We have fallen into the belief that women were absent from great events, and ineffectual in normal times.

Through a radical reframing of the conventional eras of our history, Normal Women will tell the story of our nation - not with the rise and fall of Kings and the occasional Queen - but through social and cultural transition, showing the agency, persistence and effectiveness of women in society.

Through the stories of the soldiers, guild widows, highwaywomen, pirates, miners and ship owners, international traders, theatre runners and 'female husbands' Normal Women will redefine 'normal' female behaviour to include heroism, rebellion, crime, treason, money-making, jousting and sainthood. And much rioting.

Philippa Gregory has been working on this book for over ten years. It is the work of a lifetime from one of our greatest historical storytellers.