**“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.
A well told story with a really strange and rushed ending. Definitely captures the moment in history well.
The first two thirds of the book were exceptional. It was the last third that ruined it for me.
Great historical fiction. Loved every bit of it.
Real events in English history. Just plain wonderful and will stay with you for a long time!
Year of Wonders is a magnifique story. The characters are vivid and very credible. Easy to read but profound and inspirational. Anna is a woman impossible to forget.
Amazing book.
A most unusual plot, but excellent character portrayal and based upon historical fact.
The story was well-researched and showed time of plagues in early America well. Emotions of the characters were realistic…reader was drawn in to feel what they felt. I was puzzled at the ending. The Rev seemed to act totally out of character…he became weak and weird in the end. Also, the main character suddenly went to Africa and married a Muslim…did not work for me. She was independent and resourceful…also a person who had held onto her Christian faith. Disappointing ending. Recommend with reservations.
An interesting portrait of a time in History. Informative.
Excellent story until the strange ending that didn’t fit the rest of the story
Fascinating telling of a haunting of a real historical event with invented characters who inspire. You come away learning lot about the way people thought in a different era. fabulous.
A believable and compelling novel about a horrific event.
One of my favorites
This book is about the black plague in Europe during the middle ages. Well written. Enjoyed the character development and the plot. Recommended by a friend and she was right.
BORING Like reading a term paper with footnotes everywhere. Had to stop reading – which I never do There was no personal character of the Dutchess that ever seemed to develop. Stopped reading and watched the movie instead. Shame
I love Geraldine Brooks’ novels. This was a time in history that I haven’t read much about. I would recommend this book.
Thought provoking. Historically interesting.
Such a sorrowful time, yet the people persevered.they were very easily lead, either by the rector or by the ones who preyed on their superstions. The ending took a dramatic twist that was totally unexpected.
Really enjoyed it, even though it was heartbreaking. I liked the over use of old words that some people complained about, use a Kindle! Not that you will find all the words there. It had a very historical feel, I really felt like I was there, in the period. I thought the author did a great job.
Held me captive throughout the book.