Pope Joan: A Novel

By Donna Woolfolk Cross

“Pope Joan has all the elements one wants in a historical drama—love, sex, violence, duplicity, and long-buried secrets. Cross has written an engaging book.”—Los Angeles Times Book Review

In this international bestseller and basis for the 2009 movie of the same name, Donna Woolfolk Cross brings the Dark Ages to life in all their brutal splendor and shares the dramatic story of a woman whose strength of vision led her to defy the social restrictions of her day.

For a thousand years her existence has been denied. She is the legend that will not die—Pope Joan, the ninth-century woman who disguised herself as a man and rose to become the only female ever to sit on the throne of St. Peter. Now in this riveting novel, Cross paints a sweeping portrait of an unforgettable heroine who struggles against restrictions her soul cannot accept. 

Brilliant and talented, young Joan rebels against medieval social strictures forbidding women to learn. When her brother is brutally killed during a Viking attack, Joan takes up his cloak—and his identity—and enters the monastery of Fulda. As Brother John Anglicus, Joan distinguishes herself as a great scholar and healer. Eventually, she is drawn to Rome, where she becomes enmeshed in a dangerous web of love, passion, and politics. Triumphing over appalling odds, she finally attains the highest office in Christendom—wielding a power greater than any woman before or since. But such power always comes at a price . . . 
 
“Brings the savage ninth century vividly to life in all its alien richness. An enthralling, scholarly historical novel.”—Rebecca Fraser, author of The Brontës

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jun 9, 2009
• ISBN: 9780307453198

Reviews for Pope Joan

[senorag2001 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book. Highly recommended

[nancylouu · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great Read!

[cemagoc · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was one of the most spectacular historical fiction novels I have read. So well researched, yet intricately crafted to create a dazzling story. Cross inspired as a reviver of long-forgotten women and the lies that have been written to hide them. Absolutely recommended!

[400mom · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is another book I would like to give 3.5 stars. I thought the story was interesting and the descriptions of life in the 9th century. I enjoyed the bits of history (although we didn't need to make it almost to the end to find out that Karolus and Constantine are the same person!). But I thought the way the story was written, with all the last-minute saves and the fact that all characters were either good or evil, did not do justice to the story. It was an easy read and I am glad I read it but it's not a book I will come back to.

[pssm95 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A really stunning first novel, based on the historical person who disguised herself as a man and rose to the rank of Pope.

[loreleilouise · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An excellent study of a fascinating subject. The author has done her homework. The author's note at the end adds to the information. So well written I want to go search the records for myself.

[thiscatsabroad · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I ended up aborting at about the 40% mark because I felt like I was reading a Harlequin Romance with a smattering of Latin that added nothing to the narrative.

[a1stitcher · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating. Was there a female Pope? Contemporary records have supposedly been obliterated, and there is only an account written some time after the event, which took place 853-855 AD.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It is easy to read and I finished in less than a week. I do have an issue with some of the events in this novel; there were too many timely and nearly miraculous "saves" for the main character. I understand there truly isn't very much to go on,in describing Joan's life. For me it just felt a bit too false. Despite this I was able to enjoy myself with this novel.

[auntieg0412 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting! I had never heard of the possibility there had been a Pope who was a woman. It's a well-written story and I enjoyed reading it.

[jrobinw · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an excellent book. The historical fiction as exciting as Pillars of the Earth BUT with a powerful woman in the lead. All women need to read this, tell their sisters, daughter, granddaughters, and nieces.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ms. Cross writes a plausible story of the legend of Pope Joan and how she found herself pope of the Catholic Church in the 9th century. My ability to lose myself in the story was hampered by the too modern feel of the characters and some of the episodes that occur.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Historical fiction set circa 850 A.D. when a woman supposedly ascended to the papacy. It's an interesting premise, but I thought the writing was mediocre. Did no one question why she had no beard after spending all that time in the dungeon? Still, I liked the basic storyline and was entertained. And the premise of a woman pope made for great discussion at book club.

[kr_patterson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I think I loved this book for different reasons than most people. For a long book, the pacing was excellent. Also, I felt the author was great with the handling of emotion. Each emotion felt real, and earned. There were times it was agony, but she had me in the palm of her hand. I was invested.

[valerieandbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel caught my eye because when I glanced at it at my favorite used bookstore, I initially read the title as it was, "Pope Joan", and thought I had mis-read it as Pope John. Nope, it really is titled Pope Joan. The synopsis from the back cover seemed interesting, even though I'm not a religious person nor am I particularly interested in religious history. However, this novel is actually a historical fiction account. Set in the ninth century, Joan is a strong-minded and highly intelligent girl born to a father who automatically loathes her because she is a girl. Eventually, Joan hides her true gender and becomes John. Along the way, she moves up into the church hierarchy and ultimately becomes Pope. Of course, she accomplishes this without her peers finding out that she's really a female. There are a few that do find out the truth but they keep her secret. There's a love interest for Joan as well.In real life, there are arguments for and against whether there was really a Pope Joan. In an author's note at the end of this book, Donna Woolfolk Cross shares this information and the possible supporting evidence with the reader. The reader is left to decide, and I think that yes there was a Pope Joan. I'd certainly like to think so.As a woman, it was hard at times for me to read about how misogynistic men were towards women during that era. However, the author doesn't take on a preachy tone toward the mores of the times, or towards religion in general. Overall, a good read, and although it is 422 pages long, I finished it much sooner than I thought I would.

[charlaoppenlander · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a good book! I love historical fiction that teaches me something because I have to look up the facts while I'm reading it. The best book I've read in a while. The author did an excellent job following history and she wrote an interesting section at the end that includes more information about her research and other things she found out while writing Joan's story.

[wagner5sarah35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A clearly well-researched novel about Pope Joan, a supposed ninth-century pope supposed to have been a woman. The author has clearly done her research about the ninth-century and is able to incorporate many, well-documented events into the novel and into the characters' lives. Joan emerges as a very likable character, an unwanted daughter who nevertheless receives an education to match her intellect, and eventually disguises herself as a man, becoming a monk, healer, adviser to Popes, and eventually Pope herself. While even the author admits in the closing notes that Joan's existence is difficult to prove or disprove, this novel does provide a fascinating insight into a period that little is known about. Definitely recommended for historical fiction fans!

[nickelini · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Formulaic historical fiction with the requisite plucky heroine fighting misogyny, cruelty, and superstition. Characters were black and white with little-to-no character growth. Problems were solved through coincidences. Not an awful book--the author shows her extensive research of an era that we know little about today.Pope Joan is fabled to have lived in the most obscure of times--that being the 9th century. Scholars (NOT just the Catholic Church) determine that Pope Joan probably did not exist--however, the story is buried so far back in history that I think it's more fun to believe that she was real.This is a fascinating period of history about which we know so little, and that was my favourite thing about this book. At the end, the author outlines a handful of errors that readers wrote her about from the first edition, and she corrected them for later editions, so I have to give her kudos for doing that.

[dreamingbear-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A purely fictional account of a controversial and long-debated person ... quite the fascinating tale.


***POTENTIAL SPOILER***



The ending left me feeling a bit vague and unsettled. It seemed far more a storybook ending than was likely, although the epilogue was priceless.

[grheault_2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

During the recent lead up to the newest pope, I wondered why had the old pope Benedict resigned? it was all so irregular and unprecedented. I conjured up my own version of a dark, embarrassing hush up that would last until many years after Benedict's death, when burial preparation would have shown that he had been transgendered, a woman who had lived as a man. Pretty original, eh? No. Not at all the first female pope came on the scene, according to rumor and legend, almost a thousand years ago, and she was called Pope Joan.

The book "Pope Joan" is a recent novelization of an old legend, and it did not engage me. I am reassured that my perfect track record of having no original ideas is still perfect.

[michellebarton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Joan is a young girl yearning for more than women are typically allowed during her time, and circumstances throw her into a situation where she must pretend to be a man in order to gain the education and learning that she desires, eventually leading her to become Pope. The book is based on possibly a true story, or at least historical rumor, which made it all the more interesting to me. Reads like a biography and covers such an interesting time and subject.

[mbklibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a clever interesting read. I had never heard any rumors even of a female Pope, and the author did a great job creating her life with authenticity. The story was well crafted and fun to read and the ending well, you can make your own conclusion but it was certainly a surprise.

[jmoncton_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is historic fiction at its best. The story of a intelligent young girl who hid her gender so that she could study in the monasteries. She rose in the Catholic hierarchy all the way to the top to become Pope - I guess she really leaned in to her career! People in Rome still talk about whether or not there was a female Pope and even today, one of the criteria before officially naming a Pope is for a Cardinal to check if he/she is male! I read this to prepare for a vacation to Rome. While we were there, Pope Benedict resigned the papacy which was the buzz the whole time we were there and made this book even more relevant.

The audio version is beautifully performed by Barbara Rosenblat. This is one of those occasions of a perfect match between book and narrator - Bravo!

[astrologerjenny · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this very plausible, well-written historical novel. It’s vivid both in the settings and in the characters. It’s a brutal time, in which people are constantly fending off invaders and being conscripted for wars, while having to prove how pious they are.

Pope Joan is a pope with a secret, mainly that she’s passing as a man. And to me, this rings very true. With the low opinion of women that was common at the time, I’m sure a lot of women decided to go this route, even with the great danger of being discovered.

Of course, there is a romance in this book, and of course, Joan is constantly torn between love and the opportunities that have unfolded for her. My only real complaint with the book is that her lover, Gerold, is a bit one-dimensional: handsome, brave, understanding, accepting, pretty much perfect. He seems to have stepped out of a bodice-ripper and landed here in a more thoughtful novel.

[mawls · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Definitely a page turner. Sometimes I felt the action was too abrupt with not enough build up, but I can easily look past that and I say I really couldn't get enough of this book. The subject nature is intriguing and it's a well told story.

[teenielee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love religious conspiracies... I also love stories of women who are trying to be smarter than the world wants them to be. Hooray for Pope Joan!

[vsquist-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book but I would have liked it much more without the silly love story. Those parts read like a romance novel. I adored the parts about Joan but when it came to her boyfriend, I found myself skimming over several pages to get to the good parts again!

[auranefertari · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A compelling look at a little-known Dark Ages legend. Cross has certainly done her research and patched together a story that is astonishingly believable in addition to well-written.

[melydia_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Back in the Middle Ages there was a popular legend of a 9th century woman who, disguised as a man, became Pope. Whether or not you believe this to be the truth doesn't matter much, because the story of this brave and intelligent woman is engaging regardless. I loved learning about all the strange superstitions and infuriating prejudices. Joan's own journey captured my heart as well. Excellent historical fiction.

[olgalijo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Having grown up in a society in which women were (and sometimes still are) very coherced by their sex, I found Joan to be a very believable character. Sometimes the plotline seems to be a little too thin, with a very real character being led by luck toward a destiny in too many instances. Even so, one can see Joan taking those decisions. The Dark Ages setting is also a very difficult one to pull off, from a writers point of view. There are so many details of day to day life that are unknown to us, that it seems to be an impossible task to create a vibrant setting for the main story. In this case the attempt is successful, and one feels to be then and there while following Joan's life and tribulations.

[sleahey_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This historic novel is based on possible history, depending on the accuracy of disparate written accounts of Ninth Century Europe. Regardless, this is an interesting story of a strong women at a time when it wasn't believed that women had any rights, need to reason or be educated, or function other than childbearing and tending the home. The prose is sometimes excessively dense, but the reader gets a strong sense of the times, the barbarity of war, the weakness of Roman politics, and the duplicity of the Church. The unrequited romance carries the plot along to a fairly abrupt ending.