Prospect Before Her Book

How did women in 16th century western Europe cope with the consequences of being considered inherently sinful—as well as being legally and economically subordinate to their fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons? What might become of a woman unable to raise a dowry? What were the difficulties faced by spinsters, single mothers, and widows? In this brilliant investigation into the lives of women from all social strata, Hufton leads us from poor-house to palazzo, from cradle to grave, illuminating what it meant to be female in western Europe during the years 1500 to 1800.

"A major effort at synthesis...Ms. Hufton has a keen eye for the extraordinary interest in ordinary detail."—New York Times Book Review