**"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.