YEAR OF WONDERS is a very moving fictional account inspired by the true story of the villagers of Eyam, Derbyshire in 1666 when the town was struck by plague. The novel is told from the point of view of Anna, a young widow with two children. When a visiting tailor receives a bolt of cloth from London, the village is beset with a year-long outbreak of bubonic plague. Anna is a maid to the local pastor, Michael Mompellion, and his wife Elinor. When her two young children are taken by the plague, Anna and Elinor take it upon themselves to learn all they can to try to combat the disease including turning to the local healers who were accused of witchcraft. Mompellion decides it best to quarantine the village and encourages everyone to stay put to reduce the spread of the plague. But in the end over two-thirds of the population is devastated by the disease. The book is full of the extremes of human existence ranging from the very good and benevolence of humanity to the evil and barbarism that also exist as the plague affects the community.
This is a novel not easily forgotten as a young woman struggles to survive during a year of extreme hardship. I have read and enjoyed a couple of other novels by Brooks including PEOPLE OF THE BOOK and MARCH and will be looking forward to more from her.
This is a novel not easily forgotten as a young woman struggles to survive during a year of extreme hardship. I have read and enjoyed a couple of other novels by Brooks including PEOPLE OF THE BOOK and MARCH and will be looking forward to more from her.
