"Women in medieval Europe were expected to be submissive, but such a broad picture ignores great areas of medieval female experience. Between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries, women were found in the workplace as well as the home, and were among the key rulers, saints and mystics of the medieval world. However, opportunities and activities changed over time, and by 1500 the world of work was becoming increasingly restricted for women." "Women of all social groups were primarily engaged with their families, looking after their husbands and children, and running the household. Patterns of work varied geographically. In the northern towns, women worked in a wide range of crafts, with a few becoming entrepreneurs. Many of the poor made a living as servants and labourers. Prostitution flourished in many medieval towns. Some women turned to the religious life. Drawing on examples from across the whole of Europe, this book reveals the sheer variety of women's experience in the later Middle Ages."--Jacket.