The Paston Women: Selected Letters (Library of Medieval Women) [Paperback]

Diane Watt (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Library of Medieval Women | Publication Date: November 25, 2004

The Paston letters form one of only two surviving collections of fifteenth-century correspondence, in their case especially rich in letters from the women of the family. Clandestine love affairs, secret marriages, violent family rows, bickering with neighbours, battles and sieges, threats of murder and kidnapping, fears of plague: these are just some of the topics discussed in the letters of the Paston women. Diane Watt's introduction seeks to place these letters in the context of medieval women's writing and and medieval letter writing. Her interpretive essay reconstructs the lives of these women by examining what the letters reveal about women's literacy and education, life in the medieval household, religion and piety, health and medicine, and love, marriage, family relationships, and female friendships in the middle ages. Professor Diane Watt is Head of the School of English and Languages, University of Surrey.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Watt's translations balance both readability and literalness. (...)an accessible edition devoted to one of the most interesting set of extant documents written by late medieval English women. MEDIEVAL REVIEW

About the Author

Professor Diane Watt is Head of the School of English and Languages, University of Surrey. Secretaries of God won the 1998 Foster Watson Memorial Gift.

Product Details

• Paperback: 190 pages
• Publisher: Boydell & Brewer (November 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843840243
• ISBN-13: 978-1843840244
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,260,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Upper class medieval life for women, October 4, 2005

By 

C. L. Corbaley "Lynn Corbaley" (Honolulu, HI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Paston Women: Selected Letters (Library of Medieval Women) (Paperback)

I learned so much reading the Paston letters. Women "manning" the castle and men shopping for spices and armour. Turned my previoius notions of women in this time period on end.