When a friend sends a book...

So, I found lots of reading buddies in my coworkers at Bentley Systems. David is going to GIFT me a signed Ann Patchett that his wife found at a thrift store, Gilda carted me all over Chester County, Pennsylvania to visit book stores, and Jim told me that I HAD to read a particular book that he loves.

Great, right?

Well, Jim sent me the book, "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. Amazon delivered yesterday. I thought I was going to have to get my wheelbarrow to get it in the house.

I even took pics!

I love a nice, thick read, but this one is really stout! As a matter of fact, it was not made into a television movie. It was not made into a theatrical release. It was made into a miniseries! That's commitment!

Here is the summary:

Everything readers expect from Follett is here: intrigue, fast-paced action, and passionate romance. But what makes The Pillars of the Earth extraordinary is the time—the twelfth century; the place—feudal England; and the subject—the building of a glorious cathedral. Follett has re-created the crude, flamboyant England of the Middle Ages in every detail. The vast forests, the walled towns, the castles, and the monasteries become a familiar landscape. Against this richly imagined and intricately interwoven backdrop, filled with the ravages of war and the rhythms of daily life, the master storyteller draws the reader irresistibly into the intertwined lives of his characters—into their dreams, their labors, and their loves: Tom, the master builder; Aliena, the ravishingly beautiful noblewoman; Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge; Jack, the artist in stone; and Ellen, the woman of the forest who casts a terrifying curse. From humble stonemason to imperious monarch, each character is brought vividly to life.

The building of the cathedral, with the almost eerie artistry of the unschooled stonemasons, is the center of the drama. Around the site of the construction, Follett weaves a story of betrayal, revenge, and love, which begins with the public hanging of an innocent man and ends with the humiliation of a king.

At once a sensuous and endearing love story and an epic that shines with the fierce spirit of a passionate age, The Pillars of the Earth is without a doubt Ken Follett's masterpiece.

Thanks, Jim! This is the next one on my list!