Poska

Twenty-five contributions review the scholarship that has transformed understanding of the lives of women--and also of men--in early modern Europe, 1400 through 1800, during the past three decades. The three editors, who are also contributors, are affiliated as follows: Allyson Poska (history, University of Mary Washington), Jane Couchman (emerita, French and women’s studies, York University, Canada) and Katherine A. McIver (emerita, art history, University of Alabama). Intent on a comparative, multidisciplinary approach, the editors chose to organize material in a manner that at first was disconcerting to some of the contributors. Instead of focusing on national literatures or histories, contributors were invited to develop an approach and present their own views on how the study of women and gender has shaped their areas of expertise. Arrangement is in sections on religion (e.g. the permeable cloister, convent creativity, female religious communities beyond the convent, Protestant movements); embodied lives (maternity, marriage, family, work, old age, political power); and cultural production (intellectual women, artists, art patrons, material culture). Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)