Historical Fiction · EpicA boatbuilder, a noblewoman and a bishop on the eve of the year 1000
The Evening and the Morning
by Ken Follett
How the town of Kingsbridge began, in an England under Viking threat
England, 997. After a Viking raid destroys his home, a young boatbuilder moves his family to a small village on a river. A Norman noblewoman arrives to marry a powerful local lord, and a monk and a scheming bishop pull the region in opposite directions. This prequel shows how Kingsbridge, its bridge and its first church came to be.
More about this book
Who
Edgar, a young boatbuilder who loses his home in a Viking attack; Ragna, a Norman noblewoman who comes to England to marry the Ealdorman of Shiring; and Aldred, a monk who advises her. Bishop Wynstan, King Ethelred and an enslaved Welsh girl named Blod are also at the centre of the story.
World
England between 997 and 1007, in the last years of the Dark Ages. Raiders from the sea threaten the coast, and the village of Dreng's Ferry, which will later be called Kingsbridge, sits at a river crossing.
What makes it different
It is a prequel. The book can be read first or last in the series, and it explains where the town's name, its bridge and its cathedral come from. Follett took the title from a Bible verse, Genesis 1:5, as he did for his other Kingsbridge novels.
Feel
A long, steady historical novel with a wide cast. It is built around rivalry and survival rather than a single quest.
Page count and cover shown for: Selected edition
Behind the book
Follett chose a verse from Genesis (1:5) as the title, and says he has used biblical quotations for all his Kingsbridge novels because they feel more epic.
Source: Wikipedia
Further reading
- The Evening and the MorningWikipedia
- Ken Follett's Kingsbridge books in orderPan Macmillan