Come talk about Year of Wonders next Thursday!

The "Let's Talk About It" book group will meet on Thursday, May 2 at 10:30 a.m. to discuss Year of Wonders: a Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks, a historical novel about the ravages of the Black Death on a remote English village.

Plague comes to Anna's village when infected cloth arrives from London and people begin to fall ill. Anna, a recently-widowed handmaid, must rise to the occasion and tend to the sick and dying while dealing with her own tragic losses. Tensions rise in the village and its denizens turn on each other, sparking a witch hunt that will have deep ramifications for them all.

Here are some questions to get you thinking before Thursday:

• Think about the feminist undertones of the story. How does each female character exhibit strengths that the male characters do not?
• How would you explain Anna's mental and spiritual unraveling? What are the pivotal experiences leading up to her breakdown and her eventual rebirth?

If you liked this novel, other authors to try include Lisa See, Barbara Kingsolver, and Nancy Horan, who all write literary historical fiction.

Pick up your copy of Year of Wonders at the information desk today, and please join us for a lively discussion next Thursday morning in the Junior Home room at Tiffin-Seneca Public Library!