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To Calais, In Ordinary Time

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( 1,234 ratings, 241 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
To Calais, In Ordinary Time by James Meek is a historical fiction novel set in 1348, against the backdrop of the Black Death. It weaves together the stories of a scribe, a ploughman, and a noblewoman as they journey to Calais. As their paths converge, the narrative explores themes of love, societal change, and the human condition amidst the devastation of the plague.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are fascinated by richly immersive tales set in medieval times. It weaves a compelling narrative around love, class, and societal upheaval on the brink of the Black Death, offering a vivid portrayal of human resilience and emotion during a transformative historical period.

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The new novel about home, belonging, love, courage and identity, set in the fourteenth century, from the Booker-longlisted author of The People's Act of Love.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Inventive and original - The Times

Fans of intelligent historical fiction will be enthralled - Hilary Mantel

Shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction

Longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction

Three journeys. One road.

England, 1348. A gentlewoman flees an odious arranged marriage, a proctor sets out for a monastery in Avignon, and a young ploughman in search of freedom is on his way to volunteer with a company of archers. All come together on the road to Calais. In the other direction comes the Black Death, the plague that will wipe out half of the population of Northern Europe.

To Calais, In Ordinary Time is an exploration of love, death, and power, against the backdrop of catastrophe.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

James Meek's To Calais, In Ordinary Time is praised for its original and imaginative storytelling, capturing the medieval era's distant past with authenticity and warmth. Reviewers highlight Meek's linguistic inventiveness and his ability to create complex, believable characters amidst the backdrop of the Black Death. The novel is noted for its exploration of timeless themes such as love and reality, and its compelling narrative holds echoes of the present while providing a rich, immersive historical experience.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781786896773

Publisher: Canongate Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 July 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Canongate Books

Edition: Main

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 24.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 267g

Pages: 400

About the Author

James Meek is the author of six novels including The People's Act of Love which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and won both the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize and the Scottish Arts Council Award. It has been published in more than thirty countries. Meek has also written two collections of short stories and two books of non-fiction, Private Island, which won the 2015 Orwell Prize, and Dreams of Leaving and Remaining. He is a Contributing Editor to the London Review of Books and writes regularly for the Guardian and New York Times. He lives in London. In 2020, To Calais, In Ordinary Time was shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction and longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction.

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