Set against the tempestuous backdrop of the ninth century, 'Pope Joan' by Donna Woolfolk Cross is a riveting tale of one woman's indomitable spirit overcoming a world that forbids her very existence. Joan, a woman of stunning intellect and ambition, defies the oppressive constraints of her time by assuming her deceased brother's identity to enter a Benedictine monastery. As Brother John Anglicus, she rises in ecclesiastical ranks, ultimately reaching the zenith of power as the first and only female Pope. Embroiled in the complexities of love, passion, and the fierce political machinations of Rome, Joan's journey is a testament to the human will to triumph over the insurmountable.