“Living two centuries earlier than Elizabeth I of England, Joanna I was the first European woman ever to govern a realm in her own name. Nancy Goldstone re-creates the fourteenth-century world of intrigue, family feud, and skullduggery with a flourish.” “This is a remarkable story about a remarkable woman told with skill and verve. Ross King, author of The Bookseller of Florence In bringing it all together, Nancy Goldstone has produced the most compelling history of the ‘calamitous fourteenth century’ since A Distant Mirror.” The incredible episodes in Joanna’s history-not only murder and plague, but also cannibalism and even a medieval-style credit crunch-sometimes seem like something out of one of Boccaccio’s more fantastical tales. “ The Lady Queen weaves the story of one of the most extraordinary (and unjustly overlooked) rulers of the Middle Ages. “Veteran author Goldstone expertly describes bloodthirsty 14th-century politics and the complex family entanglements that encouraged siblings and cousins to clash over kingdoms like toddlers brawling over toys … Packed with action and effortless to read, Goldstone’s account will satisfy scholars and entertain book clubs with a heroine who had persistence and unbounded dedication to her realm.” A thoroughly intriguing portrait of a neglected historical figure.” “In scholarly but accessible prose, popular historian Goldstone underscores the many significant accomplishments of this exemplary queen. Published under the title Joanna: The Notorious Queen of Naples, Jerusalem & Sicily in the U.K.

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