In twelfth-century Norman Sicily, King Roger presides over Palermo in
the aftermath of the Second Crusade. For the time being, Latins and
Greeks, Arabs and Jews are living together in uneasy harmony. Within
this milieu, young Thurstan Beauchamp serves faithfully as a civil
servant of the king, his daily environment filled with tiny accountings,
schemes, machinations, and bribes. When he is dispatched to investigate
a conspiracy against the king, he will find his loyalties tested--and,
when he encounters both his childhood sweetheart and a seductive dancer,
his heart torn. An extraordinary tale of ambition, politics, and the
loss of innocence, set against the glittering backdrop of medieval
Europe, The Ruby in Her Navel powerfully traces the clash of
civilizations from its historical origins, with deep resonances for
today.