England, twenties of the sixteenth century. The country is on the brink of disaster: if Henry VIII dies without leaving an heir, civil war is inevitable. Thomas Cromwell, the son of a rowdy blacksmith, a political genius whose tools are bribery, threats and flattery, appears on the stage. His goal is to transform England in accordance with his will and the desires of the king, whom he faithfully serves. In her inimitable style, Hilary Mantel shows a society at the turning point of history, a society in which everyone moves towards their destiny with courage and passion.