Mary Stewart's Thornyhold is a romance. Romances and romantic ideas date, historically, to the Middle Ages where popular stories, told for a courtly audience, spun yarns of noble knights who saved damsels in distress and suffered incredibly for the sake of love. They dealt with a never-never world, and even during the Middle Ages were far removed from a harsh reality. Today, romances no longer tell about knights and supernatural adventures, but the basic elements are still there — the noble rescuer, the young woman in distress, and the "they lived happily ever after" ending. Often looked down upon as escapist literature, they form a very enduring type of writing. The reasons for their popularity, and the elements they embody, could serve as stimulating basis for discussions on the literary merit of the romances, the reasons why they have retained their popularity through the centuries, and...