One of the chief attractions of reading (and
writing!) historical fiction is that it is set in a world far different than
the world we live in today. That different-ness, however, also poses one of the
greatest challenges for historical novelists. We must understand the unique
situation faced by the citizens of an older era, and then convey it to our
readers in such a way that they can relate to our characters.
The fourteenth century provides the setting
for my book I Serve: A Novel of the Black Prince. It was a grim time—one
of the greatest disasters imaginable overtook the Western world, with nearly
half the European population perishing in the Black Plague. It was a bloody
time—France and England became locked in the interminable struggle known as the
Hundred Years’ War, with the Scots, the Spaniards, and the Germans
participating intermittently.
But despite these harsh realities, the
fourteenth century was also a seminal time—an era of change, courage, and
determination. Strong men and women saw the world they had been given, took it
in their hands, and molded it into something new. In religion, literature,
societal structure, and warfare, mankind made monumental strides, preparing the
way for the more earth-shattering changes that the Renaissance and Reformation
would bring.
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