Alison,' says her father, 'will be brought up as a boy.' But this unwanted daughter is her own person. A rebellious child, then a feisty woman. challenging all male authority, scorning the church's ideals of virginity and chastity, embracing avidly the forbidden pleasures of sexuality. Many husbands come her way - some by chance, some by choice. So too does love - at its best, at its worst. Born into a turbulent age of never-ending war, relentless bubonic plague, political unrest and fierce heresy-hunting, Alison is very much a 14th century woman. And yet... her resilience and survival are timeless Her life is haunted by conflict between robust carnality and a yearning for the serenity of spirituality that she never finds. The years bring bleak inner journeys darkened by sorrow and loss and buried secrets. And yet, and yet... come what may, Alison's abounding joy is a light that never dims for long.