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  • Essay / Plot Summary of Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

    Year of Wonders, A Plague Novel is by award-winning author Geraldine Brooks. The novel is based on the true story of a village in England during a plague in the 17th century. The people of Eyam, also known as Plague Village, sacrificed themselves. The villagers quarantined the village to prevent the spread of the disease to the rest of the country. The story is told from the point of view of the main character, Anna Frith, a housekeeper. Instead of starting the book at the beginning of the plague, the story begins near its end, in the fall of 1666. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayMichael Mompellion is the village rector. His wife Elinor died recently. Michael, Elinor and Anna Frith were the primary caregivers in their village during the plague. The author then takes the reader back to the spring of 1665, before the outbreak of the plague. Eyam is a small, poor rural village in the rugged hills of Derbyshire, England. Which begs the question: how can an isolated village become infected with the plague? Anna Frith is an 18-year-old widow with two children. To survive, she takes in a homeless man, George Remington Viccars, as tenant of her house. George then receives a shipment of fabric from London to make dresses for his clients. This fabric carries the plague with it. The tailor falls ill with a high fever and begins to exhibit symptoms of the bubonic plague. He died a few days after contracting the disease. Before he dies, George realizes that the tissue he received must be the cause of his illness. His last words to Anna are to beg her to burn the dresses and clothes. Anna ignores him and the infected dresses go to her customers' homes. After George's death, Anna finds work as a housekeeper for the Bradfords, a wealthy family in the village. While at the Bradfords, Anna learns that a plague has reached London. The deaths begin when villagers contract the plague and die. Anna's two sons and neighbors were among the first victims. Anys Gowdie and her niece are accused of witchcraft and causing death. The villagers create an angry mob and kill the two women to end the curse on their village. The rector, Michael Mompellion, is the new village priest. He faces the crowd and orders them to stop. In his Sunday sermon, Michael begs people to stop the riots. He also calls on all residents to stay in the village. This will stop the spread of the plague to other villages and towns, although it is a death wish for most residents. The village decides to quarantine itself and isolate itself from the outside world. The Bradford family decides to flee the village and try to escape the plague. After the Bradfords leave, Anna goes to look for work with the Mompellions. Elinor Mompellion takes the uneducated Anna under her wing and teaches her to read. The two women grow closer as they struggle to care for their village. Michael Mompellion comes up with the idea that the villagers should burn all their belongings to try to get rid of the plague. Michael's plan works and he holds a thanksgiving service to celebrate the end of the plague. During the service, Elinor is killed by a village woman who has gone mad after all her children died. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay Finally, the novel returns to the point where it all began. Michael is no longer able to care for the villagers because of his grief. Anna.