This is the third and final book in Ken Follett’s The Century Trilogy. Spanning the 20th century, it’s historical fiction set amidst global wars, changing politics, social upheaval, and great advances in technology. This third book picks up after the Second World War, following the same families readers will know from the first two books.

Edge of Eternity covers an approximately 40-year period from the late 1940s to the early 1990s, which accounts for the length of the book in either audio or print format. It also accounts for some of the events getting the short-shrift, particularly after the 1970s. The fall of the Soviet Union, built up throughout the book, felt like it was rushed through. This part of the story jumped around a bit too much.

However, the earlier part of Edge of Eternity which sets the stage for those events is quite good. Follett gets right into the Cold War and illustrates to readers what it was like in East Germany once the Wall went up. He gets to the heart of why people stayed when they had a pretty good idea of what was going to happen, as well as what leads so many to risk their lives to get out.

In the United States, race relations become strained as the readers are taken along with the Freedom Riders who attempt to force southern states to do away with Jim Crow laws and bring attention to the suppression of rights blacks have lived with in the South for so long. Maria Summers, one of the Freedom Riders, finds herself entwined with the Civil Rights movement, then takes a job at the White House where she works for President Kennedy, and falls for him. She seems to lose all of her strength of character then, which is a shame, but it also serves to grow her bond with George Jakes, the mixed-race son of a Russian-American gangster. During this time, the two become embroiled in exposing Nixon’s scandals.

In the Soviet Union, it’s emphasized how similar life there is to what things were like in Germany under the Nazis. Tania Dvorkin is a well-liked newscaster who hides a secret life with dissidents. Her twin brother Dimka works for Khrushchev and sees from the inside how Communism in the Soviet Union works. Meanwhile, the children of the von Ulrichs and Williamses become world-renowned music stars during the turbulent times of the 1960s.

Covering all of this in-depth is what leads to Follett rushing through the 1980s and beyond. There was great attention to detail from the 1950s through the mid-1970s and then it seems like he wanted to wrap it all up quickly. It feels like there wasn’t enough material for a fourth book (or he had agreed to do only three) and he was running very long after finishing the story he wanted to tell through the 1970s. It’s a shame because that’s one of the main things that holds this back from being 5 stars to me.

The other problem is a few instances where characters seem to act contrary to how readers have known them to this point for the sake of telling a story. The previously mentioned Maria Summers is a prime example. At first, she comes across as a strong, independent woman who is determined to enact change in society as she knows it. Then, she enters into an affair with the President and all reason seems to go out the window.

However, I enjoyed most of Edge of Eternity as a witness-to-history-type story. When I look at all that happened during this time, he seems to cover it all, including having one of the characters drafted into the war in Vietnam. Follett also is setting the stage for politics as we know it today, particularly in the United States. He shows how Republicans began worrying more about staying in power and aligning with the wealthier factions. This is why there are a significant number of reviews of the book that state you’ll only like it if you’re a “left-leaning liberal.”

John Lee once again narrates the audiobook. He’s a terrific narrator who gives each character a unique voice while at the same time not influencing how they are presented. There’s also a lack of background noise as well, which I appreciate after hearing other audiobooks where narrators breathed a bit too heavily or smacked their lips.

I do recommend Edge of Eternity, but not unless you’ve read the first two books in the series. Together they paint the century as one of great change in many ways. Follet gets to the heart of it using a number of families that he follows through the decades and how much things change for them.

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