The Mirror & the Light
First edition | |
| Author | Hilary Mantel |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Thomas Cromwell #3 |
| Genre | Historical fiction |
| Publisher | Fourth Estate (UK) Henry Holt and Co. (US) |
Publication date | 5 March 2020 (UK) 10 March 2020 (US) |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
| Pages | 883 |
| ISBN | 9780007480999 (1st ed. UK hardcover) |
| OCLC | 1126280860 |
| 823.92 | |
| LC Class | PR6063.A438 M36 2020 |
| Preceded by | Bring Up the Bodies |
The Mirror & the Light is a 2020 historical novel by English writer Hilary Mantel and the final novel published in her lifetime, appearing two and a half years before her death. Following Wolf Hall (2009) and Bring Up the Bodies (2012), it is the final instalment in her trilogy charting the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, minister in the court of King Henry VIII. It covers the last four years of his life, from 1536 until his death by execution in 1540.
Mantel's twelfth novel, her first in almost eight years, The Mirror & the Light enjoyed widespread critical acclaim and brisk sales upon its release. Emily Temple of Literary Hub reported that the novel had featured on thirteen lists of the best books of 2020. It was shortlisted for the 2020 Women's Prize for Fiction and won the 2021 Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction. Filming of a BBC television adaptation was completed in early 2024, and it was broadcast in the autumn of 2024.