Last Book Review of Summer is Full of Wonder

Year of Wonders ~ by Geraldine Brooks

After enjoying ‘People of the Book’ by Ms. Brooks, I perused our library stacks to see what else was available by the same author. She has an uncanny ability for capturing a time period and I wonder if she happened to zap herself back in time.

Year of Wonders - truly is - the setting is a fictional village in England during 1666 that is beset with bubonic plaque and the despair this brings to the villagers. The heroine, Anna Firth, narrates- she is a strong but unassuming, practical sort, and serves as the midwife, herbalist, and assistant to the Vicar of the parish.

The author researched her subject well, for there is a town in England’s history that had similar circumstances: it saved itself by sealing itself off for a year to avoid spreading the plaque to nearby villages. In this story, Eyam’s townspeople came to this decision as well, gathering their provisions at the gates of the village, the nearby earl of Chatsworth it’s benefactor.

We follow Anna as she mourns the losses of those she loves, while learning valuable herbalist skills to try to keep others alive, and admire her deeply for her survivor spirit. It is truly the painting of the picture with words where the author excels - one can see the village, hear it’s people, feel the prejudice and fears, in a tale that is heartbreaking and realistic - with a triumphant if not surprising end.

- Catherine Addé ~ Sierra Madre Library Board of Trustees