I really enjoyed this book, but there were some aspects that I had reservations about.

To begin with, I was already familiar with the basic story from Jill Paton Walsh's excellent children's novel "A Parcel of Patterns". So, in a sense, I didn't approach this book with a completely fresh perspective.

Secondly, I thought the narrator was a bit of a Mary Sue. As a teenager who was a huge fan of historical fiction, she seemed to me to be an idealized version of what we imagine we would have been like if we had lived in the past. Maybe this is unfair to the author. Someone else on Goodreads described it as a slight imposition of modern sensibilities on the character, and I think that's part of the problem. However, I would guess that it's almost impossible to avoid this in historical fiction.

Another reservation I had was that I felt the action became way too exaggerated towards the end of the novel. I understand that superstition, ignorance, and fear led people to do terrible things during the plague era (and not much has changed!), but it just went too far for me.

SPOILERS

The death of Elinor also made me laugh. I mean, it was brutal and graphic (and extremely unlikely, I would have thought), but when she conveniently carried luscious blooms to church for the first time, only to die poetically on them after dropping to the ground - well, really.

And I didn't believe for a moment the grief-stricken minister - who had never had sex with his wife and was presumably a virgin, given his extreme piety before his wife's murder - suddenly.

Started this as an audiobook, but unfortunately, the narrator was truly terrible.

She gave the impression that she was completely bored and on the verge of falling asleep. However, I was so intrigued by the storyline that I decided to check out the hard copy at the library.

I firmly believe that if I had continued with the audio version, I would have given it a rating of approximately 2.

The story is loosely inspired by the actual present plague village in Derbyshire, where the source of contagion remains a matter of debate.

1666 was an extremely difficult year for the country, with the great plague, a Dutch invasion, and the great fire all taking place. Somehow, the plague managed to spread to this small hamlet and claimed the lives of two-thirds of the population during the year of the disease.

Our narrator is a fictional creation of the author. She endures the sickness, terror, filth, and despondency, while also discovering strength, sisterhood, fortitude, and courage.

Death is juxtaposed with new life, and spells and incantations are contrasted with true physic. Some true accounts researched by the author are interwoven with possible events imagined, creating a captivating and engaging narrative.

There are some truly disturbing sections in the book once the plague arrives in the village. It is quite harrowing to witness the chaos and destruction that ensues.

I will say more once I've had a chance to mull over these events.

By the way, I did know how this was to end beforehand. However, I felt a bit odd about where Anna ended up.

Nonetheless, I could kind of stretch my imagination to meet her there. She became a midwife, which makes sense as she had been helping women in her village out of necessity.

But the rest of it, hmmm, I really have to think about that for a while. There are still some aspects that leave me with questions and a sense of unease.

I need to further explore and analyze these elements to fully understand the significance and implications within the context of the story.

I'm still deeply engrossed in reading the novel and I must admit that it has truly gripped me.

The novel vividly presents the atmosphere in a 17th century remote English village during the Plague. However, it's not just about that. It also describes a small rural community, delving into the beginnings of mining, the terrifying witch hunting, and the prevalence of superstitions. All of these elements ultimately lead to highly dramatic events that keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

Moreover, the language used in the novel is exceptionally powerful. It doesn't feel like you're reading a historical novel written in modern times. Instead, it transports you back to that era, making you feel as if you're an eyewitness to the events unfolding.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel as it's always fascinating to observe how people, who are unable to leave the place, behave towards each other when confronted with a life-threatening problem like the Plague. It provides valuable insights into human nature and the ways in which communities respond in times of crisis.

Geraldine Brooks penned this story after delving into the account of how the tiny English village of Eyam coped with the Great Plague of 1666. Historical records shed light on the remarkable assistance provided by the local vicar's maid during this calamity. This is her fictionalized narrative.

Published in 2010, Brooks' portrayal of what the village endured during the Plague left me in awe. There are striking parallels to our current pandemic. The village isolated itself to halt the spread, much like many regions today. Villagers maintained physical distance, for instance, during church services. Their desperate search for remedies and claims of cures mirror our own efforts. The contrast between superstitions and religious beliefs, as well as the issue of profiteering from the Plague, are also relevant. Additionally, the thanklessness towards those who attempted to help is a familiar theme.

I also held several aspects in high regard. The flawed yet endearing characters and the overall plot were engaging. The audiobook, narrated by the author herself, was a delight. While some reviewers criticized her voice as monotonous, I found her oral storytelling to be calming and effortless to follow. It's important to remember that the Plague is not a sugarcoated topic, and although it was sometimes presented crudely, it added to the authenticity. The epilogue, which some found strange, I thought was the perfect conclusion as it seamlessly tied into the overall story.

In conclusion, I adored this moving and well-researched tale and would wholeheartedly recommend it to fans of historical fiction.

“My Tom died as babies do, gently and without complaint. Because they have been such a little time with us, they seem to hold to life but weakly. I used to wonder if it was so because the memory of Heaven still lived within them, so that in leaving here they do not fear death as we do, who no longer know with certainty where it is our spirits go. This, I thought, must be the kindness that God does for them and for us, since He gives so many infants such a little while to bide with us.”


1666 was a disastrous year for England. The bubonic plague claimed the lives of 100,000 people, and then the Great Fire of London destroyed 80% of the city, including about 13,000 homes. It's difficult for us to imagine a disease that can suddenly appear and, within a few short months, kill 75% of the people we know. Surviving such a disease is a matter of luck, but actually contracting it and living is almost miraculous. The first signs were bulges at the groin called buboes. Can you picture the bone-chilling fear that would course through your body at the first sight of such bulges?


\\n  \\n


George Viccars, a tailor, made an innocent decision to order a bolt of cloth from London. He used the cloth to make fashionable dresses for the ladies of Eyam, but he had no idea that the cloth was infested with plague-carrying fleas. The plague first claimed Viccars' life and then spread rapidly from family to family, taking the youngest and fittest in the greatest numbers. William Mompellion, the minister of the shire, made the heroic decision to quarantine the town and contain the contagion. Through the eyes of Anna Frith, we witness the devastating effects of fear and loss on the small community. Death brings opportunities to some and plunges others into poverty. Anna, despite being haunted by her own demons, does her best not only to survive her personal losses but also to make the fateful decision to devote her life to helping those in need.


The midwives, or medicine women, who had a deep knowledge of herbs and roots that could provide the most help during an outbreak of a deadly disease, were the first to be treated with distrust. Their knowledge was regarded as magical and beyond the understanding of an undereducated population. You might have thought these women had green skin and made grand statements like "I'll get you my pretty.", but they were just women interested in understanding the world around them and making the best use of what nature provided.


\\n  \\n


"And so, as generally happens, those who have most give least, and those with less somehow make shrift to share." The rich fled Eyam, while the rest stayed, determined to ride out the worst of the contagion. They had no idea just how horrible things were going to get.


This is based on a true story. The book shows people at their best and worst. It made me wonder what I would do in such a situation. Could I be as brave as Anna? Could I support the leadership of a minister who intended to keep me and my family in harm's way? Could I help those already infected? There are many things to admire in this tale. The ending, however, is strange. I noticed that other reviewers mentioned the ending, and I agree that it was unexpected. Maybe we are all just underestimating the courage and determination of one woman.


Two other plague novels that I really enjoyed are Company Of Liars by Karen Maitland and The Pesthouse by Jim Crace. Unfortunately, I don't have reviews for them because I read them before discovering the wonderful community of Goodreads. Company of Liars is told in a similar style to Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, and Pesthouse is a post-apocalyptic America that has regressed to Medieval conditions.


If you want to see more of my recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com. I also have a Facebook blogger page at: https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten.

Read about it and you will be plunged into a world where "its blows fall and fall again upon raw sorrow." Its words have the power to carry you through "a patchwork of grays." This novel is not simply driven by a sense of melancholy; instead, it is an abhorrent obscurity. The kind of murkiness that once, in 1665, engulfed the real-life villagers of Eyam, Derbyshire. They were a closely knit community of miners, shepherds, and weavers.

Read and you will discover their puritan ways and the plague that took many lives in their village. You will learn about the radical minister who led them and the surprising turn his life takes at the end. ("His body is strong but I fear that the strength of his will far exceeds it. It can drive him to do what any normal man cannot do, for better and for worse.") You will also get to know Anna Frith, the heroine and servant of the rector and his wife, who becomes Anna's best friend.

Read and you will love Anna as the narrator. You will feel sympathy for her losses, her abandonment, and her aloneness. You will be there with her, deep in the depths of her despair.

Do not read if you cannot tolerate imagistic illness and death. Beware if the horrors of self-torture that a dying man submits to, in the hope of being saved from the ravaging disease, disturb you.

Read and you will find fact intertwined with fiction, good battling evil, and choice as a thematic undertone. You will experience a range of emotions, from disgust to delight, from anger to sadness. In the end, though, there is some hope because, after all, there is always hope.

I purchased a hardcover edition of this book when it was initially published in 2001. However, I never managed to get around to reading it.

But during our current plague year, it seemed like an opportune time to do so. Regrettably, I couldn't even locate my own copy at present. So, instead, I downloaded a library eBook copy.

Nonetheless, I discovered that most of it was captivating and engaging. In particular, the descriptions of what is now known as'social distancing' and other modern parallels were quite interesting.

Based on the limited historical record of an actual small village in the UK, Brooks enriches those sources with exciting set pieces that follow a handful of characters as they either yield to or overcome the disease.

I especially appreciated how obscure contemporary words and expressions were judiciously interspersed throughout the text, adding authenticity.

Two factors prevented me from awarding a full five stars. Firstly, the novel is framed by chapters set in the year following the main action. By the time we returned to 1666, I had forgotten a significant portion of what had occurred in that first chapter.

This may not necessarily be the author's fault, but rather due to my own'mind like a sieve'. Secondly, the last 40 or so pages, which come after a satisfying climax, perilously venture into the realm of 'chick lit'.

There is a forced romantic encounter that includes out-of-place'sex scenes' (with the sucking of fingers being prominently featured!), which elicited a few chuckles.

The book would have been enhanced without these elements, as well as an epilogue set in the Middle East. This epilogue seems to be more about establishing the tale's feminist credentials rather than being necessary to conclude the story.

Overall, despite these drawbacks, I still found the book to be an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.

This is my third Geraldine Brooks book, and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Although the characters are fictional, Brooks has masterfully immersed her story in the historical context of a 17th century English town that endures the ravages of the Plague.

Our main character, Anna Firth, serves as the perfect exemplar of how survivors cope when they witness the deaths of their spouses, children, and neighbors due to this terrible disease.

In the span of one year, Anna and her neighbors will question their religious beliefs and their trust in one another.

Brooks' portrayal of Anna is the primary reason I couldn't put the book down. She leads us through a captivating story, and it's fascinating to see how Anna evolves as the narrative progresses.

Like many other readers, I was not entirely satisfied with the ending given to this remarkable character. My heart yearns for a sequel!

I also feel compelled to mention the sensual scene between Anna and another character in the book. Honestly, it rivals that famous scene in "Out of Africa" where Meryl Streep has her hair washed by Robert Redford.

Who wouldn't love to have a man say, "Tonight it is all about your needs! Hot damn!"

Goodreads review published 28/02/15.

I absolutely loved reading this piece.

I've been familiar with the story ever since I was extremely small, and I've even been to the place where it is set.

The protagonist is a poor woman, which immediately evokes a sense of sympathy and connection.

The most heroic character, however, is a liberated woman who defies the norms and expectations of society.

In fact, all the most courageous characters in this story are women, which is truly inspiring.

The author does an excellent job of celebrating the lore and spirituality of cunning women, as well as the love, loyalty, and friendship that exists between them.

The author also takes on important social issues, such as witch-hunting, which is exposed as a masculist power-grab.

Puritanism, sanctimonious men, abusive men, the parasitic rich and powerful class, unjust law, and the denigration of sex workers are all taken to task with great nuance and depth.

The author shows us women taking on injustice and male indifference with an above-and-beyond determination, as well as women taking sexual initiative.

Furthermore, the author presents fulfilling childless and husbandless lives for women, challenging traditional notions of what it means to be a woman.

Finally, the author throws open the hardness and darkness of the truth-based story with a beautiful, fanciful redemptive ending full of love and light, while simultaneously taking racist white Christian history to task. It's a powerful and thought-provoking piece that I highly recommend.

**"A Disappointing Read: 'Year of Wonders' by Geraldine Brooks"**

I have had a rather tumultuous experience with Geraldine Brooks' "Year of Wonders." I started and restarted the book twice, and finally put it down for the third and final time about halfway through. [ETA: For some ungodly reason, I picked it up again! I am still reading! The Plague: she has a hold on me! It's crazeeeeeee!!!]

I initially picked up the book after reading the detail-rich and psychologically-nuanced "Middlemarch" by George Eliot. I thought it might not be a fair comparison, like drinking an Italian pinot grigio after an Australian shiraz. But as I delved deeper, I realized that the problems with "Year of Wonders" were more inherent.

The story felt contrived, overwrought, clumsy, and unconvincing. The research was evident, but it didn't translate into compelling scenes or characters. The dialogue was particularly annoying. While the historical fiction writer needs to use terms and refer to objects or events that mark the time and place, they also have to convey a way of thinking that is appropriate for that era. Anna Firth spoke like a 17th C uneducated country girl, but her thoughts were anachronistic.

In comparison to Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall" and "Bring Up The Bodies," "Year of Wonders" falls short. Mantel sets a high standard with her level of detail and the way she shapes characters from the inside out. She takes the reader into the minds and thoughts of her characters, making us inhabit them. Geraldine Brooks couldn't achieve this, and it shows on the page.
There is great potential in the story of the plague, but Brooks fails to fulfill it. She kills off important characters too early and too quickly, and doesn't lead the reader to these events with enough build-up or depth. This kind of historical fiction needs to be longer and more epic to truly capture the essence of the era and the experiences of the characters.
Overall, "Year of Wonders" is a disappointing read. It had the potential to be a great book, but it没能达到预期. I hope Geraldine Brooks can learn from her mistakes and produce a more engaging and satisfying work in the future.

Update: Mar 29/13--I don't know why I did it, but the very fact that I did it (finished this book) was going to lead me to up it to three stars. But now that I've done it I'M TAKING THIS DOWN TO ONE STAR -- HOLY MOLY AND GOLLY GEE WILLIKERS BUT I AM P.O.'d AT THIS BOOK.

None of the last 50pp - new character development COMPLETELY in opposition and nonsensical to anything that went before, new sub-plots suggested and followed - were either necessary or sensible. ALL of it was entirely a contrivance to get Anna out of the country and end the damn thing. WOW. That is bad. That is like creative writing 101 what not to do. And the MELODRAMA! Like a 60s soap opera, it was! As the bodies piled up, all I could think of was this: Bring Out Yer Dead.

Everything about this is, as I said below: contrived, overwrought, OVERWRITTEN, clumsy, unconvincing.

I am done with YoW. DONE.

Opening quote added 1 April 2024
'I was too stunned by all I had heard to say anything, so I simply rose from my stool, grasped both her hands, and kissed them. How little we know; I thought, of the people we live amongst.’ (p155) - Anna Frith on hearing Elinor Mompellion’s story

What an astonishing woman is Anna Frith, the heroine of Year of Wonders. Set in 1666, it's the story of a plague-ridden village that chooses to quarantine itself to contain the pestilence. Anna is not alone in her heroic qualities. Elinor is also heroic, with her sweetness, forbearance, egalitarianism, and determination, despite being frail. The real love story of Year of Wonders may well be Anna and Elinor. Anys Gowdie and her aunt Mem Gowdie, despite facing hostility and ignorance, are devoted to helping others with herbal potions and pastes and delivering the village babies. A young woman who inherits a lead mine by default is determined to work it herself, knowing it's a forlorn undertaking. Even the kitchen hand turfed out of Colonel Bradford’s estate shows some pluck as the patrician Colonel flees with his family, the only ones to leave the village.

Anna, a lowly house maid, cleans and cooks. But she then learns to read and even read in Latin to learn the ‘physic’. Through hard work and application, she becomes proficient in making salves and potions. Together with Elinor, they soothe the ill and bolster the not yet ill. When Anys and Mem pay dearly for their ‘witchery’, Anna learns midwifery and becomes a giver of life. She also goes deep down a lead mine, something she's never done before, to help save the claim for the young girl who now holds it. Anna stands up to her drunken violent father, supports her Rector, and saves lives. She can even ride a mighty horse.
All of these talents, skills, and capacities might seem superhuman in the abstract. But they fit seamlessly into this engrossing story by Geraldine Brooks, a journalist turned wonderful novelist. Brooks is Australian, like many predecessors such as Clive James and Peter Carey, who have found success overseas. She has reported from war zones, especially in the Middle East, and latterly has lived in the United States. The ending of Year of Wonders, while unexpected, is not as much of a shock as we might think, given Brooks’ earlier astonishing book, Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women, about her experience with Islamic women in the Middle East.
Among other things, Year of Wonders is about faith - or the lack of it. Brooks, a secular author, presents faith in many guises. It's exemplified by the Rector Michael Mompellion's inspirational leadership in troubled times. But faith can also be fractious, intolerant, and superstitious, understandable in that era. The plague of 1666 occurred when people didn't know what caused it or how it was transmitted. There was no laboratory analysis, industrial-scale pharmaceutical production, vaccines, or boosters. Those of strong faith, like Mompellion, believe the pestilence is God’s will and respond accordingly. But not all people of faith are equally welcome. The Quakers are isolated, and there are references to earlier battles with the popists. Mompellion encourages a sacrificial burning of furniture to cleanse the community spirit. The community is also beset by believers who punish themselves, engage in flagellation, act in ignorance and suspicion, take advantage of the unworldly, or seek to profit during these tough times. It's bad to punish oneself for one's sins, but worse to punish someone else for theirs in the name of God.
This is a marvellous story, told with complete verisimilitude of language and life in a lead-mining, plague-ridden village in 1666. The characters come alive as you read about them, and it's about an horrific time that may bring some good, especially for those who might otherwise have remained in their social place. It's not surprising that Geraldine Brooks would write an historical novel that also says a great deal about faith, tolerance, understanding, especially of difference, and new ways of seeing the world.