Century Trilogy - 03 - Edge of Eternity

✍ Scribed by Ken Follett

• Publisher: Macmillan
• Year: 2014
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 763 KB
• Category: Fiction

✦ Synopsis

Five families. Three decades. One extraordinary era.

As the decisions made in the corridors of power bring the world to the brink of oblivion, five families from across the globe are brought together in an unforgettable tale of passion and conflict during the Cold War.

When Rebecca Hoffmann, a teacher in East Germany, finds herself pursued by the secret police, she discovers that she has been living a lie. Her younger brother, Walli, longs to escape across the Berlin Wall to Britain to become part of the burgeoning music scene.

In the United States, George Jakes, a bright young lawyer in the Kennedy administration, is a fierce supporter of the Civil Rights movement - as is the woman he is in love with, Verena, who works for Martin Luther King, Jr. Boarding a Greyhound bus in Washington to protest against segregation, they begin a fateful journey together.

Russian activist, Tania Dvorkin, narrowly evades capture for producing an illegal news sheet. Her actions are made all the more perilous as her brother, Dimka, is a rising star in the heart of the Communist Party in the Kremlin.

From the deep south of America to the vast expanses of Siberia, from the shores of Cuba to the swinging streets of Sixties' London, Ken Follett's Edge of Eternity is a sweeping tale of the fight for individual freedom in a world gripped by the mightiest clash of superpowers anyone has ever known.

Includes family tree

**

From Booklist

Those eagerly awaiting volume three of Folletts ambitious Century Trilogy will not be disappointed. Despite the long waitWinter of the World was published in 2012both the history propelling the multiple plots and the third generation of the interrelated cast of characters are so familiar, readers should have no trouble picking up the threads of the story line left dangling at the end of the previous installment. Spanning the globe and the latter third of twentieth century, this saga continues to follow the lives and loves of the members of five global families, as they struggle against a backdrop of tumultuous international events. As the years roll by, the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Berlin Wall, the assassination of JFK, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the crumbling of communism are intimately viewed through the eyes and emotions of a representative array of witnesses to history. Follett does an outstanding job of interweaving and personalizing complicated narratives set on a multicultural stage. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Follett needs no hard sell. The previous two installments of the ambitious Century Trilogy were best-sellers; expect no less from this superb concluding chapter. --Margaret Flanagan

Review

Praise for *Edge of Eternity** *

Edge of Eternity is as compulsively readable a mighty page-turner as its two predecessors."

*The Seattle Times *

Hugely ambitious, the trilogy serves as a massive history lesson as well as an example of good, old-fashioned storytelling.

The New York Daily News

The historical events are the backdrop but the characters are the focal point. Good storytellers know this and Follett is an excellent one.

The Huffington Post

Mesmerizing....flowing with spicy, expertly paced melodrama, character-rich exploits, familial histrionics, and international intrigue.

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Worth the wait"

Library Journal (starred review)

"A fascinating, sprawling, epic conclusion to Ken Follett's Century Trilogy."

-- *The Minneapolis Star Tribune *

"A glorious conclusion to a remarkable trilogy that is wonderful, exhilarating reading for all ages. Fine, fine historical fiction."

*Historical Novel Society *

"Follett does an outstanding job of interweaving and personalizing complicated narratives set on a multicultural stage."

Booklist

Praise for *Winter of the World*

Even after all his novels some 20 in all the reader remains amazed Follett can research a book so thoroughly that you actually feel like you're there, even smelling the smells.

*USA Today *

This second installment of Folletts epic Century trilogy is just as potent, engrossing, and prolix as the opening opus, Fall of Giants.... Rife with plot lines, interpersonal intrigue, sweeping historical flourishes, and an authentic and compelling cast, this is a tale of dynamic characters struggling to survive during one of the worlds darkest periods.

Publishers Weekly

"Follett does a masterful job of capturing the highs and lows of an extraordinary bloody time." - The Associated Press

What [Follett] knows how to do is put readers hearts in throats...

*The New York Times *

Follett never lets the action lag as he adeptly ties together all the sweeping economic, cultural, political, and social transformations of the entire era.

Booklist

Folletts storytelling is unobtrusive and workmanlikehe spins a reasonable and readable yarn that embraces dozens of characters and plenty of Big Picture history.

Kirkus Reviews

"Abandon your normal activities for a couple of days when you crack this one open, because you're likely to get hooked like a Copper River salmon."

The Seattle Times

This book is truly epic.... Follett is a master craftsman. He fills his pages with fascinating characters and then uses the great events of this time to make an exciting plot. He succeeds in every way possible.

Huffington Post

Praise for *Fall of Giants Just as potent, engrossing, and prolix as the opening opus, Fall of Giants*. [Folletts] dedication and ability to keep so many plots spinning while delivering a story that educates, entertainsWill leave fans eagerly awaiting the trilogys crowning capstone."*Publishers Weekly Its a book that will suck you in, consume you for days or weeks then let you out the other side both entertained and educated." USA Today *Meticulously researched and deftly weaves together historical fact, fictional characters and engrossing storytelling.

Associated Press

"A tireless storyteller...grippingly told, and readable to the end."*The New York Times Book Review *"Suspenseful, tightly constructed, sharply characterized, plot-driven...some of the biggest-picture fiction being written today."*The Seattle Times *"Tantalizing"*Newsday *"Lively and entertaining."*The Washington Post *"Epic yarns in prose"*The Wall Street Journal *