Dr. Hutton has produced a tremendous scholarly work that accomplishes something so many other scholarly works fail to do - it is written in a manner which can be read and enjoyed by the average reader who does not necessarily possess a graduate degree. Hutton displays a passion in her writing that is contagious and effectively maintains the reader's interest. Readers who are not well versed in medieval European history will likely find themselves researching certain historical aspects related to the text, but the time spent is well worth it and readers at all levels will find themselves walking away having learned some interesting facts and arguments relating to women's roles and dichotomous economic constructions during the late medieval period in Ghent. This text will undoubtedly require many readers to rethink previous tenets relating to the role of women and the levels of patriarchal relationships for earlier time periods such as the topic of this text. While the book is somewhat pricy, it is tastefully bound and will make a great addition to both personal and academic libraries. It is a must read for anyone studying European or Women's history at the graduate level. Hutton gets an A+ for this labor of love, it is a real gem.