The Land Beyond the Sea by Sharon Penman

The Land Beyond the Sea is a very accomplished historical novel set in and around Jerusalem in the 1100's.  I enjoyed it because I didn't know much about that period.

A large part of the story concerns King Baldwin – a young king who became a leper.

One thing that kept occurring to me is how many centuries the land around Jerusalem has been occupied by Christians, Muslims and, of course, Jews.  It did give me fresh perspective on the difficulties of the Middle East.

A warning though – this book is a veritable tome – over 600 largish pages with smallish font.  It was a mission to finish.

Sharon Penman has written a lot of historical fiction.  Her first The Sunne in Splendour was published in 1982.  The Land Beyond the Sea came out in 2019.