#89 Year of Wonders

I finished this book a few days ago and just couldn't make myself sit down and write it up. We had a very busy weekend filled with a surprise party for friends, mother-daughter book club(I'll fill you in about that one in tomorrow's post), training runs for my race, church and teaching Sunday school, and the best part of my weekend - seeing the newest Harry Potter movie. I just love Harry Potter!!

So on to the book - Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. I really enjoyed reading this book. Historical fiction is so interesting and it has taken over my reading preferences. Rarely do I read anything else these days. While I have read many biblical based fiction stories (stories about Esther and Sarah and Michel - David's wife) and fiction based on European painters (The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant was awesome and Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier was really good too), I had never given much thought to the plague before or how it attacked the world as it did hundreds of years ago. I was very interested in the relationship between Anna, the main character who loses her family one by one, and the preacher and his wife. I am intrigued by the different religious thoughts at the time that God sent the plague to sinners to teach them a lesson or blaming the Devil and "witches" for bringing the contagion to their small community. It amazes me how whole families were wiped out, how one member of some households managed to avoid the plague, and how people deal with a crisis of this magnitude. The fact that this book was based on a real town in England that quarantined itself off to stop the spread the disease made it so much more interesting to imagine. How exhausting to be alive at this time, terrified of the disease, trying to help affected friends and family, dealing with the people who take advantage of the weak when they need help the most. No wonder some people went mad, how could you be expected to take all that on and not be completely destroyed in the process. Even in her weakness, Anna remains such a powerful character.


I was absorbed throughout the book and was only partially disappointed with the very ending of Anna's tale. I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who haven't' read it yet - because I do recommend it! I just want there to be a slightly different ending. If you finish reading this book and want me to elaborate of what I would have changed, send me a comment and I'll share some more...

Next up is 10 Year Nap by Meg Wolitzer. This one just spoke to me. Four friends who have been stay at home moms for 10 years and their thoughts and feelings and struggles with the choices they have made. Will they go back to work or continue as just mom? Since I am currently struggling with this issue myself I thought I might gain some wisdom by reading this book. I hope there is wisdom to be gleaned because I could sure use some:)