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Femina by Janina Ramirez

Femina

A New History of the Middle Ages, Through the Women Written Out of It

Janina Ramirez, Janina Ramírez

Hanover Square Press · Print & ebook · February 3, 2026

Women's StudiesMedieval HistoryWomen's Historywomen
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historycontemporary
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Who it’s for
A fresh look at medieval women, pieced together from the traces official histories left behind.
Genres
Medieval History, Women's History, Women's Studies
Published
Hanover Square Press, February 3, 2026

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For younger readers: Famous Men of the Middle Ages, The Story of the Middle Ages, She Speaks

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About this book

“Femina is essential reading for anyone who is interested in the Middle Ages and its place in the modern mind.” —Dan Jones, bestselling author of Powers and Thrones The Middle Ages are seen as a bloodthirsty time of Vikings, saints and kings—a patriarchal society that oppressed and excluded women. Now through a careful examination of the artifacts, writings and possessions they left behind, the influential and multifaceted lives of women are emerging.

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Femina goes beyond the official records to uncover the true impact of women, such as: - Jadwiga, the only female king in Europe - Margery Kempe, who exploited her image and story to ensure her notoriety - Loftus Princess, whose existence gives us clues about the beginnings of Christianity in England In Femina, Oxford and BBC historian Janina Ramirez invites us to see the medieval world with fresh eyes and discover why these remarkable women were removed from our collective memories. “A passionate voice for women in history.” —Hallie Rubenhold, bestselling author of The Five “Spellbinding, passionate, gripping and magnificently fresh in tone, boldly wide in range, elegantly written, deeply researched, Femina is a ground-breaking history of the Middle Ages.” —Simon Sebag Montefiore, bestselling author of Jerusalem: The Biography

History Reframed

A fresh look at medieval women, pieced together from the traces official histories left behind.

Come here for

  • Women’s lives beyond the familiar roll call of medieval kings and saints
  • Artifacts and writings that complicate the standard picture of the Middle Ages

Expect

  • History that asks who gets remembered—and who gets written out
  • A layered view of the medieval world through women’s lives

Where it sits

Women's History81%
Medieval History60%
Women's Studies26%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Medieval Art History
  • Lives in History
  • Early Medieval Britain (to 1066)
  • Historiography
Show all 8 publisher categories
  • Medieval History
  • Social History
  • Women's History
  • Women's Studies
Authors
Janina Ramirez, Janina Ramírez
Publisher
Hanover Square Press
Published
February 3, 2026
Format
Print & ebook
Reading lane
Medieval Art History