The Long Fall by Penelope Wilcock

14th century Yorkshire: the time of Chaucer. Peregrine, strong and beloved abbot of St Alcuin's monastery, suffers a stroke. Now incapacitated, he begins an arduous recovery with the help of his brothers in the infirmary. Brother Tom, the young monk closest to him, is horrified by the suffering Peregrine's illness has inflicted. He keeps his distance, out of his depth. How will he find the courage to make this demanding journey of vulnerability with his friend? How will they communicate, now Peregrine can no longer speak? How will Tom respond to the terrible, secret promise his abbot asks him to make? In this journey to the depths of humanity, the two men discover together the treasures of darkness and the intimate mystery of compassion. Engaging and beautifully written, warm and haunting, The Long Fall concludes the first trilogy in The Hawk and the Dove series.