Hidden Truths

by Ronald Jones

In 11th century Provence, Montmajour, a small abbey, comes into possession of a purported piece of the True Cross of Jesus, bringing wealth, fame and the enmity of Church officials and the Count of Provence.After an accidental killing, Ethan, a local peasant boy, is forced to join Montmajour, where he is soon joined by Arnaud, the illegitimate son of the Archbishop, as the two men struggle to live within the strict Benedictine rules.Ethan's life is further upended when his true love, Janine, becomes a nun at a nearby convent. The pent-up sexual desires both face conflict with their vows of celibacy and lead to unintended consequences.Ethan's sister, Elsbeth, a feisty, young woman, catches the eye of Lord Robert of Baux, but ends up marrying the son of the local blacksmith. When her husband is killed in battle, Lord Robert defies societal norms by sweeping in to rescue Elsbeth from a vindictive quarryman.Elsbeth displays great depth of character in dealing with the loss of a child to the plague and a mother-in-law determined to keep her from ascending to the nobility.Ethan and Elsbeth's brother, Zeke, a skilled archer, follows a different path by repeatedly poaching in the forest of Count William. Zeke relishes the cat-and-mouse game of eluding the Count's men until the day he is caught.Having a piece of the True Cross makes Montmajour a renowned pilgrimage site. But, is the relic real? Ethan embarks on a search to discover the truth about the relic's provenance. Can the answers he finds buried deep in ancient texts and scrolls be true? While unraveling the mystery, Ethan stumbles upon even more shocking discoveries.Set amidst war, disease, greed and sexual passion, Hidden Truths is based on a true story and offers rare insights into life at the dawning of the Middle Ages.

566 pages, Paperback

Published July 9, 2018