IN THE SCHOOL OF AFFLICTION. A History of the Life and Times of Daniel Defoe - Lee V. Evans

In the School of Affliction is an expansive work of historical fiction that brings to life the turbulent world of Daniel Defoe, one of England's most complex and prolific writers. Spanning the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, the novel traces Defoe's evolution from a young tradesman into a controversial public figure navigating the volatile intersections of commerce, politics, religion, and literary ambition.

Set against a backdrop of political upheaval, financial speculation, and social unrest, the narrative explores an age marked by rebellion, imprisonment, propaganda, and the relentless pursuit of influence. Through richly detailed settings and a deeply researched historical framework, the novel examines the contradictions of a man who was at once a dissenter and a loyalist, a businessman and a debtor, a reformer and a government agent.

Blending fact with narrative imagination, In the School of Affliction offers a compelling portrait of an era in which ideas carried consequence, and reputation could be both currency and liability. It is a story of resilience, ambition, and survival in a world where truth was often negotiable, and conviction came at a cost.