Summer Reading Recommendation

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks is set in the Derbyshire village of Eyam in 1665 - the year that plague spread devastatingly through the country. The story follows the fortunes of three central characters: Anna, a serving girl; the local rector and his wife, Elinor as they try to cope with the appalling tragedy unfolding around them.


I wasn't sure if I would like this book - the blurb on the back cover made it sound somewhat politically correct and I'm not a fan of historical fiction which gives a modern interpretation to archaic events or people. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Geraldine Brooks does a wonderful job of making the characters and events accessible to a modern audience, but still maintains the feel and attitudes of a remote 17th century village and offers a lot of interesting historical detail without ever making the reader feel they are being lectured to. 


The book really turns on it's characters, and all are beautifully drawn and believable. The relationships between the central characters are intriguing, and complex - I won't say too much because I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it, but all is not what it seems!


All in, Year of Wonders is a wonderful novel and well worth a look if you want to add something a little different to your summer reading list.

Find out more about Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague