Corruption, decadence, racial hatred and the clash of faiths. Welcome to southern France in the 14th century. Nicholas, a young monk from Croyland Abbey in the wild and remote Lincolnshire fens, takes a turbulent ride through the medieval Languedoc. Already struggling to adapt to the more licentious environment outside the monastic cloister, he is forced to undertake a hazardous journey which takes him from the Papal Palace at Avignon to Bziers, Narbonne, Carcassonne and the shrine of Rocamadour. Along the way, he encounters a disturbing and often frightening world of mindless slaughter, the abuse of power and the spreading tentacles of the Inquisition. At the same time, he finds himself challenged and ultimately transformed by his dramatic experiences, and by the memorable characters he meets along the way. The English Pilgrim is a novel about faith, adventure, human suffering and self-discovery.
