Immaculate Forms - Helen King

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''Illuminating, thoughtful and scholarly'' FINANCIAL TIMES''Does a fascinating job of exploring the history of women''s bodies'' GREG JENNER''Mind-blowing, fascinating stuff'' BBC WOMAN''S HOUR''Delightful, timely and critical'' CAT BOHANNON, author of EVE''Weaves historical knowledge of medicine, anatomy, literature, art and religion into a narrative that surprises, informs, excites and frequently amuses'' ADRIAN THATCHER, author of VILE BODIESThroughout history, religious scholars, medical men and - occasionally - women themselves, have moulded thought on what ''makes'' a woman. She has been called the weaker sex, the fairer sex, the purer sex, among many other monikers. Often, she has been defined simply as ''Not A Man''. Today, we are more aware than ever of the complex relationship between our bodies and our identities. But contrary to what some may believe, what makes a woman is a question that has always been open-ended. Immaculate Forms examines all the ways in which medicine and religion have played a gatekeeping role over women''s organs. It explores how the womb was seen as both the most miraculous organ in the body and as a sewer; uncovers breasts'' legacies as maternal or sexual organs - or both; probes the mystery of the disappearing hymen, and asks, did the clitoris need to be discovered at all?