St Chad’s Church, Linden Avenue, Woodseats Church Office: 9 Linden Avenue, Sheffield S8 0GA Tel: (0114) 274 5086 Page 24 email: office@stchads.org website: www.stchads.org
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks Fact and fiction blend together in this fascinating story told through the eyes of Anna Frith, a young widow of 18. Anna’s husband died working in the lead mines, leaving her with two young children. This was a tragedy in itself but worse was the come, for the village where Anna lived was Eyam in Derbyshire. Her impoverished home was where George Vickers, the journeyman tailor, came to lodge, bringing with him fabric from London. Unbeknown to him, and everyone else in the village, he also brought the Black Death, hidden in the damp, flea-ridden cloth. As the story unfolds we are get to know many of Anna’s neighbours as they struggle with the hardships of rural 17th century life. We gain insight into the harrowing experience of working down the mines. The hill farmers can barely scratch a living above ground. We experience their fear, and then their sorrow, as family members and friends succumb to the plague. We learn about their superstitions. Some put their faith in herb lore, which leads to accusations of witchcraft and sorcery with devastating results. There is religious tension within the community, too, and physical violence as some begin to lose their grip on reality. Whilst several families decide to flee, the charismatic vicar persuades the remaining villagers to accept voluntary isolation in the hope of containing the plague. Those who know the true facts will no doubt find the ending of the novel more than a little fanciful, but remember that this is a novel after all – a blend of fact and fiction. The title Year of Wonders comes from Dryden’s poem, Annus Mirabilis in which he describes the terrible year of 1666, marked by the Great Fire of London, the Great Plague and the war against the Dutch. Anna Frith, a woman with a deep faith, no doubt held fast to the words, “God moves in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform”, which gave her the strength to support and strengthen others. Despite its subject, the book is not depressing. It is a poignant story of love and lasting friendship, of personal loss and selfless bravery. The characters are beautifully drawn. The true story of Eyam challenged author Geraldine Brooks and it is a challenge for us, too. A former war correspondent, she has seen other communities face impossible situations – in the Balkans, the Middle East and Africa. In the Afterward, she writes, “What would it be like to have to make such a choice (as the villagers of Eyam did) and to find that, in consequence, two thirds of your neighbours were dead within a year? How would faith, relationships and social order survive?” Chris Laude St Chad’s 3rd Age Book Group Book Review St Chad’s Church, Linden Avenue, Woodseats Church Office: 9 Linden Avenue, Sheffield S8 0GA Tel: (0114) 274 5086 Page 25 email: office@stchads.org website: www.stchads.org