Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague [B1796]

2001 PB in nice clean condition. "Plague stories remind us that we cannot manage without community . . . Year of Wonders is a testament to that very notion." - The Washington Post. An unforgettable tale, set in 17th century England, of a village that quarantines itself to arrest the spread of the plague, from the author The Secret Chord and of March, winner of the Pulitzer Prize.

When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna's eyes we follow the story of the fateful year of 1666, as she and her fellow villagers confront the spread of disease and superstition. As death reaches into every household and villagers turn from prayers to murderous witch-hunting, Anna must find the strength to confront the disintegration of her community and the lure of illicit love. As she struggles to survive and grow, a year of catastrophe becomes instead annus mirabilis, a "year of wonders." Inspired by the true story of Eyam, a village in the rugged hill country of England, Year of Wonders is a richly detailed evocation of a singular moment in history. Written with stunning emotional intelligence and introducing "an inspiring heroine" (The Wall Street Journal), Brooks blends love and learning, loss and renewal into a spellbinding and unforgettable read.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Geraldine Brooks is an excellent writer and story teller. She has really made me fall in love with historical fiction. She writes in such a way as to paint a picture with her words. The fact that this was based on a true story makes it all the more compelling, and it was remarkable to catch similarities with our recent Covid pandemic."; "Thoroughly enjoyed. Detailed account of a year of plague in an English village. The evolution of Anna was delightful to read."; "Most of this book is unbelievably sad and bleak, but it's amazing how it's also very life-affirming. It was fascinating to see how the village cared for one another, Anna and Elinor specifically. The writing is also beyond beautiful. But I'm having trouble deciding how I feel about the ending. I know it's mean to show that we're all human and all have our failings but... it made me sigh lol."; "Broke my heart and then built it back stronger. Geraldine Brooks reveals the beauty of the human experience."