Year of wonders

a novel of the plague

308 pages

English language

Published Dec. 8, 2001 by Viking.

ISBN:
978-0-670-91021-2
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This gripping historical novel is based on the true story of Eyam, the "Plague Village," in the rugged mountain spine of England. In 1666, a tainted bolt of cloth from London carries bubonic infection to this isolated settlement of shepherds and lead miners. A visionary young preacher convinces the villagers to seal themselves off in a deadly quarantine to prevent the spread of disease. The story is told through the eyes of eighteen-year-old Anna Frith, the vicar's maid, as she confronts the loss of her family, the disintegration of her community, and the lure of a dangerous and illicit love. As the death toll rises and people turn from prayers and herbal cures to sorcery and murderous witch-hunting, Anna emerges as an unlikely and courageous heroine in the village's desperate fight to save itself.

3 editions

Subjects

  • Plague -- Fiction
  • Historical fiction
  • Great Britain -- History -- Charles II, 1660-1685 -- Fiction