Forbidden Families

Bettany Hughes tells the stories of remarkable women denied their families by the march of history. In 842 AD, Dhuoda's two sons were kidnapped. This terrible loss spurred her to write a manual for her stolen boys, advising them on the skills they need to become men. We eavesdrop on a woman, bereft but unbroken, as she becomes a mother on paper, as she can no longer be one in the flesh.