book club selection for 2004

Was the July 2004 Book Club Selection. While it took me a while to get into this book I ended up liking it very much. An interesting story about a small town and the plague.

I'm editing this to say it's something of a spoiler, so don't read this before you read the book (if you don't want to know the ending). Sorry to anyone who read this first. I didn't think about it before writing it :-)

I got this book last week in the mail in a trade from a Connecticut BXer! Thanks so much for sharing it with me. I found it facinating. For some reason anything to do with plague is always interesting to me. How it effects a society not only physically but also how it totally changes its structure and the individuals in the society, for better or worse. The writing was really wonderful, and I it's even more interesting that it's based on a real town.
I found the ending an interesting twist. I was disappionted at what a horrible person the Rev. actually ended up being. I can't understand how he could inflict such a ridiculous punishment on a woman he says he loves. As if she would ever forget or forgive herself anyway. I don't think he exhibited forgiveness for her or anyone as he would have God do for him. It was really disgusting to me, and I suppose to Anna as well. I would have felt horrible for even letting him near me, and for wanting to take his wife's place. Although, I think it would be natural to feel that way, especially after enduring so much alone. Anyway, to put the modern term to it, he turned out to be such a jerk.
The only thing that annoyed me was what Anna ended up doing with herself. I thought that was extremely far-fetched. Ending up in France even Spain, Okay, but for her to end up in Africa somewhere and marry an Arab, just so she could be safe and learn medicine, was too much to me.
But overall, an excellent read.

This one is on it's way to a fellow BXer in celebration of my 100th book registered! Enjoy it. I'm kind of sad to see it leave my shelf because I like it so much, but I'm glad it will find a nice new home.

Year of Wonders arrived in the mail today. Thank you.

This book was so good I can't leave it just sit on the shelf. I've decided to form a bookring......the idea is to read within approximately a month, journal when you receive and after you read, the list will remain open so can change if others join. Following is the list so far:

collectorkerri - US (ship US/Canada)
CynthiaA - Canada (ship North America)
Aisling78 - Massachusetts (ship US)
bookgal23 - US New York
rooshill - US (ship US/Canada)
cyber-librarian - Illinois (ship US and Canada)
thebowiefollies - New York (ship anywhere)
Twynnie - UK (ship anywhere)
Chas04 - UK (ship UK and International)
Quico - Portugal (ship anywhere)<<<<< BOOK IS HERE
letra - Portugal (ship anywhere)
MandaJo - US (ship anywhere if necessary)
Back home to Olered

I have three bookring books ahead of this one. Good thing I'm a fast reader!

I thought this book was fascinating. A great take on a real story of sacrifice. Anna Frith was a sympathetic character, but the author never let you feel sorry for her, even when the situation in Eyam was so desperate.

Like LAbklvr, I did not particularly like the ending, but I wish he/she would not have given so much of the plot away. Had I read this journal entry before I read the book, it would have ruined it for me completely. This strengthens my resolve to not read journal entries before I read the book in case of spoilers.

On its way to CynthiaA.

Arrived safe and sound. Thank you collectorkerri!

This was a fabulous book! I liked it a lot.

Warning -- Minor SPOILERs below.




I loved that Anna was so strong, but not without faults. I loved that weakness became strength in Elinor. I loved that Michael's strength was shown as an example of how cruelty can be disguised as strength.

I enjoyed the exploration of how different people react differently when tragedy strikes. How some people cower with fear and give up. How some people exploit fear to their own gain. How some people manage to find inner strength they never knew existed until tragedy strikes. How fear begets violence. And how some people put on a brave mask while succumbing to weaknesses in their souls.

I found the whole situation between Michael and Elinor devastating, but imminently believable, given the time setting of the story.

I didn't mind the ending, unlike other journallers. I completely understood why the author had Anna reject the refuge of Michael's mentor, and when I realized she was on a ship, I had imaginings that she would end up in the New World. But knowing what I know about Geraldine Brooks -- that she was a news correspondant in the Middle East and had much experience with places of Arabic culture -- I was pleasantly surprised to see her add it in to her story in this way. It is true that the roots of medecine in Africa and the Middle East (as in most non-Westernized civilizations) is focused on prevention of disease more than treatment of disease, which bode well for what Anna had gleaned during the year of isolation. In particular, what I liked about the ending was the TWO baby girls, not just the one.

All in all a very rewarding reading experience. One that will stay with me for a long time.

The book began the next stretch of its journey this morning.

I'm glad there were spoiler warnings -- I'll have to go back & read all the journal entries once I've finished the book.

This book arrived safe & sound today, but I have one bookray ahead of it. I read relatively fast so I should have this one read & one it's way well before the month is up. Thank you for sharing it as a bookring, olered. I've been looking forward to reading this novel.

I think CynthiaA's journal entry was one of the best I had read in quite a while. I don't know if I could express my thoughts any better than you did, so I'll refrain from trying and just share one of my favorite quotes from this book.

Consider the changes of day and night...the fall of leaves and their return to the trees the following spring, the infinite power in seeds...and then give me a man who sees and experiences these things for the first time, with whom we can still talk -- he is amazed and overwhelmed at these miracles. p. 70

I have never read any other work by Geraldine Brooks, but now I'm intrigued and will more than likely be adding more books to my wish list.

Thank you, olered, for allowing me to participate in this bookring. This book will haunt me for quite a while, I'm sure. I'll be sending it off to continue it's journey as soon as I receive a response form the next bookcrosser in line.

This arrived safely last week. I have a couple of books to read before this one, but I'll get through those quickly and move on to this one as soon as I can. Thanks for sharing it.

To be honest, I did not read the entire book straight through. I had trouble getting into it at first and then I started to like it. When I was halfway through, I skipped to the last chapter before the Epilogue and continued from there. I did go back to read a couple of sections, but that was it. The story is definitely a haunting one. Concerning Anna's decisions at the end, I found them satisfying because she was content. Maybe one day I will read the entire story, but right now I'm ready to move onto another book.

I have rooshill's address and will be sending this book on its continuing journey. I'm sorry that I kept it for so long.

This was mailed yesterday to rooshill.

Got it last night. I'm in the middle of another ring book right now, but I'll start this as soon as I can.

My feelings about SPOILERS: if you don’t want to find out about the book before reading it, don’t read the journal first! Journal entries are for discussing what you thought about the book, and that’s hard to do without mentioning the plot! :)

I almost didn't read this. I was in tears at the death of Anna's babies and had to put the book aside, almost not coming back to it. I talked it over with my husband and we decided that there wasn't much worse that could happen, and the writer was so obviously skilled, that I had to give it another try. Good decision. It turned out to be a very worthwhile read, but also a very difficult one.
I share some of other readers' discontent with the ending (joining a harem seemed a bit odd, and the second child was a bit cliché) though I feel differently about the revelation of the rector's treatment with Elinor. The author addresses it in the interview at the back of the book: "...a man of powerful conviction and charisma. Such personalities are sometimes governed by unwholesome motivations..." I've seen this before, in life and in literature, so I suppose it didn't have the "shock factor" for me, and I find it interesting that some of my fellow readers have expressed simple disgust at his character. One person mentions that he hasn’t shown Elinor the forgiveness he would want God to show him. But what about you, reader? Can you not bring yourself to forgive him? Mr. Mompellion was convinced he was doing right (regardless of how misguided and twisted we think it was) and in the end, he was torn by repentance and grief to the point of losing his great faith. I’m not exactly in love with him, but I do feel pity for him. He’ll have a hard time getting on with life.

All right! I've got an address now, so this is off this afternoon to cyber-librarian.

I received this today from rooshill in CA ... as part of this bookring.

c. 2001 -- 308 pages + Reader's Guide -- Trade Paperback -- National Bestseller -- A NY Times and Washington Post Notable Book -- Great Britain History - Charles II, 1660-1685 -- Plague -- #41 on BookCrossing 2006 Favorites list -- #57 on BookCrossing 2008 Favorites list

Back Cover: When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated mountain village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna's eyes we follow the story of the plague year, 1666, as her fellow villagers make an extraordinary choice: convinced by a visionary young minister they elect to quarantine themselves within the village boundaries to arrest the spread of the disease. But as death reaches into every household, faith frays. When villagers turn from prayers to murderous witch-hunting, Anna must confront the deaths of family, the disintegration of her community, and the lure of illicit love. As she struggles to survive, a year of plague becomes instead anmus mirabilis, a year of wonders.

I finished reading this today. I knew right away that it was a powerful book. But as the story developed it stretched far beyond the plague into the hearts and lives of the entire town, even including witchcraft. It's very interesting that Brooks researched the actual town's history and based the book on her findings. I was surprised by the ending and how things delevoped with the minister (who needed to find a new career) and the Bradford family. Most of all it went beyond the town's year with the plague and showed what the future held for Anna. I enjoyed watching Anna's character develop, expand and grow with the changes of the terrible times she went through ... she rose above and made opportunities out of catastrophe.

RELEASE NOTES:

I'm mailing this to TheBowieFollies in NY ... as part of this bookring.

DC# 0306-1070-0000-8356-1068

And now it is here...Jahren auf wunders, I will delve into this soon, good timing too, I just got back from a tour..
harpy cross booking ..
I will be back to deconstruct
aufwiederinsane
Veronica

Inspired some very odd dreams! Perhaps I shouldn't have been reading this one before I was off to kip..
Pretty intense, and it seems bubonic plague is making a comeback, the black death is the new black?? ooh I hope not, but Im bloody paranoid!
On its way to Twynnie
Ey up la!
Enjoy it kidda
Veronica

This arrived this morning and I'me looking forward to reading it, I have one other bookring to read first though. Thanks to all the previous readers of this book for sharing it!

I was interested to read this book because Eyam is a place I have often visited as I grew up in Sheffield. I was looking forward to seeing how this book tackled the story. The picture I've added is a picture of the Riley graves (The graves of the real Hancock family) that I took last time I was there...

I surprised at first to see that some of the names had been changed, but I thought this wasa good decision, giving the author more freedom to create her own story for Anna. I didn't feel as strongly about the character of Michael as some of the previous readers - I was disappointed in him at the end, but I didn't feel that I hated him.

I quite liked the ending - I'm not sure it was realistic that Anna would have been allowed to board a trading ship at all, but I was glad for her that she found a much more fulfilling life.

I'm off to PM Chas04 now and hopefully this will be moving again soon!

It arrived the other day but I've only just got to a computer. I've got one book to finish and Harry Potter (!!!!) and then I'll start on this one.

An excellent story, the story of the plague village in Derbyshire has interested me for some time. Although the ending was a little ridiculous for my liking!

There has been no response from quico so I'm moving on to the next in the list.

I finally have quico's address so on it goes, enjoy the book!

Just arrived. Thanks a lot, chas04!

I liked the story but the end was too unexpected.

I'm waiting for letra's address