Familia

A revelatory new history of family life in the Middle Ages

What can medieval families teach us about how we live today? Far more than we might imagine. In Familia, historian Catherine Rider shares an illuminating story of blended families, women defying their expected roles, lifelong singles and platonic couples adapting to a time of great change. Far from being fixed and traditional, the medieval family was resilient, complex, diverse and surprisingly familiar.

From the peasant de Melley family of rural England to the aristocratic Strozzi family of Florence, we venture into the private lives of our medieval ancestors to learn how they navigated marriage, parenthood, work and loss. Along the way, Rider reveals how the Church, population change and economic upheaval shaped how medieval families were made, secured and prospered. Through vivid stories and fresh new discoveries, Familia offers a thrilling new understanding of the medieval foundations of modern life.