Weston's book is an academic examination of the roots of the Arthurian Grail legends and seeks to make connections between the early pagan elements and the later Christian influences. The origins of Weston's book are in James George Frazier's seminal work on folklore, magic and religion, The Golden Bough.
In Eliot's notes to The Waste Land, he wrote, "Not only the title, but the plan and a good deal of the incidental symbolism of the poem were suggested by Miss Jessie L. Weston's book."