The year is 1135 and these are dark times for England. Hunger, religious strife and the struggle for the throne are the rule rather than the exception. The sole heir to the English throne has drowned in a shipwreck. With the king dying, a struggle for power erupts... At the same time, a majestic cathedral is being built in the city of Kingsbridge. The Pillars of the Earth follows the men and women involved in its construction over the years. Loves are born, feuds are fought and conspiracies are forged.