Uneven Collection, Still Useful
This volume was assigned to me as part of a graduate course on medieval women. It's a collection of essays, many of which appeared in the same form elsewhere, and unfortunately that shows in the uneven quality.
Women and Work is showing its age a bit, but it is still a useful introduction to the topic. Hanawalt grouped the papers thematically, and provided introductions to each section, which is a plus. One interesting aspect of the book is that many if not most of the contributors are now top scholars in their fields.
The only other drawback is that each of the papers is confined to a small, specific geographical area. Those looking for a broad overview of the topics covered will have to seek that elsewhere.
