‘She had given her husband four children, had bared her body and soul to him... why did he want to remarry? Today, what made him dress in a new silk kurta, become a bridegroom once again, and leave on elephant-back to take another woman as his wife?’ When Menoka’s dissolute husband Mohikanto takes a second wife she is devastated by the heedless manner in which he squanders her unquestioning loyalty. But after the initial anguish she finds new strength – in her womanhood when she embraces a tender but illicit relationship with a village outcast; in her role as a fiercely protective mother, and, eventually, in a compassionate humanity towards her frail and battered co-wife and needy stepchildren. The story also poignantly explores Menoka’s troubled but ultimately redemptive relationship with Indro, her firstborn son, who is unwittingly exposed to a bewildering world of adult complexities and feels compelled to leave the village.

At St Alcuin's Monastery, in 14th century Yorkshire, Abbot John is in shock after learning of the rape of his sister and murder of his mother. The refugee Father William is discovering his own vulnerability. As they support their leader and their barely-welcome guest, the community of brothers undertake the task of nurturing the grace of God in their souls. The Hour before Dawn explores the psychological impact of grief and trauma, and the possibility of healing. Wilcock deftly weaves themes of the resurrection and ascension throughout the story, exploring the process of having survived suffering, but not yet having moved on. Based on solid historical research, Wilcock's representation of monastic life is authentic, rich with poetic prose and a sense of time and place.