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

Loved it

For me, this book is a perfect read for the current moment. The author's voice is very calming and I find it comforting to remember that we are not the first humans to face a pandemic.

a tail much better than its teller

compelling story. narration so so. goes to show not every author should narrate the book she wrote.

Year of Wonders

This was an amazing story. However they should have hired an actor for the read. The reading was awful and editing was atrocious. I was really surprised. I believe it was the author that did the recordings and she is a WONDERFUL story teller but not fit to read for the audible book

Very sad but very good historical fiction

What made the experience of listening to Year of Wonders the most enjoyable?

I loved the writing style, the dialog, and the way the lead character spoke and thought. It was interesting to follow the relationship between Anna and Elinor over the course of one year to see how it changed and a deep friendship developed. How do people behave in the face of such loss? This book explored different reactions from Anna's father and stepmother, to Mr. Mompellion, the spiritual leader of the small town. Some of the children are far better behaved than the adults. It takes a little while to adjust to the reader's voice, but she is excellent in her delivery of the lines.

Exquisite writing -

This writer knows what the turn of a phrase means... her writing is exceptional, and her story telling poignant and beautiful. Very fascinating subject matter weaved into a heartbreaking narrative.

I loved every moment of this book although, the last 20 pages took a strange pivot. Still, best thing I've read all year.

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.

Monotonous, breathless reading difficult to understand

I liked the story overall and thought it was an interesting take on a time period that has not had much attention previously in modern literature, but the recording is the absolute worst I've heard from Audible! I could barely hear the ends of sentences as the author trailed off without emotion at the end of every phrase. Very dull reading for the most part except when voicing a few minor character parts. Too dull. Too quiet. Too lacking in emotion, which was just as frustrating as the difficulty in hearing the words in the first place. For listening, it's easier if the recording is done when the reader is speaking up clearly. It is hard to focus on the story with the distraction of a terrible reading. That being said, extremely interesting premise.

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.