Two interesting novels

Historical Fiction has always been my favorite genre when it comes to books. I started with Anya Seton as a teenager and have read many other authors over the years.

My daughter picked up a book at Barnes & Noble last year which I just got around to reading last month. Year of Wonders: a Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks is based on true events that occurred in Eyam, Derbyshire during an infestation of the plague in the years 1665-1666. The book revolves around a housemaid, Anna Frith, as she and her fellow villagers choose to quarantine themselves from the outside world in an effort to halt the spread of the disease. Depressing, yes…. But also fascinating, informative and filled with hope and insight into the nature of people facing hardship.

The second Geraldine Brooks novel I read was People of the Book. It was inspired by the true story of a Hebrew codex known as the Sarajevo Haggadah. The central character is a book conservator named Hanna Heath. There is a certain amount of drama dealing with her personal life, but the interesting part to me is when the story goes back in time to explain the events surrounding various items she discovers while working on the Haggadah. I found it to be different, but equally as enjoyable as Year of Wonders.

Geraldine Brooks has a third novel, March, which I hesitate to read. From what I know about it, it is a sort of “sequel” to Little Women dealing with the absent father from the original novel. It’s been so many years since I read Little Women, I would feel as if I had to brush up on the story to enjoy March. Who knows… maybe someday?