devorit's review against another edition
5.0
An amazing book. Given that it’s about a village wracked by plague and covers the gamut of human reactions to such a crisis, this is not light reading. And yet, it is written with such humanity and grace that it does not feel heavy or depressing, just .... weighty. So much to think about and feel and ponder! Anna is an incredible character I am sad to leave behind. The end surprised me, but it also satisfied. I’m so glad I read this, especially in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis. Highly recommend!
reed_with_read's review against another edition
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
elisekath's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
brooklynlaura's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
anhedonia_and_anomie's review against another edition
5.0
Historical fiction heavily based on the real events & people of the village of Eyam, during the 1665–66 English black plague epidemic, in which Eyam closed itself off from the world to prevent spread
charleighhebbard's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
4.5
Amazing, amazing book … until the end? Wtf was that
graywild's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The story follows Anna during a year of Plague that decimates her village. She is a servant that learns to read and learns about herbal medicine from 2 local women. The village starts having alot of people die from the Plague and a mob kills the 2 local herbalists - calling them witches. The story continues with Anna taking up the role as herbalist and nurse midwife. The story is just ok for me.
llamamama08's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
msteasam's review against another edition
3.0
This book was well-written and enjoyable, and I liked the overall dreary and dark tone. The author did a good job of setting the scene and describing village life. I thought that the main character was perhaps quite progressive for this time period, which I actually appreciated, but it didn't come across as unrealistic.