Year of Wonders

This gripping historical novel is based on the true story Eyam, the "Plague Village," in the rugged mountain spine of England. In 1666, a tainted bolt of cloth from London carries bubonic infection to this isolated settlement of shepherds & lead miners. A visionary young preacher convinces the villagers to seal themselves off in a deadly quarantine to prevent the spread of disease. The story is told through the eyes of eighteen-year-old Anna Frith, the vicar's maid, as she confronts the loss of her family, the disintegration of her community, & the lure of a dangerous & illicit love. As the death toll rises & people turn from prayers & herbal cures to sorcery & murderous witch-hunting, Anna emerges as an unlikely & courageous heroine in the village's desperate fight to save itself. Exploring love & learning, fear & fanaticism, & the struggle of science & religion to interpret the world at the cusp of the modern era, Year of Wonders is at once a story of unconventional love, & a richly detailed evocation of a riveting moment in history. Like Arthur Golden's Memories of a Geisha & A.S. Byatt's Posession, Year of Wonders blends learning & romance into an unforgettable read. Exploring love & learning, fear & fanaticism, & the struggle of science & religion to interpret the world at the cusp of the modern era, Brooks' meticulous, textured novel is historical fiction at its finest. Like Iain Pears's An Instance of the Fingerpost & A. S. Byatt's Possession, Year of Wonders coalesces the epic & the personal into one unforgettable read.Brooks, Geraldine is the author of 'Year of Wonders' with ISBN 9780670910212 and ISBN 067091021X.