I adored this sweeping historical novel when I first read it (in high school!) This epic tale set in Medieval England revolves around a monk’s quest to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known and the mason who becomes his architect. I had no idea how fascinating religious architecture and masonry could be. Content warnings apply.

Follett writes sweeping historical novels; this epic trilogy revolves around the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and women's suffrage.

From the publisher: "His code name was 'The Needle.' He was a German aristocrat of extraordinary intelligence—a master spy with a legacy of violence in his blood, and the object of the most desperate manhunt in history. But his fate lay in the hands of a young and vulnerable English woman, whose loyalty, if swayed, would assure his freedom—and win the war for the Nazis..."