Rating: 
Summary: A Thumping Good Read
Review: I heard a review of this book on NPR and it BLEW me away! A totally reviting story--and imagine it's based on a true event! I was captivated by this book--its theme, its characters, its sense of drama, EVERYTHING! I would highly recommend this book to any avid reader!
Rating:
Summary: Treat yourself.
Review: If you need to lose yourself in a wonderfully satisfying story look no further. This is a rich and powerful piece of historical fiction, based on the quarantine of a British plague town in the 1600's. Geraldine Brooks' years as a foreign journalist have equipped her with all the qualifications to develop such an amazing central character as Anna, whose generous spirit is palpable through the pages. Every time Anna is forced to endure the worst despair that you could possibly imagine she somehow finds the strenghth to carry on by helping someone else. My only criticism is that the ending stretched credibility a little over the top but see for yourself.
Rating: 
Summary: Despite the sadness, I kept reading
Review: When I read this book, I remember thinking to myself how EVERY page had a reference to either death, illness, suffering, torture or some other terrible sadness. I also remember asking myself why I (or anyone else) wanted to continue reading and be exposed to all this. Something kept me captivated-maybe the writing, maybe the main character's strength or maybe both. For some strange reason, I really enjoyed this book.
Rating: 
Summary: The Red Tent by any other name .....stinketh just the same
Review: I was prepared to read a well crafted fictionalized story about a town's struggle and courage through a plague outbreak but was hoodwinked by reviews into reading (Psycho theme) ... a thinly disguised ROMANCE NOVEL. The plague line, like the biblical reference in 'Red Tent', loosely gave structure to nothing more than a vehicle to promote man-hating, feminist tripe: Woman-to-woman attraction, the strong, tireless, resilient (I am WOMAN hear me roar!) main character, the beastly men. Other reviewers were puzzled as to why the odd ending - and why not? She couldn't let the story end with even one man (the viccar) being remembered as a decent, loving man of faith and integrity - he HAD to be exposed - as ALL men obviously are! as deep-down being an utterly repulsive, flesh mongering animal. The story had so much potential. She did have a good use of language, but come on, this book was lightweight. OK I guess for the beach but if you are looking for an intellectual read, pass this up - definitely not worth wasting on a book club discussion.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Start but Disappointing Second Half
Review: Although the premise of this story is intriguing and the story is written in an engrossing manner, I was very disappointed with it's ending and almost felt betrayed by its totally contrived and ridiculous second half. It's really a shame that the author appears to have lost her good judgement in plot development as she had me completely committed to the story and its sympathetic protagonist, Anna, after the first page until she lost me around half way through.
Rating:
Summary: An Unforgettable Read!!
Review: This has been my most favored historical fiction read of this year. I came upon the novel while substitute teaching in a history class in high school. While students were testing, I read a chapter from "Year of Wonders" which would be their next year's read for history class. I was totally captivated by this author's impressive writing. It is a powerfully written story about the hardships, lives and deaths of a Derbyshire village, where almost half the population is succumbed by a contagious bout of Bubonic Plague during the year of 1666. The author tells this compelling story through the main character, 18 year old Anna Frith. Her and her villagers voluntarily seal themselves from the rest of the world to try to stop the spreading of this contagion. There is a variety of lives, not unlike our own and the struggles they endure with both despair and courage. This book was impossible to put down from start to finish. I felt like the author had explained a piece of history she had personally lived. It is a must read for every history teacher and student as well as historical fiction lover like myself.
Rating:
Summary: Why not a bestseller?
Review: I don't get it. This book is consummately researched, richly detailed, and pretty damn enthralling. Yes, the good/evil delineation of characters is a bit unbelievable, and the ending is positively ridiculous, but most of the story is incredibly absorbing and well-crafted. So why isn't this book a bigger hit? When I compare it to Girl With The Pearl Earring, it's amazing. That book is simplistic, trite, and obvious -- this is a far more engaging exploration of human nature. It's better written, especially in terms of conveying the historical period and setting. So why has the more simplistic book been such a smash hit? It makes me despair about most readers' intelligence.
Rating:
Summary: Great read with too easy a finish
Review: After reading Nine Parts of Desire and hearing that Ms. Brooks wrote a novel, I was eager to purchase and read the hard cover. It is a good historical book, well researched by all accounts, and dramatises well the town and times. However, Ms. Brooks does not quite know what to do with her story and characters and takes too easy a road to finish the book. It's like drinking a wine with great potential, but lousy finish.
Rating:
Summary: --An intelligent and absorbing novel--
Review: Geraldine Brooks, a foreign correspondent and the author of NINE PARTS OF DESIRE shows that she can also write great fiction. This story was inspired by Eyam, a real village in England which is referred to as Plague Village. Brooks visited there several times and did extensive research for this novel. This is historical fiction in it's purest sense. The author tells the story of one Derbyshire village that was devastated by the bubonic plague. The main character is Anna Firth, a maid in the home of the local vicar, Michael Mompellion and his wife, Elinor. When the plague arrives in the village, the vicar preaches that the town's inhabitants should seal themselves away from the rest of the country and stay in the village. As time passes, and more and more deaths occur, the villagers can no longer cope and start to become involved in witchcraft and other barbaric practices. The two women, Anna and Elinor are the true strength of the community, and learn as much as they can about herbal lore and try to ease the pain and suffering of the victims. Once into the story, I did not want to put it down. It really shows the strength of the human spirit and how we have a bond that is shared by those who went before us. Although, this is a very painful story to read, it's written well and Brooks conveys true compassion through her main characters. After reading this book, I feel like I really visited that place and that time in our history. The ending was totally unexpected, but all things considered this is a great read and an unforgettable tale.
Rating:
Summary: Year of the Moving Melodrama
Review: This book was movingly written. The author's powers of description lead to a real sense of the people and place of the Plague Town. The tragedy she writes about is very affecting. For emotion, I would give it five stars. But heavens it is melodramatic in the extreme. People are either saintly or practically demonically evil. True to melodramatic stereotype, the evil ones runs to either the Imperious Rich Baby-Killing Aristocrat, or the Dirt-Poor Drunken Abusive Lout. For variety, sometimes saintly people turn demonic--which is certainly a shock to the reader--but it doesn't seem possible for Brooks' characters to have more than one characteristic at a time. In parts the writing is really over-the-top:... For the melodrama, I would reduce it to 3 stars. So it evens out to 4 stars - meaning you'll enjoy it very much if you don't take it too seriously. Read it on the beach.
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