Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

A serious, well-crafted novel that tells the story of a small village infected by plague in 1666, and their self-sacrificing decision to quarantine themselves to prevent the spread of the disease, a decision that led to two-thirds of the villagers dying. Based on a true story, the author covers all the responses of humans under such stress - abandonment of faith, religious fanaticism, witchcraft, guilt at being spared, profiteering. It's well written - I read it because I read her second novel, the Pulitzer prize winning "March". My only complaint is the ending. Once again, an author goes to great lengths to insure a happy ending, perhaps because there was so much unhappiness in the novel. The happy ending was fine, I guess it was the trip of the girl to a Muslim country that seemed so incongruous and unbelievable.

But for a first novel it's outstanding. I can see where she improved in the writing of "March".