England 1123. No cathedral yet dominates Kingsbridge. But amidst the bloody conflicts between nobility, clergy, and common people, Philip, the young prior of Kingsbridge, has a dream: to build a cathedral for the glory of God and the honor of His name, unlike anything the world has ever seen. Soon, he, the master builder Tom Builder, his stepson Jack, and the clever countess's daughter Aliena find themselves in a life-and-death struggle. They must prevail before the pillars of the earth can reach the heavens.