I loved this book;one of the reasons I enjoy reading historical fiction is because of the opportunity to sink into a time period and know that the events and characters are drawn from what really occurred. Penman does this exceeding well and I could not put this book down until I had read it to the very last page. The primary characters of Joanna and Llewelyn have so much depth - I could not help but fall in love with their relationship and root for a happy ending. You can certainly tell that Penman did her research - which must of been slow-going and time consuming - to bring this story to life. Her notes at the end of the book were just as fascinating as the story itself. This will be a book that I will definitely be reading again.