This book chronicles the lives of decendants of Jack Builder from Pillars of the Earth during the 1300s in England. Events such as the plague and the war between the English and the French provide plot lines. The main characters are Merthin and Caris, and the story of their lives is told from the time that they are about 10 or 11 until they reach middle age. The town in which they live, Knightsbridge, is under the control of the priory for better or worse, and Caris and Merthin attempt to be free thinkers in conflict with the religious teachings of the time.

Ken Follett fans and aficionados of historical fiction will enjoy this book. Those who have read Pillars of the Earth will enjoy the sense of continuity from that book to this.

I liked the historical fiction backdrop of the story and I liked how Caris tried to live within her ideals and principles despite all of the religious and societal beliefs of the time.

The story was a little long-winded at some places, but the author, I think, was allowing the reader to experience the same frustration that the main characters felt--in real time.

When I finished reading this book I wanted to get the book on CD and listen to the characterizations of the major players while driving to and from work.

This book made me feel that I was transported to the time of the 1300s in England--it definitely was a flight of fancy and a guilty pleasure to spend time reading it.

The author of this book is one of my favorite authors because of the seeming accuracy of the historical backdrop.

This book is good for voracious readers who need a good storyline and a sufficient number of pages in order to be entertained for more than a day or two.

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Created Apr 29, 2008 at 11:11pm • Submit your own review...