The Book of Margery Kempe is an important record for documenting the spiritual and domestic lives of women in the Middle Ages. Throughout the book, Kempe is struggling to come to terms with her spiritual revelations and her duties as a wife and mother. Over the course of several years, Kempe attempts to give up her conventional life for service to God. For this, she needs permission from her husband to remain celibate and devote herself to God’s will. Kempe tells her story in an emotional and intimate way: not being celibate causes her great pain and anguish, and her religious contemplations cause regular outbursts of crying. Some readers may find her behavior overly emotional and dramatic. Her journey of spiritual enlightenment could even