Cities of Women
University professor Verity, unable to finish the book she needs for tenure, is captivated by an exhibit on the works of Christine de Pizan and becomes convinced that the Anastasia whom Christine references is responsible for the exquisite illuminations of works like The Book of the City of Ladies in BL Harley 4431. Verity’s search for proof takes her to London and Paris, with visits to William Morris and the pre-Raphaelites. Her pursuit of the vanished Anastasia, and her passion for a present-day fellow scholar named Anastasia, give new direction to Verity’s career and life.
Unlike some dual-timeline novels where alternating chapters lean on each other, discoveries in one timeline moving the other forward, the life of Beatrice, a 13th-century Frenchwoman, unfolds side-by-side with Verity’s search for her. Apprenticed to master illuminators, Beatrice takes the name Anastasia after a stay in a convent and then moves to Paris, where she establishes her own atelier and meets Christine de Pizan. Christine is pictured as a forceful, intelligent woman who makes her own way after her beloved husband dies but relies on Beatrice-turned-Anastasia for inspiration, companionship, and occasional deliverance.
The style varies from passages lush with radiant imagery to brisk, businesslike prose, and dialogue occasionally sounds quite formal, even rehearsed. The modern-day Anastasia is suspiciously insouciant, but Verity’s dry wit is a joy. For both Verity and Beatrice, their quiet, almost anti-climactic triumph comments on how women’s scholarship is valued. Hardcore Christine fans might complain there aren’t nearly enough Easter eggs, but in Verity’s defense, she is new to the study of this woman lauded in her own time as Europe’s first female professional writer. A delightful narrative and a satisfying journey, Cities of Women celebrates the rich history of women’s scholarship, female achievement, and the bonds of love.
