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Year of Wonders

A Novel of the Plague

By Geraldine Brooks

(34)

| Hardcover | 9780670910212

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Book Description

This gripping historical novel is based on the true story of Eyam, the "Plague Village," in the rugged mountain spine of England. In 1666, a tainted bolt of cloth from London carries bubonic infection to this isolated settlement of shepherds and lead miners. A visionary young preacher convinces the Continue

This gripping historical novel is based on the true story of Eyam, the "Plague Village," in the rugged mountain spine of England. In 1666, a tainted bolt of cloth from London carries bubonic infection to this isolated settlement of shepherds and lead miners. A visionary young preacher convinces the villagers to seal themselves off in a deadly quarantine to prevent the spread of disease. The story is told through the eyes of eighteen-year-old Anna Frith, the vicar's maid, as she confronts the loss of her family, the disintegration of her community, and the lure of a dangerous and illicit love. As the death toll rises and people turn from prayers and herbal cures to sorcery and murderous witch-hunting, Anna emerges as an unlikely and courageous heroine in the village's desperate fight to save itself.

Exploring love and learning, fear and fanaticism, and the struggle of science and religion to interpret the world at the cusp of the modern era, Year of Wonders is at once a story of unconventional love and a richly detailed evocation of a riveting moment in history. Like Arthur Golden's Memories of a Geisha and A. S. Byatt's Posession, Year of Wonders blends learning and romance into an unforgettable read.

Critics

  • Journal of a plague year

    Year of Wonders Geraldine Brooks 308pp, Fourth Estate, £12.99 It begins with the scent of rotting apples and a flush that looks like rose petals blooming beneath the skin. Then the yellow-purple pustule appears, swelling to the size of a newly born p ... (read full critics)

    guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

  • Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

    In the spring of 1665, the inhabitants of a small village in central England made a remarkable decision. Plague had broken out in their community, arrived from London in a bolt of cloth, and had quickly spread through the village. The charismatic rec ... (read full critics)

    theromancereader published on Fri, 10 Sep 2010

6 Reviews

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  • Loved this book

    I really enjoyed this book and it was so well written--surely set to become a classic of our time. I highly recommend it. It provided much insight into the people who lived at the time of the plague but also about human nature. We are not so different today. Easy to get through, beautiful languag ... (continue)

    I really enjoyed this book and it was so well written--surely set to become a classic of our time. I highly recommend it. It provided much insight into the people who lived at the time of the plague but also about human nature. We are not so different today. Easy to get through, beautiful language, a joy to read.

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    Eadler said on Feb 2, 2010 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • Wonderful! I was happily swept away to 1440 and relished every minute of this book. The description of the world at hand was excellent. Onward I moved to 'March' and now 'People of the Book' - similar and wonderful reading experiences..the quiet 'voice' of story telling so that you have the pictur ... (continue)

    Wonderful! I was happily swept away to 1440 and relished every minute of this book. The description of the world at hand was excellent. Onward I moved to 'March' and now 'People of the Book' - similar and wonderful reading experiences..the quiet 'voice' of story telling so that you have the picture and better - the feelings - in your mind all along.

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    Psc said on Sep 18, 2009 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • A very moving story about how a small village is touched by castastrophe. I originally thought that this book would be too depressing to read, but it is so well written and ends on a happy note. I am so glad that I took the time to read it!

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    Jamie Gemuend767 said on Sep 21, 2008 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • Year of Wonders

    This is an excellent book overall - wonderfully written and quickly paced. Knowing that this fiction was based on events that actually took place makes it all the more compelling. However further research into the actual events at Eyam village show that the author used a bit too much literary licens ... (continue)

    This is an excellent book overall - wonderfully written and quickly paced. Knowing that this fiction was based on events that actually took place makes it all the more compelling. However further research into the actual events at Eyam village show that the author used a bit too much literary license and re-wrote the ending of the actual life of one of the main characters. That combined with an unrealistic ending, brings the book down a bit in my eyes.

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    Readingrat said on Nov 27, 2007 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

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