The Evening and the Morning (Kingsbridge #0)

The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Edgar's Father is killed in a Viking raid the family of boat builders is forced to move inland to Deng's Ferry (eventually renamed King's Bridge) to a small farm. While his brother's become farmers and raise a family together Edgar returns to building things first a new ferry and later a bridge.

The first bridge he builds is burned by Deng, but when the King discovers the burnt bridge he commissions the building of a new bridge and places it under the King's protection. Edgar will eventually build a cathedral for King's Bridge and marry the woman he loves.

Duke Hubert (a Norman nobelman) will allow his daughter Ragna to marry the English Ealdorman Wilf believing he has King Ethelred's permission to wed her. Only after the wedding will Ragna discover that Wilf's first wife isn't dead he merely set her aside, and that Ethelred never gave his permission. After Wilf is injured in battle and mentally incompetent Ragna will take over, until Wilf is killed by his brothers and Ragna is kidnapped and raped until she becomes pregnant. She is then forced to marry Wigelm (Wilf's half-brother) in order to keep her youngest son (conceived when Wigelm raped her). Wigelm eventually tires of her and sets her aside but takes their son away and gives him into the care of his mistress. With nothing left to lose Ragna confides in Aldred that Wynstan (Wilf's eldest half brother and the brains behind Wigelm) is suffering from Whores Leprosy. Aldred is able to use Wynstan's medical condition to prevent him from becoming Archbishop. When a drunken Wigelm tries to rape Ragna again she murders him and disposes of the body in the canal. Everyone chooses to believe his death was an accident and Ragna is able to reclaim her son and marry the man she loves with the King's blessing.

Aldred becomes bishop of King's Bridge.



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