This is an excellent introduction to some of the most fascinating women of the high Middle Ages. The women chosen represent well the great variety fo religious creativity found during this period: Gertrude, living the traditional Benedictine monastic life but influenced by the new spirit of romanticism introduced by Bernard of Clairvaux; Angela, the wife and mother who became a Franciscan tertiary; Birgitta, noblewoman and foundress of a new mixed community of men and women; and Julian, the recluse who produced a remarkable work of theology. Elizabeth Obbard's introductions clearly set the stage for reading these women with profit. Her selections from each woman's writings are well chosen and edited, and ample enough to provide a feel for each woman's style and content. Altogether, this book is a great contribution to the ongoing study of medieval writers.
