Year of Wonders
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague'' is a 2001 international bestselling
historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...
novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
by Geraldine Brooks. It was chosen as both a ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' and ''
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' Notable Book.


Plot introduction

The novel is written in the point of view of a housemaid named Anna Frith, on what she lives through when the plague hits her village. It is based on the history of the small
Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...
village of Eyam that, when beset by the plague in 1666, quarantines itself in order to prevent the disease from spreading further. The plague that hit Eyam and other parts of the UK in 1665-1666 was one of many recurrences that had taken place since the
Black Death The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...
of the 14th century.


Plot summary

The novel opens in the spring of 1665 when a young widow Anna Frith, takes on a tailor, George Remington Viccars as a
boarder A boarder may be a person who: *snowboards *skateboards *bodyboards * surfs *stays at a boarding house *attends a boarding school *takes part in a boarding attack The Boarder may also refer to: * ''The Boarder'' (1953 film), a 1953 Soviet drama ...
. Shortly after the arrival of a box of fabrics from London, Mr. Viccars develops a high fever, and starts exhibiting symptoms of the
bubonic plague Bubonic plague is one of three types of plague caused by the plague bacterium (''Yersinia pestis''). One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and vomiting, as well a ...
. He begs her to burn all he brought with him to stop the spread of disease , but after his death, Mr. Viccars' clients come to claim their work and disregard the warning. Over the next few weeks, Anna's neighbor (Mr. Viccars' employer), her two young sons, and a few other villagers fall ill with the plague and die. The spate of deaths is blamed on a widow, Mem Gowdie and her niece, Anys Gowdie, the village's herbalists and
midwives A midwife is a health professional who cares for mothers and newborns around childbirth, a specialization known as midwifery. The education and training for a midwife concentrates extensively on the care of women throughout their lifespan; con ...
, who are accused of being witches. Both Mem and Anys are murdered by villagers. The Rector Mr. Michael Mompellion proposes that the villagers quarantine themselves to avoid spreading the "plague-seeds" beyond the village. With the exception of the Bradfords, the local
landed gentry The landed gentry, or the ''gentry'', is a largely historical British social class of landowners who could live entirely from rental income, or at least had a country estate. While distinct from, and socially below, the British peerage, th ...
, the whole village agrees. Over the following months, Anna and the rector's wife Elinor attempt to learn the uses of the contents of the Gowdies' physick garden, and take up the roles of village midwives. Anna and Elinor develop a strong bond through their trials, the relationship becoming one of friends and equals instead of a servant and her mistress. They support each other through their struggles, and Elinor confesses as to why a high-born woman such as herself married a humble rector and devoted her life to helping the less fortunate. Meanwhile, as Elinor and Anna take care of the needs of the living, Mompellion struggles to keep up with the spiritual needs of the dying. After the sexton dies of heart failure from digging so many graves, Anna persuades her father, Josiah Bont, to take up the work of gravedigging, but her plan fails when he takes to robbing the estates of the dead. Finally, the villagers hold a
Barmote Court A barmote court (also written bergjisote, barghmote, bargemote and barmoot) is a court held in the lead mining districts of Derbyshire, England, for the purpose of determining the customs peculiar to the industry and also for the settlements of an ...
, where he is left to die or be saved by his wife, Aphra. But no one comes to save him. Aphra, already superstitious, quickly descends into complete madness upon the death of three of her four children from plague and is discovered selling bogus charms and spells against the plague for extortionate prices. She does this by pretending to be the ghost of the deceased Anys Gowdie. The villagers punish her by casting her into a disused well that now serves as a manure pit, in which she nearly drowns. She is completely incoherent and in a catatonic state by the time she is brought out in the morning, and the rector postpones dealing with her crimes fully until the plague is over. As no more are stricken with the Plague, the remaining villagers become secure in the fact that the Plague is truly gone from their village. Mompellion chooses to hold a service of Thanksgiving for their deliverance. However, the service has barely begun when a deranged Aphra, clutching the corpse of her youngest child, attacks the congregation, fatally slicing Elinor's neck before turning the knife on herself. Mompellion succumbs wholly to grief and the total loss of his faith in God. Without their rector to guide them, the villagers also descends into ennui, too traumatized after so many months of death and suffering. As Anna discovers a will to live in spite of the ordeal, she seeks to comfort Mompellion, and they are drawn together in equal desire and desperation for each other. After they make love, Mompellion confesses his own dark secret regarding his relationship with Elinor (He admits to never having sexual relations with his wife because of a sin she committed earlier in life), and Anna is repulsed. She flees, and finds the newly returned Elizabeth Bradford, who confesses that her mother is in labour with a bastard child and sure to die. Anna goes with Elizabeth and is able to safely deliver the baby. As the Colonel would not permit the bastard child to live, Anna offers to take the child and leave the village permanently. In the epilogue, she briefly narrates the three years since she left Eyam. Her flight from the Bradford's wrath leads her to board the next ship leaving the port of Plymouth, taking her and the child to
Oran Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...
. Upon her arrival, she seeks out a
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
doctor, having found physick and midwifery to be her vocation. He agrees to take her in, due to his despair at
sex segregation in Islam Gender segregation in Islamic law, custom, law and traditions refers to the practices and requirements in Islamic countries and communities for the separation of men and boys from women and girls in social and other settings. Views There ha ...
keeping women and their husbands from seeking his aid during medical emergencies and labour. To satisfy the customs of the
Al-Andalus Al-Andalus DIN 31635, translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label=Berber languages, Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, ...
Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
s, he takes her as one of his wives
in name only ''In Name Only'' is a 1939 romantic film starring Cary Grant, Carole Lombard, and Kay Francis, directed by John Cromwell. It was based on the 1935 novel ''Memory of Love'' by Bessie Breuer. The fictional town where it is set, Bridgefield, Con ...
so that she may continue her study and work with him freely. The book closes with her taking her two daughters by the hand before going into the city – the Bradford child, who is now named
A'isha Aisha ( ar, , translit=ʿĀʾisha bint Abī Bakr; , also , ; ) was Muhammad's third and youngest wife. In Islamic writings, her name is thus often prefixed by the title "Mother of the Believers" ( ar, links=no, , ʾumm al- muʾminīn), referr ...
, for the sustenance she gave Anna during their sea voyage to Oran, and her birth daughter, conceived with Michael Mompellion, whom she has named Elinor.


Characters

* Anna Frith, the protagonist of the novel, is employed as a young housemaid at the Rector's house. Widowed with two young sons at age 18, she witnesses first-hand the trauma of the plague, as her house-guest, children and neighbours all sicken and die. * Elinor Mompellion, the Rector's wife, who bonds with Anna as they do what they can to help the other villagers. * Michael Mompellion, the Rector, who is the new priest in the village, has to get used to the village and faces the challenge of being a leader for the village and visiting people's bedsides as they die. * Mr. Viccars, a tailor who stays at Anna's house, and is the first to get sick with the plague. Before he dies, he asks Anna to burn his clothes that he has made for the townspeople. * Anys Gowdie, a medicine specialist, who attracts much attention in the village (particularly from the menfolk). After the first spate of deaths, she and her aunt Mem Gowdie are accused of being witches. * The Bradfords, a wealthy family who flee whilst the rest of the village commit to quarantine themselves in order to prevent spreading the "Plague-seeds".


Reception

Shaunagh O'Conner describes the novel as "quirky, stranger-than-fiction tales from history", and praising its use of "fascinating details of life in the 1600s." Laura D. Shumar compared ''Year of Wonders'' to "
Albert Camus Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His work ...
's ''La Peste'' (1947; '' The Plague'', 1948)." In an interview with the author, Noah Adams called it "heartbreaking." Shumar also stated that "Anna was not a person but a perfect character." Laurence Mazzeno of Magill Book Reviews praises it as "Exceptionally well researched and deftly crafted". In 2020, the book was named the 100th most banned and/or challenged book in the United States from 2010 to 2019, according to the
American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...
.


Major Themes

The Australian named the themes of "witchcraft, madness, and repressed sexuality." The book also has the themes of strength, woman's power, religion and trust.


References


External links


About ''Year of Wonders''
Geraldine Brooks' official website

Includes interview with Geraldine Brooks
Interview between author on ''Year of Wonders''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Year Of Wonders Historical novels 2001 novels Novels set in Derbyshire Fiction set in 1666 Novels about the Black Death