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

Good story - annoying narrator

Would you listen to Year of Wonders again? Why?

Listen - no - really didn't like the narrator's tone of voice.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Year of Wonders?

The strength and fortitude of the main character Anna Frith.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Geraldine Brooks?

Almost anyone; maybe Davina Porter?

If you could take any character from Year of Wonders out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Anna Frith, perhaps Eleanor as well. I'd love to hear more about Anna's experiences during the epilogue of the tale.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed the book, and the adaptation of this 'true' story of a plague year in Darbyshire, England. My only complaint; the narrator had the most annoying nasal, downcast quality to her voice. While this was not a happy story for the most part - each time I started up the recording my own mood would deflate to match the tone of the story. Once the book got going I could kind of ignore the tone of the narrator's voice - but ugh - not my favorite narrator by any stretch.

Courage and compassion in a desperate time.

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

It made the era come alive. Detailed descriptions of living conditions--homes, clothing, food, work, sanitation--one can easily imagine oneself back then.

What did you like best about this story?

Do you ever wonder what it would've been like to have lived centuries ago, coping with harsh conditions we have no experience of today--feudalism, plague, witch hunts, etc.?What was it like to be an ordinary person back then? Year of Wonders describes how bubonic plague affected one Derbyshire village during 1666, through the life of one woman.
Although events are harrowing, bringing out both the best and worst in villagers, there is a goodness and humanity that makes this book uplifting and hopeful.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Geraldine Brooks' voice and narration made me think she suffers from major depression. If the story hadn't been so engaging, I would not have been able to endure her narration. If there should be a choice among narrators in future recordings, I recommend anyone but Ms Brooks.

Great book, ghastly reader

How could the performance have been better?

Once again, an author truly ruins her own excellent book by insisting on reading it aloud. This author has an awful speech impediment; someone should have stopped her! Honestly!

Riveting and Heartwarming

Where does Year of Wonders rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top quarter

Who was your favorite character and why?

The narrator is the most fully drawn of all the characters, and she is likable throughout. It is also heartwarming to see her grow into an ever more sensitive, dedicated
and passionate maturity.

What about Geraldine Brooks’s performance did you like?

I appreciated how she brought the narrator's quiet strength to life.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The growing friendship between the narrator, Anna, and her employer, the minister's wife, was most heartwarming, but the moment of her recognition of a baby's fate and her decision to take on her care was nothing short of inspiring.

Any additional comments?

Besides a powerful page turning story this book will give most readers a most helpful insight into life in 16th century plague torn England.

One Crazy Year

**Spoiler Alert**

1st 3/4 of the Book: 4 stars
Last 1/4 of the Book: 2 stars

The plague portion of the book I really enjoyed (that sounds weird, I know). It was dark and sad and haunting. At first described as an beautiful pasturial and hard-working community, Eyam in Derbyshire, made you ache to visit historic England and then dashed your hopes as the plague infested this village in 1665-66. You felt the pain of the villagers as they suffered through the bubonic plague. I found myself encouraging Anna and Elinor Mompellion as they researched herbs to relieve plague victims and to fight off the disease.

Then things got weird. This seemingly accurate and heart-wrenching story started to become a romance novel. Not that I mind a romance, but it just didn't fit the rest of the book. I can handle Anna getting down with the rector. Even though there were no real hints of her attraction to the minister, I could get behind Anna wanting to experience her friend Elinor's love life. To have the heroic minister turn into a dark and twisted character seemed wrong. There were only a few hints into this dark nature, and I didn't think it was ample build up for what transpired.

Next, the Bradfords turn into the ultra villians after appearing for only 10 pages beforehand. I understand by abandoning the town during the plague made them bad people - they certainly caused the town grief during their worst moments. But to become adulterers and baby murderers all of the sudden was just...puzzling.

Finally, Anna sails away (by herself...in 1666...yeaaaaaaaaah) only to become one of many wives of a Arabian doctor. So, all of the character building and strength is washed away as she willing becomes a wife to live with a doctor and learn his medical wisdom.

I don't know if Brooks wanted to make the book more exciting by building in a thrilling conclusion, but it stole the spirit of the 3/4 of the book. The majority of Year of Wonders is about a community who heroically suffered through the plague without endangering the surrounding villages. Readers felt the small joys because that's all the town had during a year of hell. As a reader, you felt pride in Anna's strength as she realized her gift in medicine. To have her just abandon the village after months of suffering with it seemed wrong.

Regarding the narration - Geraldine Brooks' narrated her own book. Her raspy British accent suited Anna, but it took awhile to get used to it. It became a little monotone - I found myself tuning her out at key points.

Year of Wonders

A beautiful story that evokes a time of deprivation and fear through the eyes of courage.

Engrossing story, perfect narration!

There have been many who find fault with the narration of this audio book They are missing the point of the story, which is that this is a tale of a simple woman who finds her strength and more actualized self through the hardships she endures. For much of the book I felt that I was sitting in her cottage and she was sharing her narrative as a friend. She isn't an accomplished actress, as you would expect from a village woman, but she conveys all of the characters with a subtle but noticeable discernment.
I have listened to or read several of Geraldine Brooks' books and she never fails to astound and delight me with the depth of her understanding of her given subject and the beauty of her writing.

Slow Start Picks Up Steam

The beginning was slow, but I loved the central character's depth and became deeply invested.

An amazing listen

A friend told me about this book. It was even better than their review. One warning ... you will have trouble pausing once you start. I love historical fiction and this was a great example of it.

Worth Your While

This is a wonderful story and well worth the listen. The author has chosen to narrate and while I can say she does better than some professional actors I’ve suffered through, I would have loved to hear this powerful story through a more able interpreter. Her narration is flat and lacks variance or the richness her story deserves. Still, we’ll worth your time.