Adam of the Road brings to life the people and places of thirteenth-century England with remarkable detail. The novel captures the essence of history's continuity, illustrating how it flows seamlessly from one era to the next. As Gray expressed in her Newbery acceptance speech, "...a sense of history helps us to understand the present and plan the future, and that on the worth and dignity of the individual human being our civilization with its conception of freedom is based." The story of medieval England is revealed through the experiences of characters residing in the abbey, the castle, the inn, the farmhouse, the university, and particularly, the open road. The diverse cast includes minstrels, preachers, peddlers, millers, plowmen, merchants, innkeepers, knights, and noblemen.

Following the journey of a young boy, his dog, and his father along the byways and highways, Adam of the Road portrays the residents of medieval England as genuine individuals facing challenges similar to those of people today. They share the same human aspirations for individuality, happiness, and freedom.