The Ruby in her Navel by Barry Unsworth

The Ruby in her Navel

Barry Unsworth

Twelfth century Sicily. A multi-cultural, multi-ethnic society, riven by tensions and threatened by invasion at the time of the Crusades. Ruled over by the benign King Roger, or is he benign? A tale of high politics, duplicity and betrayal brought about by love. And also the possibility of redemption through love.

A fable for the war against terror.

Extract
I turned to find a man regarding me whom after a moment I recognized: it was the groom who had ridden before Alicia in that street in Bari, where we had met. He was not in livery now, but in a long surcoat of undyed linen. I had not thought at the time that he had the air or the glance of a servant, and I did not think so now from the way he was regarding me.
Parallels
  • The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
  • Shadow of the Pomegranate Tree by Tariq Ali
  • A Good Man in Africa by William Boyd