Year of Wonders: A Novel

Written by:
Geraldine Brooks
Narrated by:
Geraldine Brooks

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
51
Narrator
23
Release Date
August 2010
Duration
10 hours 6 minutes
Summary
“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.
Reviews
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Carolyn Donovan

I had to abandon this book, the narrator I thought was the wrong choice for this novel. There was not enough differentiation between the character voices to always know who was speaking, which made a frustrating listen. I can't really rate the book because I the narration caused me to give it up, but I've given it four stars as I don't want my thoughts on the narrator to reflect the quality of the book.

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Neda L.

I had to stop reading! Read almost 1/3 of the book but the narrator was absolutely the wrong choice for such a beautifully written book! Monotonous voice and quite boring! I don’t think she is the right choice for narrating any books!

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Kimra M.

A real page turner…… couldn’t stop reading! Wish it had a more realistic ending.

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Anonymous

I throughly enjoyed this book ever with such a sad subjrct

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Anonymous

Can't believe I unknowingly chose this book about the plague of 1666, written in 2010, right now during the pandemic of 2020! There were certainly some moments that inspired reflection on the connection of the human experience, then and now. Also, learning about the Black Plague and its era was fascinating (so well-researched!) and certainly put my experience during this outbreak into perspective! The fictional human story that rode atop the terrible wave of disease and death, suffering and grief was profoundly moving, as well. The abrupt and surprising twist at the end still has me thinking about something else entirely, however, about how, in an attempt to share our convictions as a means of comforting our suffering neighbors, we risk becoming hypocrites ourselves when our own faith is shattered. Regarding the narration, I appreciated Geraldine Brooks as the lead character, reading from her perspective.

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Julie L.

I enjoyed this book, but the narrator was terrible. Geraldine Brooks is a talented writer, but someone should have told her that narrating isn’t her strength. Her voice was mumbling and murmuring. Even dialogue of anger or passion sounded dim and vague. I wondered if she ever really opened her mouth to form the words. I would suggest reading the print book instead of listening to it. I enjoyed this book, not because of the narrator, but despite her.

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Anonymous

I loved this book. I found it deep and meaningful. I really enjoyed the character development and insights into the village life.

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Lorraine Wilson

This book is well written and tells a heartbreaking story of one woman's life and struggles during the plague. The narrator is the author and she isn't bad, I just like a professional reader better. Listen to this book, you'll love it.

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