Regarding its date of composition, there has been some discrepancy, since other scholars, such as Martí de Barcelona, OFM Cap, date this work towards 1396. Nonetheless, Curt Wittlin considers that the date of composition should be between 1387 and 1392 because of two reasons. First of all, this book deals in an abridged way with some matters that should have been treated in other not written books of Lo Crestià. We can think then that he used this prepared materials for this book. Secondly, in this book there are many references to angels. As professor Wittlin has quite shrewdly pointed out, this fact can only been explained because Eiximenis very probably bore in mind the composition of his next book, the Llibre dels àngels, that dealt with this matter and that was written in 1392.
The book has three hundred ninety-six chapters, which are divided into five parts, after a general introduction. These five parts correspond to the different conditions of women: child, maiden, married, widow and nun.
In its initial chapters, this books aims to be a kind of manual for the instruction of women, similar to the ones that were used during this time. It seems to have influence of other books of this sort, such as the one of the Dominican Vincent de Beauvais' De eruditione filiorum nobilium , that influenced a lot the whole Middle Ages as to the basic guidelines for feminine education.
Not written volumes of Lo Crestià
Nevertheless, the final part, the one dedicated to nuns, which is the longest one, is a short treatise on theology. In this part Eiximenis gathers many of the materials, that were going to be used in the unwritten volumes of Lo Crestià. So this part deals with the theological virtues, the cardinal virtues, and about the ten commandments. Other matters that are scattered through the book, correspond to matters that other unwritten volumes of Lo Crestià should have dealt with. They speak for instance about marriage and penance, religious vows and contemplation or about the final chapters, that deal with eschatological, such as the seven deadly sins and the five senses.
Translations into Spanish
Several translations of this book were made into Spanish, and this Spanish version was even used for the education of the four daughters of the Catholic Monarchs. There was as well an adaptation by an unknown author with some changes, also in Spanish, that was published in 1542, and that is known as Carro de las Donas.
Digital editions
Incunabula
Edition in the Biblioteca Digital Hispánica of the incunabula edition printed by Joan Rosembach.
Old editions
Edition in Somni of the edition of the Carro de las Donas printed by Juan de Villaquigrán in Valladolid in 1542.
