'Year of Wonders' by Geraldine Brooks

[VenusWasHerName]

I've just read this and loved it, loved it, loved it.

Has anyone read any of her other books, and if so, would you recommend them?

Or alternatively, if I liked this, what else might I like?

You might like Alias Grace by Margaret Attwood as it is also about a woman ostracised by a community,but set in 1860s settler community in Canada ( I seem to recall)
I really enjoyed Year of Wonders but read it too long ago to recall much detail, apart from being intrigued by the knowledge and superstition surrounding wise women healers.

Is this the one set during the Plague? Read this years ago and loved it too.

I think if you liked this, you'd like her other books. Or those by Tracy Chevalier. From other people I know who have read this one, they did enjoy her other books.

Personally I loathed this book: it's one of the very few I dis-recommend to people. I thought it was appalling from start to especially the finish. But that's okay - people like very different things in books and types of stories.

Yes, you do have a point about the ending, the Arabic part was spurious in the extreme. Not sure why she didn't just leave it with Anna's departure from the village.

I've only read March and found it v v boring.

Yes, try Atwood. Or Mistress Of The Art Of Death by Ariana Franklin. Or there is one by I think Jim Crace called (I think) The Plague House, which you might like. It irritated me but isn't bad for a 'historical, female centred' novel.

Why can't I remember what happened at the end of the Eyam one? Did it turn really silly? Am I right in thinking it was the one with the vicar-ish chap?

Tracey C really, really irritated me. :)

Chevalier similar style and yes, I find her stuff dull and irritating too.

yes, there was the clergyman as a central character and then in the last few pages it all took a turn for the decidedly-quite-odd, and it turned out he had a very dark side that hadn't been apparent throughout the book. It wasn't strictly necessary, the book was powerful enough without it.

I do love a good plague novel! A Parcel of Patterns is also v good (even though it's a children's novel.)

I agree with Atwood. Alias Grace is an exceptional read.

A Parcel of Patterns is way better than Year of Wonders - particularly the relationship between the clergy in the village, and the real difficulty of being parted from loved ones because of the plague or death. YoW was over-dramatic and people with stereotypes and made the rather saintly historical figure of Pastor Mompesson into a rather unpleasant Rev Mompellion.