High rates of divorce; often taken to be a modern and western phenomenon; were also typical of medieval Islamic societies. By pitting these high rates of divorce against the Islamic ideal of marriage;Yossef Rapoport radically challenges usual assumptions about the legal inferiority of Muslim women and their economic dependence on men. He argues that marriages in late medieval Cairo; Damascus and Jerusalem had little in common with the patriarchal models advocated by jurists and moralists. The transmission of dowries; women's access to waged labour; and the strict separation of property between spouses made divorce easy and normative; initiated by wives as often as by their husbands. This carefully researched work of social history is interwoven with intimate accounts of individual medieval lives; making for a truly compelling read. It will be of interest to scholars of all disciplines concerned with the history of women and gender in Islam.
#1139263 in Books Cambridge University Press 2008-11-17 2009-01-22Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.98 x .79 x 5.98l; 1.05 #File Name: 052171155X358 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Awkward translation and dry writing--makes a fascinating subject DULL.By LuceroThis book was not what I expected. I am familiar with the story of Chica da Silva; and this book has a lot of information that is related to the time period. Some of it is very detailed; and although that has a historical significance; the book could have been structured better to keep Chica da Silva as the focus for the entire book. Instead; the book begins about her; and then for several chapters there is information about slaves; freed slaves and also extensive information about the João Fernandes' and his will once he returned to Portugal. Another problem with the book is that the translation is quite inaccurate. I did not get the impression that the translator was a native English speaker. Words were misused like "tutor" (this should be "guardian" in English); and others were either archaic; awkward or too technical; like "realm" (kingdom would have been a better choice); and "entail." The chapter about other works featuring Chica; such as the movie and the soap opera; was very superficial--a marked contrast to the overly detailed chapters on the arrangement of housing in town and the will. The author dismissed the soap opera in a few sentences. Although these works are fictionalized; they did bring Chica da Silva into the Brazilian consciousness. I didn't get the impression that the author even watch the telenovela--although it deviates significantly from Chica's real life; it is not meant to be a documentary; but entertainment. There are also many interesting and successful aspects of the program; which depict the era masterfully; in its speech; use of or lack of use of utensils; dress; and treatment of slaves. I think I would have preferred to read the Portuguese original. At least I would not have been bothered by the awkward translation.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. I wish there was more on Chica; it focuses ...By Ethan G.I wish there was more on Chica; it focuses on the family and surrounding events; but I still no very little about the woman.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Must read for anyone involved or interested in latin historyBy 618618Great historical book about Chica da Silva; found her life story very empowering and interesting. Must read for anyone involved or interested in latin history. Great citations for reports!
