The Evening and the Morning – Ken Follett (2020)

The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett, published in 2020, is a sweeping historical epic that serves as a prequel to his acclaimed Kingsbridge series, which includes The Pillars of the Earth, World Without End, and A Column of Fire. Set at the end of the Dark Ages, around the year 997 CE, the novel explores a turbulent period in English history marked by Viking invasions, shifting power dynamics, and the foundational events that set the stage for the rise of Kingsbridge. Follett masterfully paints a vivid portrait of medieval life, blending personal struggles with the grand forces of change shaping the world.

Plot Summary

On the eve of the first millennium, in the coastal town of Combe, a young boatbuilder named Edgar is poised to abandon everything for love. A skilled craftsman with an intuitive understanding of timber and tides, Edgar prepares to flee with Sunni, a woman bound to another man by an unhappy marriage. Before dawn breaks, destiny strikes in the form of Viking ships slipping silently through the water. Flames devour homes, swords sever lives, and chaos descends. Sunni is killed as she defends herself from a marauder, and Edgar’s world is turned to ash. Clutching a Viking’s axe and shielding himself under a feed trough beside a trembling dog, Edgar survives while his town is reduced to cinders.

When the fires die down, Edgar reunites with his mother and brothers, discovering their father slain in a futile effort to protect their boatyard. Their livelihood, built plank by plank over decades, is gone. In the wake of ruin, Bishop Wynstan – a shrewd and unscrupulous man cloaked in clerical power – offers the family a chance to begin anew in Dreng’s Ferry, a dismal hamlet by the river. With no other path left, Edgar’s family accepts. The village is ruled by Dreng, a brutal landlord whose greed and cruelty keep the peasants cowed. The land is poor, the people poorer, and the future uncertain. But Edgar’s vision of what could be begins to take root beneath the cracked soil.

At the same time, across the sea in Normandy, a noblewoman named Ragna, daughter of Count Hubert of Cherbourg, dreams of independence. Intelligent, courageous, and disinclined to accept the stifling roles imposed on her, she falls for Wilwulf, an English ealdorman visiting from Shiring. Against her family’s wishes, she marries him and sails to England. What awaits her is not the freedom she imagined but the smothering constraints of a world ruled by Wynstan and his ilk. Wilwulf is often absent, and Ragna must hold her own against Wynstan and his brother Wigelm, whose thirst for power knows no limits.

In Dreng’s Ferry, Edgar begins to transform his new home. He repairs the ferry crossing, organizes defenses against Viking raiders, and builds a small but efficient mill. With every beam raised and field ploughed, he draws the villagers toward a shared purpose. Aldred, a learned and compassionate monk from Shiring, joins him, determined to establish a center of knowledge and faith that might lift the people from darkness. Aldred’s vision of a minster where books are copied and minds enlightened finds an ally in Edgar, and together they form the bones of what will one day become a mighty town.

But such dreams do not rise unchallenged. Bishop Wynstan sees the growing order and prosperity as a threat to his control. His power rests on keeping others dependent, ignorant, and fearful. When Aldred uncovers fraud and abuse in the monastery, Wynstan moves swiftly to undermine him. With a mix of forgery, threats, and legal manipulation, Wynstan blocks Aldred’s ambitions, strips him of his position, and tightens his grip on the Church’s wealth and influence. Ragna too becomes a target. When her husband Wilwulf dies, Wynstan schemes to seize her lands and disinherit her sons. He manipulates the law, forges documents, and uses brute force to diminish her standing.

As Wynstan’s reach grows, so too does resistance. Ragna, clever and unbowed, navigates court politics and alliances with quiet precision. She challenges Wynstan’s authority in court, calling upon charters and legal claims, often frustrating his every move, though not without cost. Edgar, now a leader in all but name, continues to build, turning Dreng’s Ferry from a pit of despair into a thriving settlement. He introduces innovations in construction, teaches others, and earns the admiration of his neighbors. But Wynstan remains ever watchful.

In a brutal twist, Wynstan orders the mutilation of Edgar’s brother Eadbald as a punishment for defying his decrees. The barbarity strengthens the resolve of Edgar’s family. Meanwhile, Aldred, working from the shadows, travels to Rome with a manuscript containing evidence of Wynstan’s crimes. The journey is long and fraught with peril, but the truth reaches the right ears. When King Æthelred learns of the bishop’s corruption, he is forced to act. Wynstan is summoned to account for his misdeeds.

Stripped of his title and power, Wynstan’s fall is as dramatic as his rise. Yet there is no triumphal parade. The cost of justice is high, the scars deep. Ragna regains her lands and secures her children’s future. Aldred returns to his calling, overseeing the minster that will become a beacon of learning. Edgar continues to guide the growing town, his hands shaping wood and community alike.

From ash and pain, a vision is born – of a place where law may prevail over tyranny, where knowledge may stand against ignorance, and where peace may grow, even in uncertain times. The ferry crossing becomes a hub, the riverbanks a town. And thus begins the long ascent from the evening into the morning, from darkness into a fragile but enduring light.

Main Characters

• Edgar – A gifted young boatbuilder whose dreams and future are shattered when Vikings attack his coastal town. Intelligent, resourceful, and guided by a strong moral compass, Edgar’s journey is one of resilience and transformation. As he is forced to rebuild his life, he becomes a central figure in the resistance against oppression and the push toward a better society.

• Ragna – The daughter of a Norman count and later the wife of Wilwulf, the ealdorman of Shiring. Ragna is fiercely intelligent, politically astute, and unafraid to defy societal expectations. Her struggle to assert power in a patriarchal world makes her one of the novel’s most compelling characters, especially as she fights against corruption and cruelty.

• Aldred – A scholarly monk with a deep love for knowledge and justice. Aldred is driven by a vision of a better world through learning and enlightenment. His mission to found a center of scholarship and integrity at the minster reflects the novel’s intellectual and moral aspirations.

• Wynstan – The bishop of Shiring and a central antagonist. Ambitious and ruthless, Wynstan embodies the corruption within the Church and nobility. He is a cunning manipulator whose power schemes drive much of the novel’s conflict.

• Wigelm – Wynstan’s brutish and impulsive brother, whose cruelty and lack of foresight create danger for those around him. He represents the raw, unchecked power of the ruling class.

• Wilwulf – The ealdorman of Shiring and elder brother of Wynstan and Wigelm. Although more moderate, Wilwulf’s ambitions and alliances are often shaped by political necessity rather than moral clarity.

Theme

• Justice and Corruption: One of the central themes is the quest for justice in a world rife with corruption. The novel contrasts characters like Edgar, Ragna, and Aldred, who strive for fairness, against the oppressive tactics of Wynstan and his allies. The tension between ethical governance and self-serving tyranny underscores the broader societal conflicts.

• The Power of Knowledge: Through Aldred’s dedication to literacy and scholarship, Follett emphasizes the transformative potential of education. Knowledge is portrayed as a beacon of hope and a tool for liberation from ignorance and tyranny.

• Resilience and Rebirth: Following the destruction of Combe by Viking raiders, Edgar and his family must start over in a harsh and unfamiliar land. This theme of rebirth through hardship pervades the novel, echoing the broader historical transition from chaos to civilization.

• Women and Agency: Ragna’s struggle to maintain autonomy and authority within a patriarchal structure highlights the limited but crucial roles women played in shaping history. Her intelligence and tenacity serve as a powerful counterbalance to the male-dominated power systems.

• Faith and Hypocrisy: While some characters, like Aldred, embody the virtues of true faith, others use religion as a tool for exploitation. Follett examines the Church not just as a spiritual institution, but as a political entity with its own flaws and agendas.

Writing Style and Tone

Ken Follett’s writing is richly descriptive and meticulously researched, bringing to life the texture and rhythm of medieval life. His style is clear and immersive, allowing the reader to navigate complex historical settings with ease. He balances grand historical narratives with intimate personal stories, ensuring that the characters remain deeply human even as they move through epic events. Follett’s prose is not florid but purposeful, crafted to enhance plot momentum and character development without sacrificing detail.

The tone of the novel is both dramatic and hopeful. Follett does not shy away from portraying the brutality and injustice of the era, yet he instills in the reader a sense of progress and possibility. The optimism of the protagonists – particularly in their pursuit of justice, knowledge, and love – provides a moral compass that guides the narrative through its darkest moments. This balance of harsh realism with visionary hope is a signature element of Follett’s historical fiction.