This is a rather long, involved story of the building of a cathedral in England during the 1100's. That sounds like it could be boring, but it includes the stories of all the characters surrounding the building and is actually very interesting. Even though the book is really long, it keeps your interest.
The story largely follows Tom Builder and his family members, including his stepson Jack. We also see a lot of a monk, Philip, and follow his progress from prior of a small chapter house to a bishop. Aliena, the resourceful daughter of an earl is also prominent. Along with the entertaining fiction, it is interesting to see the inclusion of historical events, like the civil war between Stephen and Maud before Henry becomes king and the martyrdom of Thomas Beckett. It is also fun to learn about the architecture and building methods of the time.
There are definitely some inappropriate parts of this book that need to be skipped. There are a few descriptive sexual scenes, including a couple cases of rape. There is also some pretty gory violence.
Although this book takes a lot of time, it is worth it. I am looking forward to reading the book it is the prequel to.
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