Hello Mr. Cornwell,

I know the rule about not sending ideas for novels, and this is not my intention.

Only wanted to share with you a few thoughts about this female character that looks as strong and brave as your Jeanette of Armorica.

She was Almodis de la Marche, Lived in the XI century, a few centuries before Jeanette, her story looks like pulled from a fantasy book or movie.

She was born as Countess of La Marche, was married first with Hugh of Lusignan, and was mother of the namesake that took a main role in the First Crusade. Her lineage by the line of her son Hugh, includes several Eastern Latin kings: Aimery and Guy of Lusignan, both kings of Cyprus and Jerusalem.

Almodis later married the Count of Toulouse, and finally married whom seems to have been the great love of her life: the ninth Count of Barcelona, Raymond Berenguer, original author of the code that forms the foundation of the Catalan Constitutions, which is one of the pillars of Catalan struggle for independence today. No need to say which side my sympathies lean to in this conflict.

From her marriage with Raymond Berenguer, she is the direct ancestor of the royal Aragonese dynasty of House of Barcelona, which was a main power in the Western and even the Central Mediterranean until the XV century. At its peak, the Crown of Aragon reigned over Northeast of Spain, Balearic Islands, Corsica and Sardinia, Sicily and the South of Italy.

I came across her story while reading Frank Baer’s epic novel “El puente de Alcantara” (original title: “Die Brücke von Alcantara”), unfortunately I couldn’t find any edition on English language I could recommend you.

Either if you bother yourself, or not, into reading this rambling tirade, I thank you anyways for giving me the opportunity of writing it.

Best regards,

Alberto Vildosola