The first time I heard of Boudica was from a young student of mine who'd recently moved here from England. When I had to admit that I had no idea what he was talking about, he looked at me in confusion: How could I not know about Boudica? I was confused, too. How, indeed? I'd gone to good schools, I'm fairly well-read. How could I have never heard of this woman who led her Celtic tribe in a furious and bloody revolt against the Romans in Britannia? Of course, I immediately flew to the computer and looked her up. The other day, Boudica (pronounced BOO-di-kah) popped up again, in a good book I'm listening to in the car, but more on that in a minute. In case I'm not the only one who missed the Boudica class (N.B., When I say "bloody," I'm not exaggerating. This particular article is pretty detailed and heavy-duty): http://www.historynet.com/boudica-celtic-war-queen-who-challenged-rome.htm
Now to the book, which is part of a mystery series by Ruth Downie. They are set in Roman Britannia, and one of the things I'm finding particularly enjoyable about them is how real they seem. Maybe the characters ~ the main ones being a Roman doctor named Gaius Petreius Ruso and a local woman named Tilla ~ live in a different place and time, but their thoughts, reactions, and interactions are very human and recognizable. The first book is called Medicus: A Novel of the Roman Empire: http://www.amazon.com/Medicus-A-Novel-Roman-Empire/dp/1596914270
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