As a follow up to my comments of a couple of days ago regarding the patriarchal command of history, it would be remiss of me not to uphold you as the contrarian. As a Woman I enjoy your novels because your Women (not, God forbid, your heroines) are on the spectrum from good to evil. We are beautiful; We are ugly. We are virgins; We are whores We are brave; We are cowards. We are loyal; We are traitors. In fact, Mr. Cornwell, in opposition to the single faceted Female stereotype of most popular literature, you allow your Female characters to present as fully realized persons in their own right – functioning, complex, valuable human beings. You give us Brida –lover and sorceress. Do you understand how empowering that is? You, Mr. Cornwell, give Women value and recognition of a worth rarely seen in popular literature. So, thank you! I am sure we are all sick to the molars of the phrase “feminist”, but as there hasn’t been too much else come along, I will give it to you in the best hopes we will soon have something better to give you instead. What I most want to say is – thank you, Sir, for the respect for Me that you mirror through your fictional Women.
Francine Kent