May 2010 - Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks (He)

A historical novel based on the plague in Eyam 1666.  The tale is told to us by a young housemaid, Anna who is the heroine of the novel.  We were thoroughly fascinated by the book and spent time discussing the characters, some of whom were based on real people living in the village all those years ago.  We also discussed how the plague was treated from a medical point of view..... and how the town had to be isolated for over a whole year until it was declared safe for outsiders to enter again.

Author's website:
http://www.geraldinebrooks.com/wonders.html

Video on historical village (10:01):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y71r4SHM4AE

Eyam, slideshow (1:25):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W111Zvn8qXo&feature=related