The White Ship

For all fans of historical fiction and especially readers of Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth Based on a true story, this tale of passion and revenge brings the past vividly to life.  Normandy in 1118 is a hotbed of malcontent barons kept in fragile order by their duke, Henry I, King of England. Fresh from early years in a monastery, Bertold - the bastard son of one of these barons - meets Juliana, a countess and daughter of the King. He falls in love, or lust (he isn't sure), but sees that his chance could come with work in her small court. Soon, though, he finds himself caught up in a ruthless feud between Juliana and her father. Juliana's daughters are offered as hostages for a strategic castle, and even love is not enough to allay a tragedy that will change the course of history.