The extraordinary true story of intertwined lives that lies behind Handel's Messiah, the most performed piece of classical music ever written 'A delicious history of music, power, love, genius, royalty and adventure. Unforgettable' SIMON SEBAG MONTEFORE 'A mesmerising journey through one of the most fascinating and creative moments in human history' AMANDA FOREMAN 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. 'An absolute delight, beautifully told' PETER FRANKOPAN 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 drama of hope in the darkness and the entangled lives that shaped a masterpiece. 'Fascinating...cinematic...truly informative, imaginative and engaging' Financial Times