The Broken Road
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Celebrating the 800th centenary of the Children's Crusade, The Broken Road imagines the story of a group of young people to Jerusalem to regain the city from the Saracens for the Christianity, which took place in the 13th century.
Rufus, a young apprentice goldsmith in Cologne, becomes infatuated with Nick, a charismatic boy preacher, and leaves his family to follow him to Jerusalem. Nick is driven by a passion for God, and quickly gathers a group of unquestioning followers, who are convinced he performs miracles - but tragedy lies ahead.
Exploring the power of religion and individual responsibility as well as the day-to-day hardships of medieval life, this is a moving story that focuses on spirituality rather than religious difference.