Year of Wonders

Year of Wonders
By: Geraldine Brooks
THREE out of FIVE stars

my thoughts:
1666, the plague is brought to Eyam island. The plague was introduced to this island by a bolt of fabric. In 1665 estimated population was 380 villagers, in 1666 that population fell to 120. The villagers take a vow to self-quarantine themselves. Viewing the plague as not a bad thing but a blessing from God.

The part of the book that I enjoyed was well... the individuals. Each family dealt with sorrow and loss. It was how they decided to continue, or not continue. The plague took who it wanted. It showed no mercy on that.

Anna, what can I say about Anna? Her story is powerful in and of itself. Brooks lets you walk with her though and you get to see how everyone deals with the plague in her eyes. The shocking, the innocent, the horrible and sometimes the peaceful moments.

Why three stars... the ending. I guess you could pretty much break it into...
The first 250-ish pages, great read.
Then the last bit... seriously, the ending was made for the movies. The Hollywood-esk ending.
It didn't flow with the beginning of the book. Not like hey, twist... it was a BAM new story.

All in all it was a good read. Brooks does a beautiful job bringing historic moments to life.

the run down:
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.