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

Great Book

Most people have heard of the Black Death but this book takes you to a personal story of what one person saw, felt, tasted, and survived.

Little Miss Mumbles

Y’all, the other reviews don’t lie—the narrator in this book, the author of the novel, is awful. She mumbles, speaks softly, and is unbelievably monotone in her delivery. I find myself fighting to pay attention to the story, not because it’s not interesting, but because the narrator induces a coma. I sat through the whole book because I paid for it and I liked the story, but I recommend reading it.

Well researched story of the impact of the Black Plague

Often a well written work of fiction is truer than a work of history. Such is the case of Year of Wonders. The title obscures the harsh description of life in the clutches of the Black Plague in England’s 1600’s. The story rings true to the actual accounts of survivors of the terrible time in human history.
The author reads her own work. Her voice lacked the emotion I would have expected fro such an intense story. Still, she told the tale effectively.
I recommend this account of a dreadful time in European history.

one of the most beautiful books I have ever encoun

how does a writer of historical fiction get so deeply into the minds and hearts of characters , particularly when the book is set during the middle ages? that, to me, is one of the many wonders of this novel.

Great book, ending was especially wonderful.

Stay with this wonderful book! You will have a joy and a wonderment they wonderment when finished!

Low-key little gem

While I wouldn't run out and tell everyone to read this book, I found it to be a simple look at a time and the people amidst that time. The reader was great and just endeared me to the young woman who was the main character--and who told the story of a year in her life. I do highly recommend.

Enlightening and inspiring!

I love the story, the narrator, and the author’s reading. Highly recommend this beautifully descriptive work of historical fiction.

Great book!

The reader was a bit monotone, however it seemed to me to fit the woman’s personality and the fact that she had no ability to change her lot in life.

Not what I expected

The story did not hold my interest and I struggled to finish. The narrator spoke in a monotone that almost put me to sleep.

Well told.

I felt Anna’s voice was well represented. A young maid, tossed about by events well beyond her control- a vengeful father, a lost husband, a constrictive society, and a plague that robs her of everything she holds dear. Through it all, she perseveres- not for sake is self but for those she loves or who are in greatest need.
Additionally, I felt another layer in this book having lived through a pandemic. While our modern experience pales in comparison to the horrors of 1666, human reactions are startlingly similar.