Tancred of Montacute, the scion of a fabulously wealthy and newly ennobled English dynasty, finds himself profoundly alienated by the materialism, cynicism, and lack of spiritual conviction in modern British society. While his family and peers urge him to enter Parliament and conventional high society, Tancred harbors a singular, unshakeable ambition: to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem in search of divine truth and the great Asian mystery. Despite the baffled opposition of his parents, the well-meaning perplexity of a worldly bishop, and the superficial distractions of fashionable London life—including a lingering entanglement with the romantic yet speculative Lady Bertie and Bellair—Tancred remains resolute in his quest.
Guided by the enigmatic and omniscient financier Sidonia, who recognizes in the young man a rare blend of imagination, intellect, and audacity, Tancred secures introductions to key figures in the East, including the learned Spanish Prior Alonzo Lara in Jerusalem and the powerful banker Adam Besso at Damascus. Abandoning the trivial pursuits of his peers, such as yachting for mere amusement or dabbling in fashionable politics, Tancred breaks free from the hollow conventions of his class. He embarks on his momentous voyage across the seas, determined to discover whether the divine spark still lingers in the cradle of monotheism and to find a true foundation for faith and duty in a skeptical age.
