The Evening and the Morning

2020 | Historical Fiction | 832 pages

Thirty years ago we were introduced to Kingsbridge in The Pillars of the Earth, and now in this masterful prequel international bestseller Ken Follett will take us on a journey into a rich past, which will end where his masterpiece begins.

A Time of Conflict

It is 997 CE, the end of the Dark Ages, and England faces attacks from the Welsh in the west and the Vikings in the east. Life is hard, and those with power wield it harshly, bending justice according to their will – often in conflict with the king. With his grip on the country fragile and with no clear rule of law, chaos and bloodshed reign.

Three Lives Intertwined

Into this uncertain world three people come to the fore: a young boatbuilder, who dreams of a better future when a devastating Viking raid shatters the life that he and the woman he loves hoped for; a Norman noblewoman, who follows her beloved husband across the sea to a new land only to find her life there shockingly different; and a capable monk at Shiring Abbey, who dreams of transforming his humble abbey into a centre of learning admired throughout Europe.

The Dawn of A New Age

Now, with England at the dawn of the Middle Ages, these three people will each come into dangerous conflict with a ruthless bishop, who will do anything to increase his wealth and power, in an epic tale of ambition and rivalry, death and birth, and love and hate.

First chapter

Reviews

“Taken both individually and together, the Kingsbridge books are as comprehensive an account of the building of a civilization — with its laws, structures, customs and beliefs — as you are likely to encounter anywhere in popular fiction…” – The Washington Post

“Where Follett excels is in telling a yarn . . .you won’t be able to put it down” – Independent

“Follett’s storytelling skills make their adventures riveting” – The Times

“Follett is a master.” – The Washington Post

“Murder, sex and unholy ambition…[A] richly told, complex story…Follett is a powerful storyteller…[whose] fans will enjoy this jaunt through the days before England was merry.”
— Kirkus, Starred Review