Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of March and People of the Book
In 1666, plague swept through London, driving the King and his court to Oxford, and Samuel Pepys to Greenwich, in an attempt to escape contagion. The north of England remained untouched until, in a small community of leadminers and hill farmers, a bolt of cloth arrived from the capital. The tailor who cut the cloth had no way of knowing that the damp fabric carried with it bubonic infection.
So begins the Year of Wonders, in which a Pennine village of 350 souls confronts a scourge beyond remedy or understanding. Desperate, the villagers turn to sorcery, herb lore, and murderous witch-hunting. Then, led by a young and charismatic preacher, they elect to isolate themselves in a fatal quarantine. The story is told through the eyes of Anna Frith who, at only 18, must contend with the death of her family, the disintegration of her society, and the lure of a dangerous and illicit attraction.
Geraldine Brooks's novel explores love and learning, fear and fanaticism, and the struggle of 17th century science and religion to deal with a seemingly diabolical pestilence. Year of Wonders is also an eloquent memorial to the real-life Derbyshire villagers who chose to suffer alone during England's last great plague.
Format: Paperback | 336 pages
Dimensions (cm): 19.7 x 13 x 1.9 | 242g
Publication Date: 23 Oct 2002
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Imprint: 4th Estate
Publication City/Country: London, United Kingdom
Language: English
Edition Number: 1
ISBN10: 184115458X
ISBN13: 9781841154589
Condition: Good
A vintage book that has been read but is in good condition. Some damage to the cover including creasing on the bottom-right corner of the front cover, but no holes or tears. The majority of pages are undamaged with minimal creasing, but no tearing. No pencil underlining of text, no highlighting of text and no writing in margins. No missing pages.