Pope Joan

Thought-provoking

My husband and I both read this and found it very interesting. I enjoy historical books, and found this to have some good information, especially regarding the herbalism/healing of the time period. The theory is a unique one. I did read the author's notes prior to beginning the book, and that helped keep things in perspective while reading. Excellent discussion ideas, although you may not want to bring this up with your staunchly Catholic friends!

The book was a quick read and I have recommended it to others. Take it as a theory, or straight fiction, the choice is yours, but it does give some thought-provoking material.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Good, Solid Read

Based on the legend that a female served as Pope between Leo IV and Benedict the III, Cross explores the woman that may have been and how she came to sit on the throne.

What Cross does an excellent job of doing is using historical fact, characters, and events to construct a plausible story for the reality of Joan. I also really enjoyed her presentation of the arguments for and against the existence of the female Pope.

What kept me from giving the book a five is that the story drags a little in the middle and I was unable to emotionally connect to Joan after she heads to Fulda. I loved the child of Joan, however.

I was completely unaware of this "event" and enjoyed learning about the possibility.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

John, meet Joan...

I've always been a big fan of historical fiction and Pope Joan definitely delivers. I mean, a story about a female pope who might have existed? Bring it on!

Joan is a very strong character. She is brave and educated in an age that saw an educated woman as unnatural and sinful. She also has a vast knowledge of medieval medicine which comes in handy later in the novel. The plot is action-filled; this is a book that sucks you in and can't be put down until it is done. Author notes in the back of the book are very informative about the Dark Ages and the church in Joan's time. I became so interested in the period while reading this book that I found myself researching the legend of Pope Joan...researching for fun! What is that?

One of the themes of the book is the idea of inner conflict, especially in regards to religious upbringing. Joan is the child of a pagan mother and a strict Christian father. She constantly struggles between faith and doubt and between her mind and heart.

The novel raises plenty of questions about women in the church both in the Dark Ages and today and whether Pope Joan even existed in the first place. I highly recommend this book for all historical fiction fans and those who enjoy a novel with a strong female protagonist.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

What a wonderful read

I enjoy reading historical fiction especially during a period in history that we only can surmise some things. Learning about the herbalist and how they were thought to be witches was amazing. Women during the dark ages were only thought to be good at one thing...making men happy and having sons.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

This was so-so

Considering that the novel was based on thorough research of a provocative idea--a female pope--I had expected the book to be more interesting. It is compelling reading with lots of action, but the main character, Joan, isn't all that interesting of a person. The side love story is rather boring and predictable. What I found most irritating was the lack of complex characters. People were either all bad or all good and the plot proceeded in an entirely predictable pattern: Joan was very intelligent, etc., etc., outshone her opponents, they got mad, they tried to get even and (usually) Joan and Gerold came out on top. The end seemed rushed to me and entirely anticlimatic. I finished the book and thought, that's it? That's the end? The author's note about the Catholic Church's subsequent cover up of Pope Joan and the evidence that remains that supports the idea of a female pope was much more interesting and intriguing than the novel itself. If you liked Pope Joan with its fast action and simplistic characters, you will love Ken Follett's two books based in the Middle-Ages.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pope joan

I wonder how much of this book is true and how much is folk lore and fictionu

Wild Ride

Truly a great historical novel about the first woman pope. Characters are well developed and the action is nonstop. It is also a very good movie. Don't miss this one!

Extremely thought provoking

This is an interesting book that I read rather quickly. Truly a "page turner"! The time period in the book is always an interesting read so settling into it was easy. I read every word and enjoyed both the writer’s style and the content.

I would recoommend this book

The story is very interesting because it is a story about a young gire who through years of deciete becomes the only Catholic Pope/

Winderful work of Catholic Fiction

This was a wonderfully written novel suggested to me by a co worker who also loved the red tent as I did. There are some slow moving parts as the conclusion is painfully predictable. However, the concept and mystery surrounding the story itself over shadows any slight misteps.

Good but not easy to read

No text was provided for this review.

Loved it

Loved it

This is a great book. I had my book club read it and everyone loved it shich has never hapened before.

A great story and a history lesson (more story than history) and a emotional experience for me.

Great historical read!

If you are at all interested in history, I would highly recommend this book! I read it in just a couple of days - couldn't put it down!

Interesting....

A female pope...so you say....Smarter than her male counterparts...yes,..I won't give away the grist of this novel. Read it!

Thank you, Donna!

I absolutely loved this book! And Donna Woolfolk Cross is amazing! This is just another reason why I distrust the whole organized religion system. Wiping away traces of the amazing women in history is unforgivable. Thank you, Donna, for bringing Pope Joan's story back! I can't wait to see the movie when it shows in Minneapolis!

Great book for book clubs

Our book club loved this book - especially because the author was available via conference cal for our book club meeting. Our book club has been in existence since 12/1997 ans we have never had the privilege of having the author accessible for questions.

Character development is done eloquently, the storyline is intriguing, and the reference to actual events is unforgettable. I am tempted to travel to Syracuse for the film premiere.

WHAT A SURPRISE!

I haven't been interested in reading books from a historical background but since my book club recommended this book, I had to read it. WOW - what a surprise I had! I couldn't put the book down! What a fabulous book! I especially enjoyed the author's perspective in the epilogue of what is fact vs. fiction and also allowed me to decide for myself whether she was fact or fiction. I highly, highly recommend this book!

Move over, Dan Brown!

Donna Woolfolk Cross has researched and written a wonderful book, "Pope Joan", about the potentially true, and amazing legend of the one woman who became Pope of Rome in the 9th century. Disguised as a boy, this highly intelligent and determined young girl was given an education, impossible for any girls in those dark times, and went on, disguised as a man, to take the throne of St. Peter. This historical adventure/romance, written in an immensely readable style, and with marvelously descriptive images of medieval life and times, will entertain and inspire the reader, and will encourage girls and women to strive to attain and realize their true potential. Buy 2; one for you & one for someone else who may need to be inspired! This grand novel is a keeper!

POPE JOAN is now an epic feature film, co-starring John Goodman and David Wenham! Adapted from the internationally best-selling novel by Donna Woolfolk Cross, the film is a sweeping historical drama based on the incredible life story of one of the most fascinating, extraordinary women in Western history--Pope Joan, a controversial figure of historical record who, boldly disguised as a man, rose to rule Christianity in the 9th century as the first and only woman to sit on the throne of St. Peter. The film will be featured at the 2010 Moondance International Film Festival, September 25, in Boulder, Colorado, and Ms. Cross will be in attendance to give a book-signing and a workshop on adapting the novel to the screen.

More Fiction then Historical..All Good

This book was an entertaining read! Don't read this for an accurate history because it is far more entertaining and seems to have a lot fiction between the few facts we may know about this supposed historical figure. The ending was sudden and dramatic and unforgettable. The harshness of some of her circumstances is seen in her family life and in the life of a country often at war, but overall this is a fantastic read that I recommend to many.