| This story is based in part on an actual village in England where the bubonic plague erupted. The author uses information about mining, religion, midwives/witches, and cultural depictions of the time as a backdrop for her character development.
Anna, the narrator of the story, loses her husband to a mining accident, and her two sons to the plague. She plunges her heart and soul into working side-by-side with the local rector and his wife to aid the ailing villagers. Each character evokes a personal response from the reader as we relate to how the the characters react to one another during these trying times. Anna takes up the work of the local healer/herbalist (midwife/witch), after her untimely death, and Anna studies science and medicine in order to make the healing elixirs that she hopes will contribute to easing the suffering of those around her. With the help of the local rector's wife, Anna learns to read, listen, and apply her own suffering to the big picture of how they will get through this ordeal. Most of all, she learns to trust her own intuition. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book? - thoughtful Time/era of story - 1600-1899 - Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book War/Revolt/Disaster on civilians Yes Conflict: Main Character Gender - Female Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Main Adversary How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 7 () Writing Style Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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