What was life really like for women in the medieval period? How did they think about sex, death and God? Could they live independent lives? And how can we hear their stories?

Lucky for us, Hetta Howes has asked all these questions and come up with some pretty compelling answers, all neatly told in her new book Poet, Mystic, Widow, Wife.

In this special episode, Charlie Higson chats with Hetta about the lives of four incredible women from this period, Marie de France, a poet; Julian of Norwich, a mystic and anchoress; Christine de Pizan, a widow and court writer; and Margery Kempe, a "no-good wife".

It's a fabulous listen!

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