The Handless Maiden

Mary Elizabeth Perry is the author of two prize winning books, Gender and Disorder in Early Modern Seville (Princeton) and Crime and Society in Early Modern Seville. She is Research Associate at the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Adjunct Professor of History at Occidental College.

"This is a rare, sympathetic look into the lives of the Moriscos--those Muslims and their descendants who remained in Spain after the completion of the Spanish Christian reconquest in 1492 and who were then forcibly baptized. . . . Perry is the first author to devote a book to Morisco women, and she succeeds by letting them speak for themselves."---Robert W. Lebling, Saudi Aramco World --- "A book of compelling interest. . . . [T]his book is an insightful and worthwhile exploration of the intersection of religion and politics in early modern Spain."---Mary Coleman, Reviews in Religion and Theology --- "Mary Elizabeth Perry's work has considerably enriched our understanding of how gender possibly can inform our evaluation of Morisco identities."---Debra Blumenthal, Renaissance Quarterly --- "The Handless Maiden turns the tables on the traditional history of the encounter between Christians and Moslems in southern Spain."---Helen Rawlings, English Historical Review --- "Clearly written and offering heretofore unexamined evidence, [The Handless Maiden] should elicit interest in a fascinating people and culture, too little known outside of Hispanism."---Barbara Weissberger, Medieval Encounters --- "The Handless Maiden is a fascinating and well-written book that offers a new perspective on the Moriscos of Spain and their struggle to find a place in a society that, at least among the upper echelons, was not in favor of what we would nowadays call multiculturalism."---Trevor J. Dadson, Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations --- "Spain's experiment in compulsory spirituality is analyzed by Perry with grace, precision, and cultural sensitivity. Her study stands out above all for its clear and concise exposition of the political pressures that the Morisco population faced with regard to the perpetuation of its medieval Andalusian heritage. . . . [The Handless Maiden] reveals a rich world of private experiences that has until now escaped the attention of traditional political historians."---Maureen Flynn, American Historical Review