The novel follows Adam's travels through England from June 1294 until April 1295. The journey begins as Adam and his father leave St. Alban's Abbey, where Adam has been attending school, and set out for Sir Edmund de Lisle's house outside London. Adam's travels take him from London to Winchester, back to London again, and on to Oxford.

The open road leads to abbeys and inns, to fairs and marketplaces, and through fields and forests.

Historically accurate, the novel's finely wrought details appeal to all five sensory perceptions and bring medieval England to life as the reader follows Adam's long, slow journey on foot. St. Giles Fair bustles with confusion and gaiety. A description of a farm includes details about crops, animals, work, and food.

The portrayal of Oxford, from its towers and spires to life at the university, even includes a student discussion of Roger Bacon, a thirteenth-century friar...