Chapters 1, Evesham Abby, England, January 1271- 3, Siena, Tuscany, March 1271 Summary

The Reckoning by Sharon Kay Penman is a fictional account of the royal houses of Wales and England between the years of 1271 and 1283. Wales is in a constant state of war with an invading England. Penman creates a vivid story of the people, motivations, and heartbreak behind the battles. The novel begins five years after the battle of Evesham in which the rebel Simon de Montfort is defeated by his nephew the English Prince Edward, called Ned in childhood by his cousins. Edward allows his uncle's body to be mutilated and the parts are shipped across the country as souvenirs. The de Montfort family is in chaos after this battle and can never forgive their cousin for his brutality.

Chapter 1 begins with the fourteen-year-old orphan Hugh de...