This is the second of the author's titles I've read and I am delighted with it. I've been reading some reviews that show this book comes across to some people as a disappointment but I have to say that it's definitely going to be one of my recommends. The village in the story is based on an actual village called Eyam in England. Historical records show that in 1666 when it became known that plague had arrived among them, the rector of the village convinced his flock that the right thing to do would be to voluntarily cut themselves off from their neighbors in order to try and control the spread of the infection. As death reaches into every household, superstitions and fears mount and find release in acts of violence that slowly start to destroy the fabric of this small community. But even among the death and dismay, there are moments of beauty. Moments when something as simple as the smell of hay on the breeze cuts through the numbing effect of this unstoppable disease.
This book is not flawless, nor are the characters. But among this story of loss and love, acts of violence and hatred, there are shining examples of what it is to be human, scared, at a loss to understand what is happening when the world revolves so closely around religion and believe. It is a glimpse at how times of suffering can render some incapable of continuing on and others are forged into a new version of themselves. There are acts of charity and hope weaved into this story as well. All told this is a worthy rendering of what the real people of Eyam must have faced and after reading it you can only appreciate their decision more. They may have doubted its wisdom and even regretted agreeing to it as time passed and so many friends and family members were struck down but in this moment of time they have forever been memorialized as the reason that humanity strives forward, hoping for those small miracles that help us survive the storm.
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