Rosalie Gilbert. Books.

SPRING 2025 RELEASE!!

 

The Secret Lives of Single Medieval Women
True Stories of Nuns, Maidens and Not-so-merry Widows Who Made Their Own Way In The Medieval World

Single women were a part of society in the Middle Ages, just as they are today, but you'd be forgiven for thinking that they that their lives were small and insignificant since they were often only included as appendages to their fathers or husbands. It just isn't so.

Single women could be young, unmarried girls under the age of 12 and in the care of their families.

Single women could be of marriageable age but not yet wed. Adults working at home or in service or in the fields for the lords or daughters of knights, rich and eligible enjoying all the things that high society had to offer without the burden of running a household or motherhood. They might be beggars or travellers.

Single women could be separated or divorced or widowed, perhaps working at a trade and enjoying a certain amount of freedom and autonomy. They might be working at the oldest trade of all.

Single women could be women of religion, living within the cloisters as a stop gap until marriage, an educational opportunity or as an escape from the outside world. Some embraced the religious life, while others did not.

Depending on her age and rank, these women had options, or not.

Book specs:
The Secret Lives of Single Medieval Women: True Stories of Nuns, Maidens and Not-so-merry Widows Who Made Their Own Way In The Medieval World
Genre: Non fiction
Paperback: pages
Publisher: Mango Publishing (2025)
Language: English
ISBN-10:
ISBN-13:
Product Dimensions: cm x cm
Boxed-product Weight: grams

 

The Very Secret Sex Lives of Medieval Women
An Inside Look at Women and Sex in Medieval Times.

If medieval women lived today, they'd still be thinking about sex the way we do.

Margaret would be updating her status to "in a relationship with God" while her disappointed husband changed his from "just married" to "it's complicated."

Margery would be picking up the ingredients for a sexy night in and doing some special baking. Perhaps Rose might be stopping off at a shop for some quality alone time supplies. Alice would still not be walking home in the dark for fear of being molested and Anne might be facing her abusive husband in court. The church would still be on its soapbox loudly telling women what they could and couldn't do with their own bodies.

This much we do know, but have you ever wondered what sex was like for the medieval woman? Were women slaves to their husband's every desire? Were they secured safely and jealously in a chastity belt in his absence? Was sex a duty or could it be a pleasure? Did the medieval woman have any say about her own body and who did or didn't get up close and personal with it at all? Ever? About any of it?

So much more than you might think.

The intimate lives of medieval women were as complex and as complicated as ours today with very little being clear cut and many of the issues relating to sexual relationships having distinctly blurry edges. Women then, as now, loved and lost, hoped and schemed, laughed and cried, were lifted up and cast down. They were hopeful and lovelorn. Some were chaste and some were lusty. Some had sex thrust unwillingly upon them and had to deal with the consequences. Others made aphrodisiacs and dressed for success.

Sometimes, having sex was complicated. Sometimes, not having sex was even more so. In spite of the hundreds of years which separate the very secret sex lives of medieval women and the sex lives of modern women, many similarities remain. Only the actual women have changed. These true stories and astonishing facts about medieval sexual health and hygiene might surprise you!

Released internationally and translated into Polish, Russian and for the Braille Lending Library of Australia, fans of the Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England, Medieval Women and Terry Jonses's Medieval Lives will meet real women and hear their voices in The Very Secret Sex Lives of Medieval Women.

Book specs:
The Very Secret Sex Lives of Medieval Women
Genre: Non fiction
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Mango Publishing (2020)
Language: English
Format: print B&W, E-book colour illustrations
ISBN-10: 164250307X
ISBN-13: 978-1642503074
Product Dimensions: 14 x 21.6 cm
Boxed-product Weight: 503 grams

BONUS online image gallery

Medieval Wisdom for Modern Women:
Self Care Advice & Warnings From The Middle Ages
That You Still Need Today

This pretty, full-colour book brings to light words of care and encouragement from the hearts and pens of writers from days gone by.

Surprisingly, this personal advice taken from the pages of actual medieval manuscripts is as relevant today as it was back then. Photographed with an array of multicultral modern women and handcrafted reproductions of historic artifacts, this little book makes a perfect little gift for your favourite modern person.

This book is proudly Australian written, photographed, processed and printed in Australia by Australian businesses right here in Brisbane.
100% Australian every step of the way.

Book specs:
Medieval Wisdom for Modern Women
Self Care Advice & Warnings From The Middle Ages Which You Still Need Today.
Genre: Petite Coffee Table Book
Paperback: 64 pages
Illustrations: 60 photographs
Format: Full colour
Printed: Printcraft, Brisbane
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-646-88658-9
Product Dimensions: 20.3cm x 20.3cm
Weight: 370 grams