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Legenda: The Real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe
From the bestselling author of FEMINA, a brilliant reappraisal of the medieval women whose lives have been exploited over centuries for political, nation-building ends.
In LEGENDA, bestselling historian Professor Janina Ramirez peels back the layers of time to reveal how the lives of women have been co-opted by those intent on crafting national identities. Their names are well known, and summaries of their achievements have been recited in classrooms for decades, but medieval women like Joan of Arc, Lady Godiva and Isabella of Castile have been misrepresented, their stories twisted and weaponised. Meanwhile, ground-breaking 18th- and 19th-century women who blazed a trail through revolutionary Europe have been forgotten, their legacies too easily dismissed or ignored.
Questioning established narratives and searching for the real women behind the legends, Ramirez interrogates what defines a nation and who gets to build it, shining a light on how history is so often hijacked to serve the ideological and political interests of the present.
PRAISE FOR JANINA RAMIREZ:
'Ramirez blasts a powerful spotlight into the so-called Dark Ages and reveals a vibrant world, awash with colour and character' DAN SNOW, host of History Hit
'Skillfully brings out from the shadows the lives of women who ruled, fought, traded, created, and inspired' CAT JARMAN, author of River Kings
'Like the interlace stonework on an Anglo-Saxon cross, Janina Ramirez's themes are interwoven with a conssumate skill' TOM HOLLAND, author of Dominion and host of The Rest is History
'Ramirez makes us look into the mists of history in new, exciting and provocative ways' PETER FRANKOPAN, author of The Silk Roads
In LEGENDA, bestselling historian Professor Janina Ramirez peels back the layers of time to reveal how the lives of women have been co-opted by those intent on crafting national identities. Their names are well known, and summaries of their achievements have been recited in classrooms for decades, but medieval women like Joan of Arc, Lady Godiva and Isabella of Castile have been misrepresented, their stories twisted and weaponised. Meanwhile, ground-breaking 18th- and 19th-century women who blazed a trail through revolutionary Europe have been forgotten, their legacies too easily dismissed or ignored.
Questioning established narratives and searching for the real women behind the legends, Ramirez interrogates what defines a nation and who gets to build it, shining a light on how history is so often hijacked to serve the ideological and political interests of the present.
PRAISE FOR JANINA RAMIREZ:
'Ramirez blasts a powerful spotlight into the so-called Dark Ages and reveals a vibrant world, awash with colour and character' DAN SNOW, host of History Hit
'Skillfully brings out from the shadows the lives of women who ruled, fought, traded, created, and inspired' CAT JARMAN, author of River Kings
'Like the interlace stonework on an Anglo-Saxon cross, Janina Ramirez's themes are interwoven with a conssumate skill' TOM HOLLAND, author of Dominion and host of The Rest is History
'Ramirez makes us look into the mists of history in new, exciting and provocative ways' PETER FRANKOPAN, author of The Silk Roads
403 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 6, 2025
About the author
Janina Ramírez
13 books247 followersJanina Sara María Ramírez (née Maleczek; 7 July 1980), sometimes credited as Nina Ramírez, is a British art and cultural historian and TV presenter, based in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. She specialises in interpreting symbols and examining works of art, within their own historical context.
Ramírez went to school in Slough. She gained a degree in English literature, specialising in Old and Middle English, from St Anne's College, Oxford, before completing her postgraduate studies at the Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York. She completed an art/literature PhD on the symbolism of birds, which led to a lectureship in York's Art History Department, followed by lecturing posts at the University of Winchester, University of Warwick, and University of Oxford.
Ramírez is currently the course director on the Certificate in History of Art at Oxford University's Department for Continuing Education.
Ramírez went to school in Slough. She gained a degree in English literature, specialising in Old and Middle English, from St Anne's College, Oxford, before completing her postgraduate studies at the Centre for Medieval Studies, University of York. She completed an art/literature PhD on the symbolism of birds, which led to a lectureship in York's Art History Department, followed by lecturing posts at the University of Winchester, University of Warwick, and University of Oxford.
Ramírez is currently the course director on the Certificate in History of Art at Oxford University's Department for Continuing Education.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
December 7, 2025
I didn’t know what to expect from this book when I first received it. While this book is, at its core, an uncovering of the myths that make certain legendary female characters, it’s also about how modern politics will co-op a historical figure to suit their narrative. It was really interesting how Ramirez dives into the idea of nation-states, which didn’t exist in the medieval period.
Throughout reading this book, I kept trying to find other books to read about the women written about in this book. While figure like Joan of Arc and Catherine of Siena have other biographies, I was disappointed to find out that 18th century figures like Laskarina Bouboulina haven’t been given the same attention. This captivating book does a great job of looking deeper into the history of the real women behind the myths, whilst also bringing more sidelined women into the forefront.
Throughout reading this book, I kept trying to find other books to read about the women written about in this book. While figure like Joan of Arc and Catherine of Siena have other biographies, I was disappointed to find out that 18th century figures like Laskarina Bouboulina haven’t been given the same attention. This captivating book does a great job of looking deeper into the history of the real women behind the myths, whilst also bringing more sidelined women into the forefront.
January 6, 2026
For anyone interested in women’s history, this is a luminous look at how women as medieval saints, scholars, Queens and rebels were first inscribed into cultural memory and then one by one effaced. It compels us to rethink how history itself is written and transmitted.
Figures who survive in fragments, devotional images and rumours. Lives that were transformed into legends and those legends later sanitized, constrained and even excised to suit patriarchal ways of remembering. Anne Komene who was a Byzantine Princess, historian and author of The Alexiad, was truly one of my favourites from Legenda.
Legenda achieves so much in three hundred pages, inviting you to linger on threads long neglected by history. Ramirez reframes and reconstructs legend as evidence and not just some naïve folklore. Legends aren’t failures of history- they carry layers of moral, political, and cultural meaning across centuries.
Legenda pulls us closer to the medieval imagination, revealing not only what women did but what society imagined they could do. The women their communities chose to remember. Their histories are far more crowded, vivid, and alive than conventional, male dominated chronicles would have us believe. I now can’t imagine Medieval history without these powerful figures.
Figures who survive in fragments, devotional images and rumours. Lives that were transformed into legends and those legends later sanitized, constrained and even excised to suit patriarchal ways of remembering. Anne Komene who was a Byzantine Princess, historian and author of The Alexiad, was truly one of my favourites from Legenda.
Legenda achieves so much in three hundred pages, inviting you to linger on threads long neglected by history. Ramirez reframes and reconstructs legend as evidence and not just some naïve folklore. Legends aren’t failures of history- they carry layers of moral, political, and cultural meaning across centuries.
Legenda pulls us closer to the medieval imagination, revealing not only what women did but what society imagined they could do. The women their communities chose to remember. Their histories are far more crowded, vivid, and alive than conventional, male dominated chronicles would have us believe. I now can’t imagine Medieval history without these powerful figures.
June 6, 2026
4,6 ⭐️
So good! There have been so many women throughout history worth writing and reading about, it’s great to see more and more historians and writers bring attention to historical women. I learned about a lot of remarkable and interesting women from this book! I really like how in every chapter Ramirez juxtaposes a misrepresented Medieval woman and a near forgotten Modern woman. In these different chapters, based on country/nation/region, she shows how Medieval women’s lives and stories have been exploited centuries later; they’ve become the myths that helped shape nations and national stories, while the Modern women’s achievements and importance have largely been forgotten. The book is very well-researched and packed with information. That is maybe the only downside to an otherwise awesome book; sometimes it was a bit of an information overload while reading, or a tad lengthy.
I’m excited to start reading her other book ‘Femina’ soon, which I picked up at an event where I had the privilege of listening to a brief lecture on the role of women’s myths in nation building by Ramirez, who is truly an amazing lecturer/public speaker!
So good! There have been so many women throughout history worth writing and reading about, it’s great to see more and more historians and writers bring attention to historical women. I learned about a lot of remarkable and interesting women from this book! I really like how in every chapter Ramirez juxtaposes a misrepresented Medieval woman and a near forgotten Modern woman. In these different chapters, based on country/nation/region, she shows how Medieval women’s lives and stories have been exploited centuries later; they’ve become the myths that helped shape nations and national stories, while the Modern women’s achievements and importance have largely been forgotten. The book is very well-researched and packed with information. That is maybe the only downside to an otherwise awesome book; sometimes it was a bit of an information overload while reading, or a tad lengthy.
I’m excited to start reading her other book ‘Femina’ soon, which I picked up at an event where I had the privilege of listening to a brief lecture on the role of women’s myths in nation building by Ramirez, who is truly an amazing lecturer/public speaker!
December 14, 2025
Nothing about this I didn’t love. Would love to have heard the pitch to the publisher: “I want to write a book about nation building and myth-making by drawing parallels between medieval and 18th / 19th c women” - BUT IT ABSOLUTELY WORKS. She writes about medieval women with such empathy and never strays into passing judgement on their lives and stories.
December 20, 2025
The follow-up to Femina is just as excellent, offering more insightful and revisionist examples of women from the medieval period and how they challenged gender norms during a turbulent period of history. This time Ramirez widens the scope to include the legacies of figures such as Joan of Arc and Catherine of Siena, considering how they have been remembered over the centuries and the parts their lives and legends have played in building modern European nations. In this age of historical appropriation and alternative facts, it's a joy to read an account which isn't afraid to push back against received wisdom, challenging stereotypes and excavating the fascinating lives of these women. All of this is delivered in Ramirez's usual accessible yet scholarly style, resulting in an informative, enjoyable and timely journey through some of history's remarkable forgotten women.
January 16, 2026
This wouldn’t be the kind of book I would normally reach for but a friend asked if I would like to go to a book reading event/talk by the author (and I never say no!) so I figured I should probably read the book before we go.
I liked the premise of the book- looking beyond the myths and stories that make up these legendary women from history but at times it was a bit of a slog. I enjoyed the first section on Joan of Arc but found the next two chapters slightly laborious to get through. It picked up again for me with chapter 4 on the Low Countries, went down in 5 on Germany and then I enjoyed the last 2 chapters. Being honest if I wasn’t going to an event I probably would have given up or put it to the bottom of my reading pile. But I’m glad I persevered and I’m hoping that the author will speak with passion and bring the characters and the book alive 🤞🏻
I liked the premise of the book- looking beyond the myths and stories that make up these legendary women from history but at times it was a bit of a slog. I enjoyed the first section on Joan of Arc but found the next two chapters slightly laborious to get through. It picked up again for me with chapter 4 on the Low Countries, went down in 5 on Germany and then I enjoyed the last 2 chapters. Being honest if I wasn’t going to an event I probably would have given up or put it to the bottom of my reading pile. But I’m glad I persevered and I’m hoping that the author will speak with passion and bring the characters and the book alive 🤞🏻
June 19, 2026
This is such a poignant and relevant book especially in the current turbulent times we live in.
As we look to an uncertain future, there is nothing more important than looking back at the past and evaluating what we did well, and what we can do differently.
It was amazing to read about all of these forgotten women of history and how they defied the gender norms of the time and made such a difference to the lives of many and the creation of the nations! Before reading this book I had never heard of names such as Charlotte Corday, Lola Montez and Marie of Oignies - the school curriculum needs to do better and teach young children about these fascinating historical women and how they changed the world!
As we look to an uncertain future, there is nothing more important than looking back at the past and evaluating what we did well, and what we can do differently.
It was amazing to read about all of these forgotten women of history and how they defied the gender norms of the time and made such a difference to the lives of many and the creation of the nations! Before reading this book I had never heard of names such as Charlotte Corday, Lola Montez and Marie of Oignies - the school curriculum needs to do better and teach young children about these fascinating historical women and how they changed the world!
May 19, 2026
3.5. Not in any way because this wasn't well researched or well written, purely out of subjective interest. For the most part, I like all of history and I do want to learn more about medieval history in particular, but this has a very specific lens: comparing relatively more modern women with medieval ones to show how nations claim or tarnish their reputations. I say nations, but it's medieval, so a lot of it is actually the church.
We learnt a lot about these particular women and through that, attitudes of the time, but I don't know how much I'm going to take away from it long term. On the academic to accessible scale, I feel like it's somewhere in the middle. The writing is easy to understand, but slightly dense feeling and it's packed with info.
Still glad I read it and very much wanting to read Femina tho!
We learnt a lot about these particular women and through that, attitudes of the time, but I don't know how much I'm going to take away from it long term. On the academic to accessible scale, I feel like it's somewhere in the middle. The writing is easy to understand, but slightly dense feeling and it's packed with info.
Still glad I read it and very much wanting to read Femina tho!
December 16, 2025
Interesting ideas and honestly, I’ve not read much about medieval women before so that was nice. Key learning is that lots of saints seem to be suffering from “holy anorexia”, by forgoing food in the service of god. So harrowing. And anther is that it’s quite intense to me that they still have Catherine of Siena’s head in a box which they pass around. I sort of get reliquaries that are cloths or even maybe a foreskin (in some ways removable…). But fingers and heads is a lot
March 12, 2026
I didn’t know what to expect at all when I began this book, but it’s a beautiful exploration of the powerful medieval women behind the myths. It peels back the layers of history (…so often written by men), to reveal who these women really were. Super inspiring & feminist read.
December 11, 2025
Interesting. Explores the political uses of legendary women, both historically and today.
January 8, 2026
Misschien 3.5 :)
Interessant boek! Meer diepgang of meer verhaal verwacht misschien.
Interessant boek! Meer diepgang of meer verhaal verwacht misschien.
April 8, 2026
Ramírez never disappoints - fantastic concept, excellent final product
December 16, 2025
When we think of famous medieval European women, we often think of figures like Joan of Arc and Isabella of Castile. They are seen as women who broke the mold and challenged traditional stereotypes by becoming leaders in traditionally male-dominated fields. These women would be used to craft the identities of their respective nations, but they would help shape the identities of other women from the 18th and 19th centuries. We think we know the stories about these medieval women and their lives, but what new information can we learn from their lives when we examine their lives from their eras? Janina Ramirez takes the stories of seven medieval women and their contemporaries to show how their legacies have been transformed in her latest book, “Legenda: The Real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe.”
This is the third book that I have read by Janina Ramirez, as I have read her book “Femina” and her biography on Julian of Norwich, which I loved. So when I saw that she was writing a new book about medieval women, I knew it was an instant buy for me.
While there have been centuries worth of amazing women from all over the world, Ramirez is focusing on seven countries/areas of interest: France, the Iberian Peninsula, Greece, the Low Countries, Germany, Italy, and Britain. In each chapter, Ramirez focuses on two women or groups of women, one from the medieval era and one from either the 18th or the 19th century. For the medieval period, she has selected: Joan of Arc, Isabella of Castile, Anna Komene, Marie of Oignies and the Beguines, Empress Adelaide of Bavaria, Catherine of Siena, and Lady Godiva. For the more modern women, Ramirez focuses on Charlotte Corday, Agustina Raimunda Maria Saragossa, Laskarina Bouboulina, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Lola Montez, Anna ‘Nina’ Morisi, and Queen Victoria.
What is truly inspiring about this book is seeing these stories removed from the glossy veneer used to promote nationalism, to show that these women were real and they made a difference by being themselves. We get to see warriors, writers, queens, empresses, revolutionaries, and religious women. However, we also get to see them as daughters, sisters, wives, and mothers. These women did not live in a vacuum. They lived and were more than just symbols for their nations. They fought in their own ways for what they believed was right, whether it was to protect their families or their nations, or following the path set forward by their faith. These women were real, and they were not myths; they were human.
This is another sensational book by Ramirez. While I did know a few of the medieval women featured in this book, I knew nothing about the 18th and 19th-century women, which was thrilling to see how Ramirez weaved these tales together. I loved this book so much, and I am excited to see what she will write next. If you love medieval women’s history and learning more about their legacies, I highly recommend you read “Legenda: The Real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe” by Janina Ramirez.
This is the third book that I have read by Janina Ramirez, as I have read her book “Femina” and her biography on Julian of Norwich, which I loved. So when I saw that she was writing a new book about medieval women, I knew it was an instant buy for me.
While there have been centuries worth of amazing women from all over the world, Ramirez is focusing on seven countries/areas of interest: France, the Iberian Peninsula, Greece, the Low Countries, Germany, Italy, and Britain. In each chapter, Ramirez focuses on two women or groups of women, one from the medieval era and one from either the 18th or the 19th century. For the medieval period, she has selected: Joan of Arc, Isabella of Castile, Anna Komene, Marie of Oignies and the Beguines, Empress Adelaide of Bavaria, Catherine of Siena, and Lady Godiva. For the more modern women, Ramirez focuses on Charlotte Corday, Agustina Raimunda Maria Saragossa, Laskarina Bouboulina, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Lola Montez, Anna ‘Nina’ Morisi, and Queen Victoria.
What is truly inspiring about this book is seeing these stories removed from the glossy veneer used to promote nationalism, to show that these women were real and they made a difference by being themselves. We get to see warriors, writers, queens, empresses, revolutionaries, and religious women. However, we also get to see them as daughters, sisters, wives, and mothers. These women did not live in a vacuum. They lived and were more than just symbols for their nations. They fought in their own ways for what they believed was right, whether it was to protect their families or their nations, or following the path set forward by their faith. These women were real, and they were not myths; they were human.
This is another sensational book by Ramirez. While I did know a few of the medieval women featured in this book, I knew nothing about the 18th and 19th-century women, which was thrilling to see how Ramirez weaved these tales together. I loved this book so much, and I am excited to see what she will write next. If you love medieval women’s history and learning more about their legacies, I highly recommend you read “Legenda: The Real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe” by Janina Ramirez.
December 29, 2025
Bunătatea ești tu „Legenda- The real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe”, Janina Ramirez, WH Allen, 2025
„Cu femeile din Evul Mediu în calitate de călăuze, istoriile moderne ale națiunilor se dezvăluie în toată complexitatea lor dezordonată”. p.6 Janina Ramirez, „Legenda- The real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe”, WH Allen, 2025
Statuile prăfuite și legende siropoase ar putea să aibă farmecul lor uneori! Dar și mai ofertantă se dovedește realitatea lăsată de obicei în umbră de mitologia construită în jurul unei figuri istorice. Mai ales când e o figură feminină. Janina Ramirez, în „Legenda”, dinamitează miturile femeilor iconice din istoria Europei. Ea îți arată cum Ioana d'Arc, Lady Godiva sau Isabella de Castilia au fost transformate în marionete pentru interese politice mai mult sau mai puțin îndoielnice. Credeai că Ioana era doar o sfântă? Gândește-te la Jean-Marie Le Pen, care a cooptat-o pentru naționalismul său! Lady Godiva, din simbol al sacrificiului, a ajuns cadou provocator pentru Regina Victoria. Și toate caricaturizările suveraniste. Ramirez îți demonstrează că figurile istorice, infinit mai complexe și mai umane, în realitate, au fost deturnate de-a lungul secolelor pentru a construi identități naționale și pentru a servi agende ideologice, de la fascism la religie. Cartea e un masterclass de demitizare, o invitație la gândire critică. Nu doar că rescrie istoria, ci te învață să citești printre rânduri propaganda din spatele oricărui „adevăr” istoric. O lectură vibrantă, accesibilă și esențială pentru a înțelege cum funcționează manipularea și cum poți revendica poveștile reale, în toată splendoarea lor dezordonată.
„Edificarea națiunii nu e neapărat să aducă dezbinare- toți creăm națiunile din care facem parte și avem responsabilități personale și colective față de acestea, în afara preocupărilor pe care le au ce bogați și cei puternici”. p.326 Janina Ramirez, „Legenda- The real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe”, WH Allen, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmJmd...
„Cu femeile din Evul Mediu în calitate de călăuze, istoriile moderne ale națiunilor se dezvăluie în toată complexitatea lor dezordonată”. p.6 Janina Ramirez, „Legenda- The real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe”, WH Allen, 2025
Statuile prăfuite și legende siropoase ar putea să aibă farmecul lor uneori! Dar și mai ofertantă se dovedește realitatea lăsată de obicei în umbră de mitologia construită în jurul unei figuri istorice. Mai ales când e o figură feminină. Janina Ramirez, în „Legenda”, dinamitează miturile femeilor iconice din istoria Europei. Ea îți arată cum Ioana d'Arc, Lady Godiva sau Isabella de Castilia au fost transformate în marionete pentru interese politice mai mult sau mai puțin îndoielnice. Credeai că Ioana era doar o sfântă? Gândește-te la Jean-Marie Le Pen, care a cooptat-o pentru naționalismul său! Lady Godiva, din simbol al sacrificiului, a ajuns cadou provocator pentru Regina Victoria. Și toate caricaturizările suveraniste. Ramirez îți demonstrează că figurile istorice, infinit mai complexe și mai umane, în realitate, au fost deturnate de-a lungul secolelor pentru a construi identități naționale și pentru a servi agende ideologice, de la fascism la religie. Cartea e un masterclass de demitizare, o invitație la gândire critică. Nu doar că rescrie istoria, ci te învață să citești printre rânduri propaganda din spatele oricărui „adevăr” istoric. O lectură vibrantă, accesibilă și esențială pentru a înțelege cum funcționează manipularea și cum poți revendica poveștile reale, în toată splendoarea lor dezordonată.
„Edificarea națiunii nu e neapărat să aducă dezbinare- toți creăm națiunile din care facem parte și avem responsabilități personale și colective față de acestea, în afara preocupărilor pe care le au ce bogați și cei puternici”. p.326 Janina Ramirez, „Legenda- The real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe”, WH Allen, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmJmd...
February 2, 2026
This was a real let-down after the brilliant "Femina". To begin with, the editing was sloppy - there were spelling mistakes, grammatical errors ("the monks's way of life"), and dangling participles which actually obscured the meaning of the sentence at times. The writing was quite clunky.
But more than that, for me, it didn't hang together. The project - women who contributed to the forging of nations even if some of them lived at a time when "nation" wasn't a concept - is an exciting one, but I don't think she succeeded. The chapters about the lesser-known women were far more interesting than the litanies of royal princesses and queens - but quite often the link between the medieval woman and the 19th century woman was quite forced.
One stand-out chapter was the description of the women in the beguinages in "The Low Countries", but here a map would have helped for people who don't know the geography of Belgium. Having lived there for several years, I'm not that sure that the women she writes about really did a lot to forge the Belgian nation - and indeed, people still fall out over whether or not such a thing exists. And in Germany (where I lived for much longer) there is a lot of heart-searching about the identity of the German nation, and her chapter linking Lola Montez and Empress Adelheid didn't convince me.
When it comes to Britain, she makes the beginner's mistake of thinking that England = Britain. Lady Godiva and Queen Victoria did nothing to forge my Scottish identity.
So, three stars for the idea, and for some of the genuinely interesting parts.
But more than that, for me, it didn't hang together. The project - women who contributed to the forging of nations even if some of them lived at a time when "nation" wasn't a concept - is an exciting one, but I don't think she succeeded. The chapters about the lesser-known women were far more interesting than the litanies of royal princesses and queens - but quite often the link between the medieval woman and the 19th century woman was quite forced.
One stand-out chapter was the description of the women in the beguinages in "The Low Countries", but here a map would have helped for people who don't know the geography of Belgium. Having lived there for several years, I'm not that sure that the women she writes about really did a lot to forge the Belgian nation - and indeed, people still fall out over whether or not such a thing exists. And in Germany (where I lived for much longer) there is a lot of heart-searching about the identity of the German nation, and her chapter linking Lola Montez and Empress Adelheid didn't convince me.
When it comes to Britain, she makes the beginner's mistake of thinking that England = Britain. Lady Godiva and Queen Victoria did nothing to forge my Scottish identity.
So, three stars for the idea, and for some of the genuinely interesting parts.
February 27, 2026
This was more of a slog than I had anticipated. I went to see Janina Ramirez talk about her latest book and it sounded fascinating and I was excited to read it. Sadly it was muddled and some of the histories felt slight and rather repetitive.
In the introduction Janina talks of rescuing women's histories from the mythologies that have grown up around them, often obscuring the real stories. For me the only story that met this brief was the story of Godiva where the truth of the woman behind the famous myth of the naked horse ride was interesting. However, even here the source material was limited and felt stretched, requiring a framing within a narrative about Victoria and Albert and the addition of a story about an Indian freedom fighter.
A lot of the women highlighted were previously unknown to me but I struggled to relate to the stories of saints and religious fanatics who self harmed to the point of death. Again there was very little about the real women behind the religious stories and the same ideas and tropes were endlessly repeated.
The stories of those women I did know a fair bit about, Isabella of Castille and Joan of Arc, added nothing new to what I already knew. There were attempts to shoehorn them into comparisons with more modern women but those comparisons didn’t really work for me.
There was obviously a great deal of research behind this book and Janina's passion for her subjects was clear from her author's talk, but there didn’t feel like there was enough new material to make the points she tried to pull together in her conclusion.
In the introduction Janina talks of rescuing women's histories from the mythologies that have grown up around them, often obscuring the real stories. For me the only story that met this brief was the story of Godiva where the truth of the woman behind the famous myth of the naked horse ride was interesting. However, even here the source material was limited and felt stretched, requiring a framing within a narrative about Victoria and Albert and the addition of a story about an Indian freedom fighter.
A lot of the women highlighted were previously unknown to me but I struggled to relate to the stories of saints and religious fanatics who self harmed to the point of death. Again there was very little about the real women behind the religious stories and the same ideas and tropes were endlessly repeated.
The stories of those women I did know a fair bit about, Isabella of Castille and Joan of Arc, added nothing new to what I already knew. There were attempts to shoehorn them into comparisons with more modern women but those comparisons didn’t really work for me.
There was obviously a great deal of research behind this book and Janina's passion for her subjects was clear from her author's talk, but there didn’t feel like there was enough new material to make the points she tried to pull together in her conclusion.
December 29, 2025
I thought this was a very interesting read! Janina Ramirez definitely has to be one of my favourite historians right now. I enjoy her writing immensely.
I did feel like the connection between the modern day and historical women discussed did get a bit weaker as the book went on. Fo example, in the first chapter we get a small intro to Charlotte Corday who was directly compared to Joan of Arc before getting into the historical evidence surrounding Joan. By the end, we get a regaling of Prince Albert’s birthday party, at which Queen Victoria gives him a statue of Lady Godiva, before going into a discussion about the historical Lady Godiva.
There is a connection between the modern and historical components in every chapter don’t get me wrong, and it is very interesting to follow Janina Ramirez as she breaks down the nostalgic barrier, but at times the connections felt a little weak. Still really interesting!! Definitely recommend
I did feel like the connection between the modern day and historical women discussed did get a bit weaker as the book went on. Fo example, in the first chapter we get a small intro to Charlotte Corday who was directly compared to Joan of Arc before getting into the historical evidence surrounding Joan. By the end, we get a regaling of Prince Albert’s birthday party, at which Queen Victoria gives him a statue of Lady Godiva, before going into a discussion about the historical Lady Godiva.
There is a connection between the modern and historical components in every chapter don’t get me wrong, and it is very interesting to follow Janina Ramirez as she breaks down the nostalgic barrier, but at times the connections felt a little weak. Still really interesting!! Definitely recommend
June 2, 2026
I have read and enjoyed Femina by this author. This book is perhaps more challenging - dense in detail that doesn't always 'stick', but the overall object is achieved in making the reader aware of how these women have been used and generally misrepresented. It also delves into the women who have inspired others, such as St Catherine's influence on Joan of Arc, and brings in other women's exploits as well. I learnt about the Beguines - communities of women who were independent and able to earn their own living in a supportive community. There were many women I hadn't heard of, and the myth of Lady Godiva riding naked through Coventry was thoroughly dispelled. In fact, that story appeared 100 years later. It reminds me of the false stories which sprang up about Queen Eleanor (in Eleanor by Alice Loxton) long after her death in 1290 - fake news is nothing new.
April 4, 2026
This book by Ramirez takes narrative style look through different periods of time to look closer at legendary women. She uses evidence to shows how they had been viewed at the time and posthumously. I feel like I have learned more about these important women than I have before. For example, I had only really known about Joan of Arc as a warrior, however Ramirez has revealed her as a pious woman who felt she could do good. She also generally looks at women from the region, such as in the Low Countries were women would take extremes to show their piety, such as self flagellation and ‘holy anorexia’.
I think it was written well and including images helps with visualising. It did feel lengthy at times.
I think it was written well and including images helps with visualising. It did feel lengthy at times.
March 1, 2026
2.75 stars. I was really excited about this book because I loved Femina, but Legenda was disappointing. While the book is very well researched, the premise of connecting medieval women to later females felt tenuous, at best. Some chapters were interesting, like Joan of Arc, but many of the chapters were bloated and boring. I had to force myself to keep coming back to the book. Truthfully, I wish I would have DNF'd, because I don't feel like I learned much at all from this book. In addition, I was also a little horrified by how many female religious figures were glorified when they were clearly suffering from mental illness.
June 10, 2026
3.5*
The star rating might be a bit mean because I think it just wasn't for me. I found large swathes of it very dry and I couldn't see the point of linking a medieval woman and an 18th/19th century woman in each chapter. Indeed, I couldn't see the link in most cases. I found parts of it interesting - Joan of Arc, Bouboulina, Lady Godiva (or Godgyfu as I will now call her), but have to admit to skim reading substantial chunks here and there.
The star rating might be a bit mean because I think it just wasn't for me. I found large swathes of it very dry and I couldn't see the point of linking a medieval woman and an 18th/19th century woman in each chapter. Indeed, I couldn't see the link in most cases. I found parts of it interesting - Joan of Arc, Bouboulina, Lady Godiva (or Godgyfu as I will now call her), but have to admit to skim reading substantial chunks here and there.
June 25, 2026
Went into this with high expectations, and was sadly disappointed. I have every faith that the author's research was impeccable and meticulous, which just makes it more of a shame that the end result feels like a jumbled, incoherent mess, jumping around all over the place with no real cohesive thread to pull it all together. This was neither good academic writing nor good popular non-fiction writing, but a combination of the two which failed to work as well as could have been hoped.
March 25, 2026
Very interesting book, especially chapters on Joan of Arc, Isabella of Castile and Lady Godiva. Only managed 3 chapters before I had to return it to the library. I will be trying to take it out again, particularly for the chapter on Catherine of Siena.
Would recommend to anyone interested in the real women behind all the myth making.
Would recommend to anyone interested in the real women behind all the myth making.
December 29, 2025
This had so much potential to be amazing, there has clearly been a huge amount of research and a fantastic range of both individuals and geography, however it just felt a bit jolting and a bit of a slog.
January 12, 2026
This is a great read about medieval women whose lives have been ignored and exploited..My favs were Joan of Arc,Isabella of Castile and Lady Godiva.Love it when established narratives are challenged and Women’s stories rise to the fore.
January 24, 2026
The second of her women of history books this is equally as good as the first volume. Professor Doctor Janina Ramirez is an exceptionally skilled writer and this book is meticulously researched. It is informative and inspirational. And directly relevant to our modern world
November 26, 2025
I am so sick of historians erasing Scottish and Welsh history and trying to claim only English history is British history
December 4, 2025
I enjoyed Femina. But LOVED this.
December 29, 2025
Loved the historical context, learned so much especially about Lady Godiva, who I knew nothing about.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the medieval period.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the medieval period.
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