The Camp of Refuge: A Tale of the Conquest of the Isle of Ely

The novel is set in the aftermath of the Norman Conquest focusing on the resistance movement in the Fens of eastern England particularly in the Isle of Ely. The protagonist Hereward the Wake is a legendary figure who leads the local Anglo-Saxon resistance against the Norman invaders. The Camp of Refuge refers to the stronghold established by Hereward and his followers in the Isle of Ely which becomes a symbol of defiance and hope for the subjugated English people. The novel vividly describes the harsh landscape of the fens the guerrilla warfare tactics employed by the rebels and the desperate struggle to preserve their way of life against the might of the Norman forces.