Pillars of the Earth

Pillars of the Earth
Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett. William Morrow. 1989

Reviewed by Mariah Watson


Be warned...this is a long book (almost 1000 pages of small print). Set in medieval twelfth century England, this book weaves the tale of a monk named Philip, who sets out to build a huge cathedral, with Tom, the mason who becomes the architect of the structure. It is a fun, interesting book. I also enjoyed the well-written A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini. It shows the disturbing reality of women's lives in Afghanistan. The story unfolds through the interwoven lives of two women who end up married to the same abusive husband. It's sad, but a good read. I highly recommend reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver--a true, fascinating story about a family who sets out to eat locally and seasonally for a year. This book also includes many interesting facts about growing vegetables, tips for planting, and recipes. Kingsolver's fine writing has literally changed the way I think about food.