Every Valley: The Story of Handel’s Messiah

Every Valley is a historical novel that tells the story behind Handel's Messiah, set in 18th-century London and Dublin. It follows the intertwined lives of various characters, including an actress, a sea captain, an African Muslim, and a political dissident, and explores themes of hope, fear, conspiracy, and uprising. The book has received critical acclaim, with reviewers praising its cinematic and moving account of the period.

Format: Hardback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 07 November 2024
Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Every Valley is a captivating narrative history of intertwined lives that recounts the tale behind one of the most magnificent musical compositions ever created, Handel's Messiah. "A delicious history of music, power, love, genius, royalty, and adventure. Unforgettable." - SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE, London-Dublin, 1741-42. An actress mired in scandal plans her escape from an abusive husband. A penniless sea captain sets out to rescue the city's abandoned infants. An African Muslim and former captive in the colonies becomes a celebrity. A grieving political dissident seeks release from his torment. And a great composer to kings - George Frideric Handel - now ill and straining to keep an audience's attention, faces a decision that will secure his place in history. Evoking a pivotal moment at the birth of modernity, a time of fear, conspiracy, and uprising, and featuring some of the most unusual and brilliant personalities of the eighteenth century, Every Valley is a cinematic and moving account of hope in the darkness and the entangled lives that shaped a masterpiece. "A mesmerizing journey through one of the most fascinating and creative moments in human history." - AMANDA FOREMAN "Riveting." - The Times Book of the Week "Fascinating. . . cinematic. . . truly informative, imaginative, and engaging." - Financial Times "An absolute delight." - PETER FRANKOPAN

Weight: 604g
Dimension: 241 x 163 x 35 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781847928450