LAST HOURS

A sweeping 14th century saga. It is June 1348 and the Black Death enters England through the port of Melcombe in the county of Dorsetshire. Unprepared for the virulence of the disease, and the speed with which it spreads, people start to die in their thousands. In the estate of Develish, Lady Anne takes control of her people's future, including the lives of 200 bonded serfs. Strong, compassionate and resourceful, she chooses a bastard slave named Thaddeus Thurkell to act as her steward. Together they decide to quarantine Develish by bringing the serfs inside the walls. With this sudden overturning of the accepted social order, where serfs exist only to serve their lords, conflicts soon arise. Ignorant of what is happening in the world outside, they wrestle with themselves, with God, and with the terrible uncertainty of their futures. Lady Anne's people fear starvation but they fear the pestilence more. Who amongst them has the courage to leave the security of the walls? How safe is anyone when a dreadful event threatens the uneasy status quo? An enthralling read, 545 magnificent pages in softback. Map.