What We're Reading Now

Year of Wonders: A Novel of  the Plague

    by Geraldine Brooks

    Book Guide: Drew Harrington, University Librarian

 

 

 Quick to read and hard to put down, Year of Wonders: a Novel of the Plague, like its title, weighs the stark contrasts between human hope and transformation, and the graphic, spirit-breaking devastation of the Black Plague. 

Author Geraldine Brooks is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, whose research turned up a stark account of an actual English Village, Eyam, which was cruelly visited by the Plague in 1665. Growing from that research, Brooks has created a work of fiction that draws us into a fascinating, up-close look at what Plague does to individuals and families, and how it transforms human civility and community.  
 
The captivating story is told by young Anna Frith, an 18-year old widow who works in the village rectory as a housemaid. The horrors of Plague collapse class barriers and challenge village amenities, allowing unusual, and sometimes startling bonds to develop between Anna,  Rector Mompellion and his wife Elinor.
 
There is a lovely simplicity to the book, yet it raises complex questions—the tension between faith and reason, issues of station and gender, and the transformative power of education. In some ways it is a book that faithfully reflects its setting, steeped in 17th Century concepts of God, sin, and pagan superstition. In other ways it is a book that steps forward, questioning and intellectualizing in ways that seem unexpectedly modern.
 
Brooks’ village characters capture our interest, and many of them have secrets that emerge as the Plague year strips away sanity and social mores.   The practical yet passionate Anna is a classic heroine, who engages both our hearts and our minds.
 
I think that you will find this to be a joyful reading experience in spite of the often grim content, and I look forward to exchanging thoughts about our Spring ReadUP book.
 

 

Welcome to ReadUP!

Submitted by harringd on Tue, 04/01/2008 - 2:54pm.

Welcome to ReadUP, the University of Portland's online reading community sponsored by the Clark Memorial Library.  Join University faculty, friends, alumni, staff, and students each season in exploring engaging books and participating in lively online discussions.  Read more on why ReadUP

Experts lead each session and you can all your own thoughts and input in the  Reader's Forum.  Previous season's guides are available under Past Readings.  Whenever possible, on-campus lectures with the author or subject matter expert will be incorporated.  Please check the Events calendar for details. The University welcomes all in our exploration of the joy of literature!

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