Immerse yourself in the medieval mind at a time when religion coloured every aspect of life. This tale of three men crossing Europe to bring the Pope a gift from Roger Bacon will shift your perspective on faith even if you are a believer.
Extract
We kissed the floor, we climbed the stairs on our hands and knees. A registrar sat with a book of miracles beside the shrine. Two Cathedral monks stood watch over the pile of jewels left by previous penitents. We had nothing to offer except our devotion and humility. Master Roger warns that men devoting themselves to holiness must try to avoid the short direct rays emanating from delectable things such as women and food and riches. Prostrate at the martyr's shrine, I thought I detected an avaricious shine in Brother Bernard's eyes, a hungry vacuity mirroring the glistening of the jewels.
Parallels
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
