"Rufus is an apprentice in his father's goldsmith workshop in Cologne. He is one of many who fall under the spell of Nick, a charismatic preacher whose promise to lead a journey to the Holy Land is mesmerising. Mesmerising enough for hundreds to leave family and safety behind and follow him. But despite Nick's charisma, he is flawed, and the crusade that Rufus embarks upon with so many others turns, terribly, into a journey of failed dreams and broken promises"--Back cover.