Jerome and His Women

"Jerome & His Women is a meticulously researched and well informed novel that re-creates - in vivid detail - a crucial period in the history of Western Christianity, and the men and women who shaped it. In doing so, it offers incredible insight into the achievements of a much maligned yet very important figure, namely St Jerome, and the women surrounding him who - in taking a stand against the luxurious and often debased social conventions of late antique Rome - were trailblazers in their own right ... Joan O'Hagan shows incredible adeptness in translating some of Jerome's theological sentiments - particularly his praise of virginity as a superior way of life to marriage - into narrative (especially reflected in his Letter 22: To Eustochium).";Mario Baghos, Lecturer in Church History, St Andrew's Greek Orthodox Theological College, Sydney, Literature and Aesthetics: The Journal of the Sydney Society of Literature and Aesthetics (SSLA), 2016;"O'Hagan's fifth and last novel is set in Ancient Rome, at the end of the fourth century AD. It is a time of upheaval for the Roman Empire, with internal rioting and external threats, and pagan beliefs and gods giving way to the spread of Christianity and the worship of a new, monotheistic God ... That's the twin gift of Jerome and His Women: it is an insight into extraordinary times and people, and into a talented researcher and writer.";Robert Fairhead, NSW Writers' Centre, 2016;"O'Hagan concentrates on the Roman women in his life, including his patron, Paula, and as the novel progresses, it proves a canny narrative choice: through his dealings with these women, the full breadth of Jerome's problematic personality - both his prickly, argumentative side and, far more winningly, his inner tenderness and quiet introspection ... The Vulgate of Jerome was one of the most pivotal and important religious documents in the history of Christianity, and O'Hagan gives her readers a fascinating look at the man behind that controversial masterpiece.";Joanna Urquhart, Historical Novel Society, 2016 https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/jerome-his-women/;"(O'Hagan) ... makes this flawed genius more understandable as a human being ... and gives us the wonderful story of St Paula of Rome, patron saint of widows ... That story alone is enough to recommend this book."John Scanlon, National Council of Priests of Australia, The Swag, Spring 2016 http://www.theswag.org.au/2016/09/a-womans-view-of-st-jerome/);"If you have a religious/theological interest and want to see real historical characters who are involved in those matters brought to life, this is your book. If you have limited interest in these topics,then you might prefer something that deals more with politics, intrigue and wars or romance, but I think you might still find the characters and story presented here fascinating and certainly enlightening.";Fred Mench, Professor of Classics, Emeritus Richard Stockton University (NJ), Classical Greek and Latin Discussion Group, 2015 http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.education.classics/63410