Falsely accused of theft and murder, an orphaned peasant boy in fourteenth-century England flees his village and meets a larger-than-life juggler who holds a dangerous secret.
Branded as traitors by the king's authorities, Crispin and his guardian, Bear, flee to coastal towns in fourteenth-century England, where they perform a musical juggling act and bond as a family after befriending a disfigured girl.
As Crispin tries to fulfill Bear's dream of moving to Iceland, he must leave Troth behind at a convent that needs a healer, but after falling in with thieves posing as musicians, he makes a new friend, Owen, and together they continue the arduous journey.
