Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

In 1665 an actual village infected by the plague cut themselves off from the world sacrificing themselves to prevent the spread of the disease. In this fictionalization by Brooks you follow young widow Anna Frith. In their isolation the town is stripped to their essence. Many are lost to the disease and those that remain are changed forever some for the better. The subtitle is “A Novel of the Plague” but really this is a novel of humanity. People are put to the test in every way possible. Some of them turn to crime and others turn to the devil, but a few like Anna turn to themselves. A great story of personal journey that is almost impossible to put down.

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

I’ve been dying to get my hands on a copy of this book for months and it definitely lived up to the anticipation. Brooks works with the same amount of detail as her book expert, Hanna. The elegant writing paints colorful portraits of each moment in time. Hanna makes a perfect gateway into this world of science and history because you feel as if you have passed her on the street and now you are just seeing the passions of an ordinary woman. At first it seems to be Hanna’s story until you realize that she is just another of the fascinating people of the book. Each character has a fully developed life filled with struggle and the book is just a single chapter of their lives. An absolutely fascinating read that will fill you with every possible emotion.