The Illuminator by Brenda Rickman Vantrease is set in late 14th century Norman England when villages followed the feudal system and churches had almost as much control as the king, extorting money where they could (one of the reasons Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries). The king owned all the land of England - property was given to nobles and just as quickly taken away if the noble displeased the king.
In the dangerous time when John Wycliffe began translating the bible into English, against the wishes of the church, Lady Kathryn had control of Blackingham Manor. As a widow and mother of twin sons, she had no protection against the church who was constantly requesting money for various indulgences, or the local sheriff who collected taxes for the king. Desperately needing money to support both her estate and the serfs who worked for her, Lady Kathryn gladly accepted Finn as a paying guest, along with his daughter. Finn was an illustrator for the bibles scribed at a monastery. But Finn was also working on papers provided by John Wycliff which was dangerous for both him and those he lived with.
Brenda Rickman Vantrease's research brought to life England during such a difficult time when no one was truly free. Even conversation between the classes would have been difficult with the nobility speaking Norman French and the lower classes Saxon English. This reminded me a little of Anya Seton's books which were also full of detailed descriptions and enticing characters.
