, ed. Virginia Blanton, Veronica O’Mara, and Patricia Stoop. Medieval Women: Texts and Contexts, 28. Turnhout: Brepols, 2017, xlvi, 502 pp., 2 color plates, 21 fig., 1 map, 2 tables.

The papers collected in this volume were originally presented at a conference at the University of Antwerp in June 2013. It was the third in a series of scholarly meetings, two of which took place at the University of Hull (2011) and the University of Missouri-Kansas (2012). While much scholarly attention has already been paid to such famous nuns as Hildegard of Bingen or those in the convent of Helfta, the purpose here is to shed light on the vast number of medieval nuns who have not yet been the object of critical examination, especially in light of their learning, reading abilities, and their roles as authors. Any text produced in a monastery served, of course, very specific purposes, supporting the liturgy, meditation, spiritual learning, etc., so we cannot expect any secular material. The issue pursued here, however, is concerned with literacy by medieval nuns, and all three volumes would have to be consulted to get the full picture developed collectively by many different contributors. The first volume focused on nuns in northern England, especially England, Germany, the Low Countries, and Sweden. The second volume widened the geographic scope of investigation and deepened the analysis considerably, examining, for instance, how to identify nuns’ writing and artistic work reflecting theological issues.