Year of Wonders

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Summary: Wonder-ful Surprise
Review: I wasn't so keen on reading a book about the plague when my book club decided on this book. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The book is more than about the plague itself. The characters are unforgettable and the dilemma that they are plunged into makes this book a real page turner.

Rating:
Summary: Year of Wonders
Review: Year of Wonders is a touching and sad book about a small village in England that becomes infected with the Black Plague. In the course of one year, two-thirds of the village's population was wiped out. The author, Geraldine Brooks, based this book on a true story about a village she had visited called Eyam in Derbyshire, England. Eyam had really undergone this devastation and Brooks portrays the story very well basing the characters on actual people who lived in the town.
In the story, the priest in the village decides it would be best if the village quarantines themselves, not allowing anyone in or anyone out. In the village's attempt to save the outside world from being infected with the plague, they all sacrificed their own lives and few were spared after this scourge ended. Some of the book is very upsetting and down-right gross, but it's all a part of what this book is about. If you think you'll be able to get through the book, you won't regret it. The ending takes a surprising twist, which I'm not sure was the best choice, but it doesn't matter too much to me because I loved everything else. Year of Wonders truly is a wonder in itself and definately worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: Good story with an unbalanced ending
Review: I enjoyed this book -- I am a big fan of historical fiction, and found this story to be carefully researched and historically accurate. However, I was not surprised to read, after I finished the book, that the author Ms. Brooks was a Washington Post correspondent in the Middle East. The ending almost seemed like a way for Brooks to somehow include her knowledge of Islam in a novel about 17th century England -- it was a bit disenchanting, and subtracted from the believability of the novel. However, the rest of the novel was enthralling - I would still highly recommend the book to other readers.

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Summary: "Year of Wonders" A Historical Fiction novel worth the read
Review: In a time of death, despair and pain amidst the height of the Black Plague, Geraldine Brooks' use of imaginative and descriptive language provides insight into a period of history that is truly fascinating. Year Of Wonders, a novel about a small mountain village north of London which is stricken with the plague due to a bolt of infected cloth, is captivating and poignant. More than merely a story of devastation, Year Of Wonders is a glimpse into 1666, enabling readers to emerse themselves into this intriguing novel. Brooks elicts the emotions of all her readers by using beautiful language and having a great deal of knowledge about the seventeenth century.
As a person who enjoys reading historical fiction, I was impressed by Geraldine Brooks. She truly is a great storyteller. I recommend that any person who is interested in history pick up this book. With impressive period detail, Brooks has created an elegant work of fiction based on a true story about the lives of those in Eyam, Derbyshire. This work of fiction is worth the read.

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Summary: Tiff's review
Review: Year of Wonders in my view was not all that of a book. It took place in the time of the plague, which was some type of disease that was going around and hurting many people in the town. This book to me was not so interesting. I told myself that I was not going to read it, but did anyway, I think that's why I dislike the book so. I mean don't get me wrong, there were some good parts in it like love, marriage and what not, but there were some bad parts. The deaths of the people were a bit harsh, and that Mr. Mompellion man I tell you, he was something else. He looked down upon women.....very bad. On the flip side, I do not recommend this book to those who don't like to read of course, and don't like long books. If you like to read about issues in the 1860's I guess this will be a good choice, but you will be sorry. That's just me!

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Summary: Year of Wonders
Review: The novel, Year of Wonders, takes place in a town in England which is overrun by the Bubonic Plague. The main character Anna loses her husband to a mining accident early in the story, her two children also die early in the story. During this time, Anna devotes herself to helping the villagers overcome their illness. Overall, the mood of the novel is sad and depressing. So many people are lost to the Bubonic Plague, and it is hard to imagine what Anna had to go through. I think that this book was a good read even though it was sad. It was an entertaining story with a good plot and interesting dialogue.

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Summary: Year of Wonders Review
Review: The book Year of Wonders did not grab my attention to the story of the Black Plague. The theme was emotional and depressing, which wasn't entertaining for me to read for a free reading book. The book expresses feelings toward death, love and working together through such a difficult time. By reading this book you feel Anna's emotions when those close to her, such as family and loved ones, die because of the Plague. The plot captures a unique and mind-twisting love story that is looked upon as rebellious during that time period, along with a society working together and fighting to stay alive. Families have to decide whether to stay in the town or move out, risking spread of the Plague. Any decisions would hurt those around you, and death was a common outcome. Read Year of Wonders to find out if the society works together to overcome the Plague or are families selfish about surviving this tragedy.

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Summary: A story on how time heals all wounds!
Review: Year of Wonders was actually a good book. It talks about how people grow closer together and farther apart. It teaches people how hard it is to cope with being alone and scared. It also shows how to deal with these hardships. It tells about how old comforts that one has can easily be turned into something someone dreads. This is a really good book, and has an ending that to most would consider to be predictable but has many different twists that make you question what the ending is really going to be like. It is a book that is spiritually enlightening when you learn of the commitment that some of the characters have to God and their religion. This is the type of book that you would curl up with on the couch in your pajamas on a rainy day, sip on hot chocolate, and manage to not put this book down for hours.

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Summary: Year Of Wonders Review
Review: Year of Wonders is a book I read for free reading in English class. I was excited to read it, but was not impressed with the story once I began. I felt like it was too sad to comprehend. All the pain and sorrow these characters went though, it was so intense, it's hard to capture it. The main character, Anna, has a life-changing event that ends in a very unexpected way. I feel that she is overwhelmed with pain from losing her family, then randomly changes her life around. This book is definitely interesting, and I would recommend it to anybody patient and emotional enough to feel the characters' pain.

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Summary: Year of Wonders-review
Review: The time period in which this novel takes place is not one that in general is an "easy read." Year of Wonders takes place during the Black Plague. The main character of this novel, Anna, goes through many struggles throughout the plot of the story. The changes she goes through throughout her life are phenomenal. The author, Geraldine Brooks describes the struggles Anna and a whole town must go through to survive during the plague. This novel expresses the struggles of a whole town and the differences they all must go through more than any other novel I have read. This novel is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the struggles of people living through the time period of the Black Plague.