Year of Wonders

A Novel

By: Geraldine Brooks

Narrated by: Geraldine Brooks

Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

“Plague stories remind us that we cannot manage without community . . . Year of Wonders is a testament to that very notion.”–The Washington Post

An unforgettable tale, set in 17th century England, of a village that quarantines itself to arrest the spread of the plague, from the author The Secret Chord and of March, winner of the Pulitzer Prize

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.

©2010 Penguin Audiobooks (P)2010 Geraldine Brooks

Critic reviews

"The novel glitters . . . A deep imaginative engagement with how people are changed by catastrophe."—The New Yorker

“Plague stories remind us that we cannot manage without community . . . Year of Wonders is a testament to that very notion . . . [The villagers] assume collective responsibility for combating the plague, rather than seeing it as an act of God before which they are powerless.”—The Washington Post

"Year of Wonders is a vividly imagined and strangely consoling tale of hope in a time of despair."—O, The Oprah Magazine

Wonders

There is nothing to dislike in This novel. The author's descriptions, research of the times, and character development is beyond wonderful and well skilled

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys periodic fiction.

I am moving on the recap Little Women, then to March.

Enjoy.

A pandemic reading must

Here's a period drama to re-center the pandemic conversation upon the moral high ground and the dizzying effects therein. Plus it's read by the author! Her voice is perfect.

Captivating story, strong characters, hypnotic narrator (not in a good way)

Well written and gripping. I finished the book in 2 days and really enjoyed it overall but the narrator’s monotonous voice, unskilled reading and odd accent is simply distracting, thus i gave it only 4 stars instead of 5.

Rather gruesome

I was struck by the extensive research into 17th C life that must have gone into this novel. The descriptions are hard to listen to at times, but make it all so believable. Like nothing I’ve ever read/listened to.

The story

Geraldine Brooks is a gifted writer whom I love. Her narration is dull. I would not recommend her as a reader. Her gift is in her writing!!

bleak history of the plague

I have everything I've read by Geraldine Brooks. Her research is so deep and detailed, her use of the vernacular of that time is wonderful. I could easily suspend my doubts about a poor servant girl raising herself to such heights.

Good read

If you like historical fiction based upon real events, this is a good book to read.

Educationl, enjoyable, and encouraging.

This author wrote a book that I could close my eyes and envision. It allowed me to memorize and recognize the characters and the scenery as well as the horrible events and heartache that took place. I learned a lot.

Burn It All!!

I only had one all time favorite book before I read this, now I have two. I will remember this book for years to come. There are so many great passages in this book. I won't spoil the wonder of them for you by quoting them here. There is much sadness and suffering in the book so be warned. The author did a wonderful job of putting you in the middle of the plague epidemic. You can get at true sense of what it must been like for so many during that time. The story focuses around a housemaid named Anna and what the plague does to her family as well as the her village and the inhabitants. It held my interest from the first page until the last. I truly did not want it to end.

A riveting listening read

This book, this audiobook, is an example of a perfect melding of narrator and book... both being excellent. It is a book – – a story – – the telling of which won't let you go and which stays with you, until you shake your head and remember you don't live within it – –and which is almost unimaginable without the voice through which I heard it. Thank you Geraldine Brooks