Geraldine Brooks's debut novel, Year of Wonders, marks a fascinating transition from her previous career as a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal where she reported on the tumultuous conflicts in the Middle East and Central Europe. Her experiences, particularly those recounted in her earlier non-fiction work, Nine Parts of Desire—a collection of narratives about women in the modern Middle East—profoundly influenced her creation of Anna Firth, the protagonist in Year of Wonders. Brooks was inspired by the resilience and leadership these women displayed, often in response to crises, which is echoed in Anna's character development.

Brooks's shift from journalism was catalyzed by her brief imprisonment in Nigeria, prompting her to explore new storytelling avenues. This change led her to the poignant tale of Eyam, a village that captivated her during a visit to England. Drawing upon consultations with Derbyshire historians, Brooks crafted her narrative by weaving historical facts with creative interpretation, a technique she believes enriches historical fiction by illuminating overlooked aspects of history. The novel’s title, Year of Wonders, is inspired by John Dryden’s poem “Annus Mirabilis,” which chronicles London’s Great Plague and the subsequent Great Fire, hinting at miraculous occurrences amid disaster. However, Brooks narrows the focus to the personal miracles within Anna’s village, offering a microcosmic view of resilience.

The essence of Brooks’s novel lies in its exploration of enduring human themes—such as the role of strong women in adversarial societies, the evolution of friendships, and the growth that crises can induce. Interestingly, the most incredible aspect of her story is rooted in truth: the villagers of Eyam did, in fact, choose self-imposed quarantine at the behest of their rector and his predecessor, a testament to communal sacrifice. This historical reality contrasts sharply with the fictional narrative in Albert Camus’s La Peste, where the quarantine imposed on Oran incites the populace to succumb to base impulses. By contrast, Brooks’s portrayal of Eyam paints its inhabitants as paragons of virtue, an almost utopian interpretation of human nature in the face of adversity.

Anna Firth emerges as an idealized character, equipped with a servant’s grounding and an intellectual’s insight, enabling her to navigate and reflect on Brooks’s thematic concerns. Meanwhile, Michael Mompellion, another central figure, embodies complexity with his hidden flaws and crises of faith, which were absent from the historical chronicles of Eyam. The novel delves into the profound impact of the plague on personal belief systems, ultimately suggesting that while faith may falter, its absence does not preclude either survival or fulfillment. This nuanced perspective on human resilience and the roles of belief and secular understanding invites readers to ponder the necessity of faith in the face of existential challenges.