Historically speaking, this is the hardest book I’ve ever undertaken. While there is much research available on the politics of the crusades and the battles fought, there is very little available about day-to-day life in the Holy Land at that time. Everyday issues are often ignored by history because they are taken for granted by the chroniclers. I was able to find little snippets here and there that helped me to picture the clothing, architecture, food, etc. . . . I learned that the crusaders in those areas tended to fuse the native and European cultures. However, the best fact I found was the simple explanation that life in that part of the world changed little from around 1000 AD until today.
Suddenly things became much easier for me because my husband is from Lebanon—which was called Tripoli and was the northern part of the Kingdom of Jerusalem at the time of the crusades—and I have made several extended trips to that part of the world. My familiarity with Middle Eastern customs and religions is a large part of why I chose to write this story in the first place. I have even been caught in Lebanon during fighting between the Muslim group, Hezbollah, and the Israeli forces. So I understand the challenges they face in that part of the world.
Now you might be wondering why I included women and children on crusades. Of course at this time battle was primarily for men. It was the men’s responsibility to protect women, not the other way around. And yet, perhaps because of the religious fervor surrounding the crusades and the pilgrimage nature of them, there is ample record of women and children going along as well. Sometimes even whole families.
Generally women supplied water and provisions and tended the wounded. But it was also considered proper for them to man launching weapons and shoot bows and arrows from a distance. According to Moslem legends of the crusades, there might have been some women disguised as knights fighting on the front lines, although European records do not concur on this issue. Certainly in times of desperation, women throughout history have done what they must and fought for their lives.
“The Children’s Crusade” had two waves in the early 1200s. Thousands of children followed visionary young teens and set off on crusade, but there is no record of any reaching the Holy Land. Many died along the way, others turned back, and it seems some might have been lost at sea. I wanted to complete that legend, while still presenting the vast complexities of the crusades.
Bohemond and his family are pretty hazy characters, at least in the available English language research. For that reason I took more liberties with them than I generally do with actual historical figures. I also decided to use the real-life locations of Tripoli and Beirut, since I felt like that part of the world would be very foreign to most readers already. However, the smaller villages and prisons were my own inventions.
Can you imagine my delight when I realized that St. Francis of Assisi was in fact traveling the Mediterranean at the same time as my crusaders? I had to let them cross paths so that the inspirational man could make a cameo. And in case I have any readers who are knowledgeable about Catholic theology, I need to explain that while at this time in history abortion was considered a sin, it did not carry the punishment of excommunication as it did in later times.
As in my other books, I used a slightly archaic, slightly British version of English for ease of reading, rather than attempting to imitate Middle English. And I utilized the King James Version of the Bible, since it is the oldest standard English version available.
Now to the toughest issue: Should the crusades have been fought at all? In the beginning, the Christian countries of Europe were trying to turn the tide of hundreds of years of Muslim invasion and oppression. They wanted to kick the Muslims out of Europe and take back land lost by their Christian brothers and sisters in the Byzantine part of the world. I would contend that those reasons were as solid and justifiable as those fueling any war in history. But war is messy.
From the start motives were mixed. Some wanted power and money, while others had altruistic motives. Sometimes crusaders from different European countries cooperated; sometimes they undermined each other and broke treaties that other groups had made. Some crusades were led by strong, chivalrous leaders, and others turned into riotous mobs. And almost always the new crusaders from Europe failed to understand their enemy and the complex social structure of the Middle East.
Muslims are people just like us. There are many types, both religiously and ethnically, and I am blessed to call many Muslims my friends. While there is, in fact, much violent and negative teaching in the Muslim holy book, the average Muslim person just wants to live a peaceful and prosperous life. They want to be surrounded by friends and family and bring some good to the world. On the other hand, perhaps even more so today than during the crusades, there is a deep religiously based hatred instilled in children throughout the Middle East toward the Christians and especially the Jews. That sad reality cannot be ignored.
But there is one more interesting factor to keep in mind. Much like Rabia in the story, Muslims have been coming to Christ in surprising numbers during recent years. Some through dreams and visions, and many others through the new openness brought to that part of the world by satellite television and Internet.
I hope that in taking this historical trip, you were spurred to think about these same conflicts that are still troubling our world today. And you have seen that, all politics and strategy aside, true freedom can only be found within.