the child Joan when she was so savagelly beaten by her wicked father just because she wanted to read. Also when the monks were beaten mercilessly because they would fall asleep during their reading of the scriptures. All of this in the name of religion was appalling to me.

Fascinating story

I found this to be a very interesting study of the history of the times. There were some facts I certainly did not know and the presentation made the characters very real. I was not aware of this legend and I like the fact that it may very well be based in truth!

A delightful listen

Any additional comments?

This was a delightful story. True or not? Who knows. It was well read and an interesting listen. I would recommend this book to others.

Ended too soon

loved everything about it. if you liked the book Circe, you'll like Pope Joan