Dear Ken Follett,

As a historian, I can recognize several generally accepted academic "themes" in your novel. By this I mean issues that most medievalists accept as being matters of concern to citizens of the Middle Ages (i.e. the role of the church, feudalism, courtly love.) My question is this: Did you consciously develop each of your characters as representation of these themes? Are Aliena and Richard representations of the decline of feudalism, and is William a representation of the rise of the lower nobility/middle class in importance? Does Prior Philip personify the struggle within the church to define their collective role within society? Can Jack be seen as embodying the upcoming importance of the artisans and skilled labor within society? Or have I completely overintellectualized the whole process?

Regardless, if I am allowed to gush, I would only like to add that this book has been my all-time favorite since I first read it as a young adult. It is the one book that I always recommend when asked, and the one book I always give as gifts. I read it three or four times a year and enjoy it just as much each time. A brilliant work, and having it chosen as Oprah's book pick has been a true pleasure as it has allowed me to connect with other like-minded souls. Thank you for such a gift.

— Shelia J.

Dear Shelia,

This is a perceptive question, and I'm flattered that you have read the book so often and so carefully. The answer is that when I begin a story like this, I do think of the principal characters as representing historical changes such as the decline of the feudal system or reform of the monasteries—but then, as I develop the novel, the people become more complex and contradictory, and in the end I just think of them as individuals.

— Ken Follett