Book Spotlight: Joanna of Flanders: Heroine and Exile, by Julie Sarpy

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Joanna of Flanders, Countess de Montfort and Duchess of Brittany, abruptly vanished from public life after 1343 amid the Breton Wars of Succession during the Hundred Years War. 

As wife of the late Duke John de Montfort, Joanna’s rightful place was in Brittany as regent of the duchy for their five-year-old son and heir John of Brittany. 

Despite her fame for the defense of Hennebont in 1342 during her husband’s imprisonment, she along with her children had accompanied Edward III of England to Britain in February 1343 and seemingly never departed. 

She resided in England in Tickell Castle, Yorkshire, in comfortable obscurity until her death around 1374. What happened to her and why? The answers to those questions belie the core complexities of medieval social structures, the care of the vulnerable, and the custody of women.

"Julie Sarpy has done an incredible job of researching the story of Joanna of Flanders. Her investigation has uncovered some remarkable facts about Joanna’s life, the times she lived through and the treatment she received at the hands of her supposed ally, Edward III. Joann of Flanders is, in short, an amazing woman, whose story deserves to be known by a much wider audience." Sharon Connolly, (Amazon Review)

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About the Author

Dr. Julie Sarpy is the Library Liaison and Adjunct Assistant Professor to the Kiran C. Patel Colleges of Allopathic and Osteopathic at the Martin and Gail Press Health Professions Division Library at Nova Southeastern University. A specialist in Medieval history, her book Joanna of Flanders: Heroine and Exile was published by Amberley Press in 2019. Follow Julia on Twitter @Julieandalice