Year of Wonders (Paperback)

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Amazon.com Review
Geraldine Brooks's Year of Wonders describes the 17th-century plague that is carried from London to a small Derbyshire village by an itinerant tailor. As villagers begin, one by one, to die, the rest face a choice: do they flee their village in hope of outrunning the plague or do they stay? The lord of the manor and his family pack up and leave. The rector, Michael Mompellion, argues forcefully that the villagers should stay put, isolate themselves from neighboring towns and villages, and prevent the contagion from spreading. His oratory wins the day and the village turns in on itself. Cocooned from the outside world and ravaged by the disease, its inhabitants struggle to retain their humanity in the face of the disaster. The narrator, the young widow Anna Frith, is one of the few who succeeds. With Mompellion and his wife, Elinor, she tends to the dying and battles to prevent her fellow villagers from descending into drink, violence, and superstition. All is complicated by the intense, inexpressible feelings she develops for both the rector and his wife. Year of Wonders sometimes seems anachronistic as historical fiction; Anna and Mompellion occasionally appear to be modern sensibilities unaccountably transferred to 17th-century Derbyshire. However, there is no mistaking the power of Brooks's imagination or the skill with which she constructs her story of ordinary people struggling to cope with extraordinary circumstances. --Nick Rennison, Amazon.co.uk --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
Discriminating readers who view the term historical novel with disdain will find that this debut by praised journalist Brooks (Foreign Correspondence) is to conventional work in the genre as a diamond is to a rhinestone. With an intensely observant eye, a rigorous regard for period detail, and assured, elegant prose, Brooks re-creates a year in the life of a remote British village decimated by the bubonic plague. Inspired by the actual town commemorated as Plague Village because of the events that transpired there in 1665-1666, Brooks tells her harrowing story from the perspective of 18-year-old Anna Frith, a widow with two young sons. Anna works as a maid for vicar Michael Mompellion and his gentle, selfless wife, Elinor, who has taught her to read. When bubonic plague arrives in the community, the vicar announces it as a scourge sent by God; obeying his command, the villagers voluntarily seal themselves off from the rest of the world. The vicar behaves nobly as he succors his dwindling flock, and his wife, aided by Anna, uses herbs to alleviate their pain. As deaths mount, however, grief and superstition evoke mob violence against "witches," and cults of self-flagellation and devil worship. With the facility of a prose artist, Brooks unflinchingly describes barbaric 17th-century customs and depicts the fabric of life in a poor rural area. If Anna's existential questions about the role of religion and ethical behavior in a world governed by nature seem a bit too sophisticated for her time, Brooks keeps readers glued through starkly dramatic episodes and a haunting story of flawed, despairing human beings. This poignant and powerful account carries the pulsing beat of a sensitive imagination and the challenge of moral complexity. (Aug. 6)Forecast: Brooks should be a natural on talk shows as she tells of discovering the town of Eyam, in Derbyshire, in 1990, and her research to unearth its remarkable history. With astute marketing, Viking will have a winner here. BOMC, Literary Guild and QPB featured alternates; 8-city author tour; rights sold in England, France, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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First Sentence:
I USED TO LOVE this season. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
rectory kitchen Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Michael Mompellion, Elinor Mompellion, Anys Gowdie, Elizabeth Bradford, Jakob Merrill, Mary Hadfield, Miss Bradford, George Viccars, Mem Gowdie, Colonel Bradford, John Gordon, Boundary Stone, Maggie Cantwell, Jane Martin, Miner's Tavern, Bradford Hall, Ahmed Bey, Anna Frith, Stoney Middleton, Christopher Unwin, Merry Wickford, Josiah Bont, Lib Hancock, George Wickford, Kate Talbot New!
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338 Reviews 5 star:  (143) 4 star:  (105) 3 star:  (47) 2 star:  (22) 1 star:  (21)           Average Customer Review 4.0 out of 5 stars (338 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   112 of 119 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!, August 1, 2001 By  "moonglow22" (Bangor, ME United States) - See all my reviews This review is from: Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague (Hardcover) When I was first given this book, I thought, "Oh great, a book about The Plague. How depressing." To be honest, if it had not been lent to me, i probably would not have even picked it up. But by the third page, I was hooked. Not only is the story, about a small English village that tries to control the spread of The Plague, brought in by a bolt of fabric, by quarantining themselves, it is the story of a remarkable woman, Anna Frith. Anna is a widow (her husband being killed before the Plague) who loses nearly everything-her children, her friends, her sanity-to this terrible disease. While The Plague ravages her friends and neighbors, Anna does everything she can to save them, and completes feats (midwifery, iron mining) that she never thought hersef capable of. The book is incredibly well written; Brooks uses the vernacular of the time to great effect, but in such a way that it seems completely normal. It sounds cliched, but I truly could not put this book down. A truly surprising delight; I recommend it for any fans of Anita Shreve (who gives an endorsement for the book.) Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   34 of 34 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars A Study in Death, August 20, 2001 By  Richard R. Peter "rjspeter" (Elk Grove, CA United States) - See all my reviews This review is from: Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague (Hardcover) Based on an actual event and real persons, author Geraldine Brooks tells a fascinating tale of a village in rural 17th century England that experiences a sudden outbreak of plague. The citizens seal themselves off from the outside world to avoid spreading the disease to neighboring villages and to give themselves up to God's mercy. The "year of wonders" experienced by the residents of this stricken community is told through the eyes of an intelligent and couragous young widow, Anna Frith. Brooks' imagery is bright and alive - the reader experiences the sights and smells of this world, the hope and despair of the characters and the gradual disintegration of their faith. The plague brings out the noblest and the basest of human behavior and Anna herself achieves things she never would have attempted in any other circumstances. Because the majority of this book was so well written, I was quite disappointed in the ending which seemed rushed and contrived, almost as if the publisher had grown impatient and directed Brooks to wrap it up by the end of the day. I won't spoil the ending, but readers of Albert Camus' novel on the same subject will groan inwardly at Brooks' little joke in her placement of the final scene. Despite the ending, I recommend this book highly for its clear, concise style, vivid imagery, and realistic portrayal of human beings immersed in a long and tragic fight for survival and search for meaning. Comment Comment (1) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   123 of 139 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A Novel of Wonders, August 6, 2001 By  Elizabeth Hendry (New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)       This review is from: Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague (Hardcover) Geraldine Brooks' Year of Wonders is a terrific novel. I encourage all to overcome the intimidating fact that the novel is about the plague and diver right in to the work. Year of Wonders is an intelligent, engaging, emotional read--very well done indeed. Anna Firth is a survivor, in many ways. She survives the plague which utterly decimates her village. When the plague arrives, she has already lived through much. Her father abused her and her husband has died in a mining accident, left her a widow with two young children, at the ripe age of 18. As disease rips through her village, Anna works with the minister's wife, trying to provide some solace, some comfort to the rest of the village. The plague is not the only killer in these times for several townspeople are killed by hatred, jealousy and prejudice. The plague ultimately leaves the village and Anna is a changed person, which sounds trite, I know, but in the novel, it's not. This novel is so fabulous, Anna's emotions so real. There were parts of this novel that literally had me in tears. I highly, highly recommend this novel. It is a wonderful and most enjoyable read. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 338 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 2.0 out of 5 stars story that had to be told . . . But the pace was too slow . . . the story was filled almost entirely with unlikable characters. Published 2 days ago by L. Challenger 5.0 out of 5 stars Year of Wonders The most important thing for me was to receive the book quickly, and it came even sooner than expected. Published 3 days ago by nspnovi 2.0 out of 5 stars Years of Wonder It starts up very depressing. I have not finish reading it as of yet. Published 7 days ago by Johanna Carter 3.0 out of 5 stars Year of Wonders A good read. A little slow in places all building to a totally unexpected ending. Published 7 days ago by Roberta J. Karns 2.0 out of 5 stars It unravels gently into a mess As a fan of historical fiction, I picked up Year of Wonders because I was intrigued by the premise. What would people's experiences be like in the isolated, fearful environment... Read more Published 10 days ago by just my opinion 5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written I don't usually read novels, but this one is exceptional and is based on historical fact. Hard to put down, I couldn't wait to get back to it. Read more Published 1 month ago by Lilyan 1.0 out of 5 stars 3 Brooks books in a week is ... probably too much. Brooks sure has a horrible (& probably realistic) view of humanity (& religions). Read more Published 1 month ago by M. Junkins 4.0 out of 5 stars A "wonder" at some, and not so on others... Wanted to give it 3 stars because some parts lagged a bit or else became much too introspective for me. Read more Published 1 month ago by ricca 5.0 out of 5 stars you MUST read this book!!!! Year of Wonders is a novel inspired by the true story of the little town of Eyam in Derbyshire, known as the Plague Village, during the years 1665 - 1666. Read more Published 2 months ago by Amy M. Bruno 4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, Unrealistic Ending Year of Wonders is the story of a small English village invaded by the Plague in 1665 and 1666. The villagers quarantine themselves in order to stop the Plague from spreading to... Read more Published 2 months ago by J. Baker Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 338 customer reviews...

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