The long fall

By Penelope Wilcock

Subjects: England, fiction, Monks, Monastic and religious life, Fiction, historical, Fiction, History

Description: Peregrine, the strong and dearly loved leader of the community of St Alcuin's monastery, suffers a stroke. Badly incapacitated, he begins an arduous recovery with the help of his brothers in the infirmary. Brother Tom, the young monk closest to him, is horrified by the suffering Peregrine's illness has inflicted. He keeps his distance, out of his depth. How will he find enough courage to make this demanding journey of vulnerability with his friend? How can they communicate now Peregrine can no longer speak? How will Tom respond to the terrible, secret promise his abbot asks him to make?