Normal Women

Nine Hundred Years of Making History

By: Philippa Gregory

Narrated by: Philippa Gregory, Clare Corbett, Tania Rodrigues, Nneka Okoye, James Goode, Joe Jameson

The #1 New York Times bestselling historical novelist delivers her magnum opus—a landmark work of feminist nonfiction that radically redefines our understanding of the extraordinary roles ordinary women played throughout British history and “should be included in every history lesson” (Glamour UK)

“As author and lead narrator, Gregory’s passion for this topic is evidence in her confident narration. . . . This audio should be savored. . . . This stellar work will be of interest to feminists, historians, Anglophiles, and those who like learning more about women throughout history.” —Booklist (starred review)

Did you know that there are more penises than women in the Bayeux Tapestry? That the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 was started and propelled by women who were protesting a tax on women? Or that celebrated naturalist Charles Darwin believed not just that women were naturally inferior to men, but that they’d evolve to become ever more inferior?

These are just a few of the startling findings you will learn from reading Philippa Gregory’s Normal Women. In this ambitious and groundbreaking book, she tells the story of England over 900 years, for the very first time placing women—some fifty per cent of the population—center stage.

Using research skills honed in her work as one of our foremost historical novelists, Gregory trawled through court records, newspapers, and journals to find highwaywomen and beggars, murderers and brides, housewives and pirates, female husbands and hermits. The “normal women” you will meet in these pages went to war, ploughed the fields, campaigned, wrote, and loved. They rode in jousts, flew Spitfires, issued their own currency, and built ships, corn mills and houses. They committed crimes or treason, worshipped many gods, cooked and nursed, invented things, and rioted. A lot.

A landmark work of scholarship and storytelling, Normal Women chronicles centuries of social and cultural change—from 1066 to modern times—powered by the determination, persistence, and effectiveness of women.

“Lively, timely and gloriously energetic. Each page bursts with life, and every chapter swirls with personalities left out of traditional narratives of Britain’s past. Philippa Gregory has produced something rare and wonderful: a genuinely new history of [Britain], with women at its beating heart.” —Dan Jones, New York Times bestselling author of The Plantagenets

“Stunning. . . . Full of surprises. . . . A brilliant, essential read.” —The Independent (UK)

Very well researched

Thoroughly enjoyed listening to Normal Women. It was enlightening, frightening, inspiring and gave me a whole new appreciation of all the amazing women that came before us and made it possible for me to be an independent, financially successful woman in a man’s world. Everyone should read this, especially all the young women of today.

This should be required reading for all students!!!

This lost history of the lives of ordinary women, and the historical review of the fluidity and arbitrary nature of gender roles, is literally the thing that can save Western civilization at this point.

Non fiction

I love this author . I didn’t read the summary unfortunately. I am not interested in non fiction right now.

excellent ...mais

Gregory is know for her hisorical novels featuring the women of history and this title looking at normal women was just as brillant fascinating and unputdownable ...as long as she was talking History. when she reached her own lifetime i became convinced that she was a raging feminist. By the time we reached the very long afterwork I became bored as it turned into a lecture reminiscent of the pigs in animal farm ...all women good all men bad with an un healthy obsession with sex! This explains my dropping one star from an excellent title

Brilliant

This should be required reading material in all schools. It is extremely well researched. It will invoke a range of emotions. It is at times repetitive but at no fault to the author. It just goes to show the repetition of history. The subjugation of so many minority groups from Jewish people, to black people, to women, to the lgbtqia+ community. It is a book I strongly recommend and will probably read again at some point. Do yourself a favor and just read it.