A sweeping historical saga of war, faith, and redemption in the Roman Empire. When her village in Albion is sacked by the Roman general Vespasian, young Aislin seeks revenge in Rome. A "barbarian" in a "civilized" world, Aislin struggles to comprehend Roman ways. From a precarious existence, she becomes the mistress of a senator, but their child Faolan is born with a disability. Imprisoned, Aislin learns of an alternate philosophy from her cellmate, St. Paul. As Rome burns, he bequeaths to her a mission to Jerusalem. There, Yohanan strives to preserve tradition against the Zealots. Responding to the revolt, the Romans destroy the Second Temple. Yohanan takes on the mission of preserving what can be preserved, and of reinventing what must be reinvented.