Pillars of the earth

A gripping story of love, intrigue and determination set against the backdrop of the construction of a Gothic cathedral

A historical fiction epic, its colourful plot centred around the construction of a Gothic cathedral in 12th-century England.
In 12th-century England, a time of civil war, devastating famine and religious strife, a magnificent cathedral rises in Kingsbridge. Against the backdrop of the seismic events following the death of King Henry I, as Queen Maud and King Stephen fight for the English crown for two decades, the fates of various characters intertwine. These include Philip, the Prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk striving to build the greatest Gothic cathedral; Tom the builder, who becomes the prior's architect; the beautiful and mysterious Lady Aliena, haunted her entire life by a hidden disgrace; the fearless Ellen, who lives in the forest and, after the unjust execution of her lover, curses all who bore false witness; the cunning and treacherous Earl William, who commits acts of bloodshed and violence; and Jack the stonemason, for whom building is life's greatest passion. Against the backdrop of the seismic events following the death of King Henry I, which unleashes a three-decade-long battle for the English crown between Queen Maud and King Stephen, the fates of several characters—clergy, craftsmen and nobles, poor and rich, local and foreign—intertwine.
To find themselves and their place in life, some must travel a long way, whether across half of Europe, in the footsteps of their ancestors, or through their own conscience...