NORMAL WOMEN Nine Hundred Years of Making History

History consists of events conducted mostly by men and recorded by men. In her clear, uncompromising voice, Philippa Gregory turns the tables, taking listeners through 900 years of abuse and betrayals, yearnings and near-miraculous accomplishments of women. Frequent interjections by Clare Corbett, Tania Rodrigues, Nneka Okoye, James Goode, and Joe Jameson provide voices for the court documents, journals, letters, interviews, and diaries Gregory uses to illustrate her exceptional research. Narrating in an engaging matter-of-fact tone, she reveals shockingly repressive laws supported by men and horrific punishments endured by women. Stories of women from all walks of life and classes, including women criminals, women husbands, widows, and spinsters, as well as accounts of rape, racism, sapphism, and unfair wage practices, fill Gregory's expansive social history. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2024]