The secret chord

1000 BC. The Second Iron Age. The time of King David. Anointed as the chosen one when just a young shepherd boy, David will rise to be king, grasping the throne and establishing his empire.

But his journey is a tumultuous one and the consequences of his choices will resound for generations.

In a life that takes him from obscurity to fame, he is by turns hero and traitor, glamorous young tyrant and beloved king, murderous despot and remorseful, diminished patriarch.

His wives love and fear him, his sons will betray him.

It falls to Natan, the courtier and prophet who both counsels and castigates David, to tell the truth about the path he must take. With stunning originality, Geraldine Brooks offers us a compelling portrait of a morally complex hero from this strange age - part legend, part history.

Full of drama and richly drawn detail, The Secret Chord is a vivid story of faith, family, desire and power that brings David magnificently alive.