Introduction

Edge of Eternity is a historical fiction and family saga novel by Ken Follett. It is the third and final book in his popular Century Trilogy. The novel follows the lives of five interconnected families—American, Russian, German, English, and Welsh—navigating the major political and social revolutions of the 1960s through the 1980s.

Ken Follett is a British author famous for his clear, concise narrative style and epic storytelling. Edge of Eternity reflects the Cold War era, marked by the ideological conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union and the global struggle for civil rights and political freedom. The story covers significant events like the Civil Rights Movement, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Plot Summary

The novel begins with the introduction of George Jakes, a young, intelligent lawyer in America. George, a Harvard Law graduate, has secured a position in Kennedy's administration, working directly under Robert Kennedy. He is the illegitimate son of Grigori Peshkov, a powerful white senator with Russian origins, and Jacky Jakes, a well-known African-American actress.

George passionately supports the civil rights movement. He falls in love with the bright Verena, who works with Dr. Martin Luther King and often joins her in protests against segregation. Amid the turbulent 1960s American political climate, George faces the impacts of the assassinations of JFK and Robert Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The Cuban Missile Crisis involves Peshkov's nephew, Dmitri Dvorkin, from Russia. Dmitri is a young and ambitious member of the Soviet Communist Party under Nikita Khrushchev. He admires Khrushchev and supports Communist policies but dislikes how the Soviet government operates.

When the U.S. discovers Soviet missile facilities in Cuba, President Kennedy negotiates with Khrushchev. They agree that JFK will not invade Cuba if the Soviet Union removes the missile sites. Dmitri is initially pleased with the resolution. However, Dmitri's dissatisfaction with the Soviet regime deepens when the party replaces Khrushchev with Brezhnev.

Dmitri's twin sister, Tanya, feels the same way. Tanya is a journalist for TASS, Russia's leading news agency. Though she is respected for her reporting, she secretly writes anti-Soviet texts and works to expose problems within the Soviet government.

Meanwhile, schoolteacher Rebecca Hoffman's life is turned upside down in East Germany when she discovers her husband, Hans, is an agent for the Stasi, East Germany's security service and secret police. She cannot believe that her husband would align himself with such a repressive regime, especially since she has always opposed it.

She dislikes living in East Berlin, particularly after the construction of the Wall, and feels deeply betrayed by her husband. One day, Rebecca decides she has had enough and plans to escape across the Wall to Britain with a coworker from school, Bernd Held. Together, they flee their old lives and eventually find love and marry.

Rebecca's siblings, Walli and Lili Franck are musicians who express their anger with the political climate in East Germany through their music and lyrics. Lili is more into grunge, while Walli prefers rock and mainstream pop, which helps him gain popularity faster than his sister.

Walli catches the attention of the famous band "Plum Nellie," whose songwriter, Dave Williams from England, is George Jakes' first cousin.

As Walli's fame grows, his personal life suffers. He leaves his pregnant partner, Karoline, behind to focus on his career while she stays with Walli's family, the Francks/Von Ulrichs.

Meanwhile, Dave decides to permanently move from England to the States to pursue his artistic growth. He soon meets Ursula "Beep" Dewar, who studied at UC Berkeley and quickly embraced the hippie culture...