It’s not ME – it’s YOU

Excerpt from Pharaohs, Emperors, and Other Women who Ruled. Urraca: León and Castile, 1109-1126 If we were to write about royal women who had to marry men they didn’t want to, we would need several more books. But Urraca of León and Castile went to war to be free of her husband.  Urraca was theContinue reading “It’s not ME – it’s YOU”

Pearls Are Made of Grit

Excerpt from Pharaohs, Emperors, and Other Women who Ruled. Shajar al Durr: Egypt, 1250 In one of the greatest rags-to-riches stories in history, Shajar al Durr went from slave girl to sultan of Egypt. We know very little about Shajar’s early life, which is not surprising: no one keeping records would have cared much aboutContinue reading “Pearls Are Made of Grit”

Loving the “unlikeable”

*spoilers* Iron Widow is a YA Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid’s Tale retelling of the rise of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history. The series follows an 18-year-old re-imagining of her as she avenges her sister’s murder by an intensely patriarchal military system that pairs boys and girls up to pilot giantContinue reading “Loving the “unlikeable””