The Circle of Days

Once again Ken Follett tackles a family saga set in ancient times. This time it is the rebuilding of part of Stonehenge [the Monument] in 2500 BCE. Several communities live close to each other in the valley, plains and nearby woods. A group of priestesses operates at the monument, conducting services which allow for the understanding of the seasons and time in general. Few people can count but the priestesses have devised a system for recording the weeks, months and seasons as the sun rises and set throughout the year. The biggest festival is midsummer.

The monument where the services are held is partly stone with an inner circle made of wood. When some of the locals wreck the wooden structure, it is suggested that the large stones from the quarry should be transported to the monument to replace the wooden structure. It is many years before this plan can be eventually undertaken, especially as some of the male members of local communities do not like the priestesses taking a key role in the endeavour.

The Circle of Stones by Ken Follett Provides an insight into what life may have been like living in the farming, herder, wood-lander and mining communities of the time. Life is made more difficult during years of drought and other natural disasters. For some of the leaders force is the only way to gain ascendancy over other groups and this can lead to tragic results. Meanwhile Joia and her followers are determined to complete their mission.

Armour of Light

Ken Follett is a great storyteller. The Armour of Light tells the story of families living in Kingsbridge, England, covering the period  1792-1824. Two major events - The Industrial Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars - greatly affect the lives of those living and trying to make a living in the town.

The first part of the book explores how a group of people depends on the textile industry for their livelihood, first as spinners or weavers working in their own homes and then as workers in factories which grow larger and use larger equipment employing fewer people. The novel also explores the relationship between employers and employees and the move to create trade unions as the workers attempt to ensure that they have a say in their working conditions.

The second part of the novel tells of the impact of the Napoleonic wars on the families of Kingsbridge and describes the experiences of some of the Kingsbridge residents involved in the battles at this time.

But the novel is primarily about individual people and how they struggle to survive under conditions where their control over their lives is limited by those who believe that they are the people of power in the community. The rise of Methodism is another theme of the book.

The Kingsbridge series consists of five books - The Evening and the Morning (beginning 997); The Pillars of the Earth (beginning in 1135); World Without End (beginning in 1327); A Column of Fire (beginning in 1558) and now The Armour of Light (beginning in 1792).

Code to Zero

This book was given to my husband some years ago so when I recently discovered it on the bookshelf I decided to read it. I had read Pillars of the Earth but had not read any of Ken Follett's crime / suspense novels.

Code to Zero is set in January 1958 when the first American satellite, Explorer I, was launched. The day of the proposed launch one of the scientists who has worked on the project is found semi-conscious in a toilet block in Washington. Luke has lost his memory and is dressed as a beggar with no money. He sets out to discover who he is and gradually realises that something important is to happen and that he should be there. He also soon realises that he is being followed and that someone is trying to kill him.

The suspense is maintained as the countdown for the launch is recorded in the chapter headings. There are also flashbacks to 1941 when we learn of the relationship between Luke, Anthony, Elspeth, Billie and Bern when students and later during the War. This is also a story of the Cold War in the 1950s and the rivalry between the USA and Russia. As Luke gradually recovers his memory he also has to establish who he can trust as he races against time to ensure that the launch of the satellite is a success.

The Pillars of the Earth

Medieval Europe saw the building of many of the cathedrals that continue as religious and architectural wonders in the twenty-first century.  In the novel, The Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett describes the building of a cathedral in the town of Kingsbridge in Twelfth Century England. 

The background for the story is the time of the Anarchy - 1135-1153 - when Matilda (in this account, Maud) and her cousin, Stephen, each maintain their right to the throne after the death of Matilda's father, Henry I. This results in a number of small battles throughout the country with the leadership of the country alternating between the two protagonists, as well as a major siege at Lincoln. Consequently this was a time of unrest throughout the country. Local leaders swapped allegiances as it suited them, the struggle between the church leaders and the ruling class continued to have a major impact on the governance of the country and the villagers and farm workers suffered as there was a focus on battle and shoring up a power base rather than managing crops and the welfare of local people.

The book is a work of fiction however it does portray a vivid account of what life may have been like living in Medieval England. Among the description about the building of cathedral is intertwined the dramas faced by those working on the project. The Pillars of the Earth is the saga of a families who attempt to survive during these turbulent times as well as the story of a prior who strives, against all odds, to ensure that the cathedral will be built. At 1088 pages this is a long novel but one well reading.