The life of a 9th Century Englishwoman who, disguised as a man, rose to become the only woman to sit on the throne of St. Peter. Rebelling against the strictures of her age--which forbade women to learn to read and write--Joan took the identity of her dead brother and entered a monastery. There are few historical heroines as fascinating and controversial as Pope Joan, a woman whose hunger for knowledge and independent nature led her to pass as a man and ultimately to attain the high seat in Rome. Pope Joan is a spellbinding tale of a woman who gave up everything, even her very name, for the sake of knowledge. Disguised as a man claimed St. Peter's throne and served as Pope for two years. cross's well-researched interpretation of the life of Pope Joan features a young woman, Joan of Ingelheim, who is taught Latin by her brother and takes his place after he is killed in a viking raid. Disguises as the Christian scholar Brother John anglicus, Joan Heads for Rome, where she becomes part ot he inner circle. her secret is reveales at a most inopportune moment.
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