Well-known for her many historical novels, Philippa Gregory has written a truly valuable book in Normal Women: Nine Hundred Years of Making History. While it focuses geographically on England and chronologically on the years between 1066 and 1994, what it exposes, denounces and condemns is universal and eternal: the situation of women in society. As the author states in her introduction, "[...] I wanted to show that murderers and brides, housewives and pirates, whores and weavers, farmers and milliners, female husbands, hermits, the chaste, the jousters, painters, nuns, queens, witches and soldiers — are all part of women's history, all part of our national history — even though they lived and died without a man noticing them for long enough to write down their names." To which I shall say: mission accomplished, and add: thank you for including discourse on class, race, and gender identity.
Philippa Gregory hosts a podcast based on this book and bearing the same title. A few months ago, she was also a guest on episode number 259 of the excellent Not Just the Tudors, which is where I first heard of Normal Women.
Amazingly, I've never before mentioned on this blog what is one of my very favourite podcasts! More recent episodes include "Unusual Births and Disability in 17th Century England" featuring Dr. Whitney Dirks (which topic was handled with host Professor Suzannah Lipscombe's usual sensitivity to language) and "Elizabeth I: Make-Up & Beauty Tips" with guest Sally Pointer, a subject not nearly as frivolous as this title suggests.
Exciting news this week: TV presenter/author/podcast host Richard Osman announced some of the casting for the upcoming adaptation of his beloved Thursday Murder Club novel... including Dame Helen Mirren as Elizabeth! I couldn't be more thrilled!