YOW Summary - Year of Wonders quote bank - quotes are categorised according to each chapter PDF

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Year of Wonders quote bank - quotes are categorised according to each chapter of the book "Year of Wonders" by Geraldine Brooks. ...

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YEAR OF WONDERS Chapter 1 - Apple Picking Time ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Anna is lamenting about the events of the past year during which time her village Eyam is ravaged by the plague. “Those of us left walk around as if we’re half asleep (3)” “They would not laugh even if they remembered to do so” (4) Everyone is “brimful of endings” (12) - they’re used to people dying Even though Anna reminisces about her happier memories, she also remarks that “these memories of happiness are fleeting things” (6) Michael Mompellion is unresponsive to her Anna’s husband died in a mining accident Her two sons who passed away from the plague Anna is visited by Elizabeth Bradford (daughter of the Bradford’s) who were formerly rich members of the Eyam community but they abandoned the village when they found out that the plague was present. Elizabeth came seeking the assistance of Michael because her mother is unwell but Michael rejects to help her.

Chapter 2 - Ring Of Roses ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Flashback a whole year to springtime before the beginning of the plague Anna is living with her two sons Jamie and Tom and their babysitter Jane Martin. Anna meets George Viccars who moves into the cottage with her and she remembers that he “brought laughter back into the house” (24) He does this by playing with her sons and sharing stories with her about his travels. He makes a dress for her because he fashions clothes for living (he is a tailor) , Anna begins to fall for him. Anna fears they “approach too near to terms of friendship” (30) - due to this she is hesitant when Viccars eventually makes the move on her. She finds out that Viccars is afflicted with the plague — doesn’t know yet until he passes away — he was the first case of the plague the “wretched illness” (42) Anna also begins to develop relationship with Elinor Mompellion - becomes a mentor figure to Anna teaches how to read, teaches about medicinal plants and herbs which Anna has expressed interest in. Mem Gowdie and Anys Gowdie who are village experts in medicinal herbs. Mem Gowdie was once accused of witchcraft but ultimately cleared.

Chapter 3 - The Thunder Of His Voice ● ● ● ● ●

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After George Viccars body is retrieved by the sexton, Anna is visited by Any Gowdie and she questions why Anna went to Michael Mompellion for help instead of herself. Anna also considers his last warning which is to burn everything he owned in order to avoid spreading the contagion. Anna tries to do this however anyone that had Viccars working on a garment for them, they chose instead to take what was done regardless of how incomplete the garment was rather than burn it. Anna ends up burning the Viccars items and the dress he made. Anna leaves for work at the Bradford Hall. At this gathering are the Bradfords, the Mompellions and other highly regarded families in the community — they begin to discuss how they would handle the plague - there’s been years that plague was detected in London which has caused many of its inhabitants to flee Bradfords argued that “the best physick against the plague is to run far from it” (62) while the Mompellions expressed the contrary opinion that if God saw fit to send this scourge then they should remain where they are and not leave in order to prevent the seeds of plague from infecting other villages. They believe that they should face the disease themselves so that they can contain its evil. “If God saw fit to send this scourge seeds of the plague contain its evil” (61)”

Chapter 4 - Rat-fall ●

After the death of George Viccars there is a phase of warm weather with nice sunlight which elicits Anna’s praise and gratitude - maybe mirrors her gratitude that her children are not ill

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She reflects that her sons especially Jamie lamented the death of George Viccars who they had grown quite fond of. She lets her boys accompany her outdoor to cheer them up. She finds one of her female sheep in labor and Jamie her oldest son helps her deliver a lamb from the sheep. They wash up in a nearby stream. Michael Mompellion passes by. Shares appreciation of weather with Anna which he deems as part of the “goodness of God” (68). Talks to Anna about the book he was reading which was about “the ordinary daily miracles” of life (69) Jamie showers her with rose petals after coming home - Anna thinks of this memory very fondly —-> “this moment is my miracle” (71) Jamie and Edward Cooper are found playing with dead rats “Feasted on my tender children” (73). —- this prompts her to seek out Anys for a potential bomb to retreat her kids with but she also wants to talk about how to “manage alone as a woman in the world” (73). Edward copper burning up with a fever Mem is turned away from them - a barber surgeon already called Anna has seen symptoms from the plague before - “lumps at the neck and rosy rings on the body” (75) Edward dies before sunset Several other Hadfield members fell ill Tom also dies

Chapter 5 - Sign Of A Witch ● ● ●

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Anna grieves the death of her son Tom Her son Jamie falls ill. Elinor accompanies Anna and confesses that Mompellion suspected the plague the second he saw Viccars in his condition. Viccars sent a letter to the University of Cambridge where he himself used to be a student asking his teacher friends for remedies against the plague. Some of the treatments causes Jamie pain and Anna inflicts that “it is the hardest thing in the world to inflict hurt on your own child, even if you believe you act for his salvation” (83). Any Gowdie also appears giving additional remedies to Jamie and singing to him which calms him but also knows that she is delaying his death. Jamie passes away after five days of suffering. Anna grieves for him, becomes aware that many of her neighbours are falling ill and dying in a similar way. Anna questions why so many people around her have started to die - Viccars, her neighbours, Hadfields and even her sons. Questions why she hasn’t been afflicted yet herself. Anna overhears yelling from a nearby mine. A group of a dozen or so people most of whom are visibly drunk have bound Mem Gowdie with a rope and are accusing her of being the witch who has brought the plague upon them. Crowd includes Mary Hadfield, Anna’s neighbour who has just lost her entire family to the plague and she holds Mem responsible. Anna attempts to intervene and defend Mem but people are unresponsive. Instead, they drag Mem to the mine that’s flooded with water in the hope to drown her. Anna fights them but she is unable to. Anys saves Anna who has fallen into the water. Any retrieves Mem’s body from the water and manages to revive her from unconsciousness however this only causes crowd of people to accuse her of being a witch because she was able to revive. Mompellions says that they are “Fools! Ignorant wretches” (95) because the only reason that Any did that was to fight them with the only weapon that she had left under the circumstances which were their own “ugly thoughts and evil doubting of one another” (95).

Chapter 6 - Venom in the Blood ● ● ● ● ● ●

People continue to die from plague. Funeral for Anys is held. Mem passes away. All medicinal experts are gone. No one is charged/punished for either of these deaths- no justice or judge would approach the village for fear of contracting the disease Several of the crowd of witchhaters die from plague while remaining pray in church. While in church Anna notices “the growing roll of dead and ailing” (99). Fewer people are showing up dying rapidly

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Mompellion says If people flee in fear they will be unwittingly spreading the disease among other neighbouring communities Also explains they will be supported by an earl who will appoint someone to regularly bring them “basic needs in food” (104) so that they will not go hungry. Anna’s father, Josiah and stepmother Aphra Bont question the goodness of the earl but Aphra nudge that the earl is not doing it to help them but rather to protect the community. Everyone agrees to stay in the village of Eyam. The Bradfords leave the village.

Chapter 7 - Wide Green Prison ● ● ● ● ●

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The Bradfords abandon their servants Anna helps Maggie Cantwell retrieve her belongings from Bradford Hall Mompellion appears during this time, making many appeals to Colonel Bradford to stay Most of Bradfords servants are taken by many others in the community - eliciting Anna’s observation that ‘those who have most give least, and those with less somehow make shrift to share’ (117). Mompellion attempts to arouse them with a speech characterising them as a ‘byword for goodness’ (119) meaning that they are seen as brave for containing themselves and bringing out generosity to the neighbouring community. Maggie and Brand decide to leave and seek out relatives, hoping that their families will take them in. Anna and Elinor Mompellion attend to a pregnant woman, Mary Daniel. Anna feels uncertain - recalls how Anys and Mem delivered her own two children and she tries to mimic their actions. During a moment of doubt, Anna can see Anys in her mind, guiding her to calm her breath and do what she naturally knows. Anna finds confidence in her abilities and delivers the baby successfully. Finds new sense and purpose and also fulfilment in bringing life into the world. Sad when coming home to the absence of her own children. Anna steals some poppies from Elinor’s basket which was originally brought to ease Mary’s labour pain. Poppies contain alkaloids which is the same chemical in drug such as morphine - completely organic pain killer.

Chapter 8 - So Soon to be Dust ● ● ●

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Brand returns with Maggie in a cart. Were recognised as being from ‘plague village’ (129), as a result they were insulted with fruit and stones. Maggie is injured to such an extend - partially paralysed Brand steals a cart in order to get Maggie away. Mompellion commends Brand on his honour and even goes so far to say ‘This Plague will make heroes of us all, whether we will or no’ (130). Brand through his actions is one of Mompellion’s first hero. Brand is taken in by Jacob Merrill who found Brand and Maggie upon their return. Anna goes to the miner’s tavern where she encounters Josiah Bont, her drunk father. Her father says ‘there’s more good in a cask of ale than in the four Gospels’ (132) and that ‘malt does more to justify God’s ways to man than the Bible’ (132). Says that Anna should tell this to Mompellion. This causes Anna to embarrass her father by citing scripture ‘Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying’ (133) - if you are going to speak, say something meaningful and helpful not stupid. In response, Josiah forcibly makes her kneel before him and this makes her remember the memory of how her mother was mistreated as well - which was making her wear brakes which was a metal cage through the head that was gagged to refrain the tongue (punishment device). By midnight, Maggie passes away.

Chapter 9 - The Poppies of Lethe ● ● ● ● ●

Anna’s addiction to poppy which gives her, her “first unbroken sleep” (139) and a “drugged serenity” that eases her grief (139) Discovers some of her neighbours the Mastons, either dead or sick except for their children whom she collects and watches Anna’s childhood friend Lib Hancock is also ill - passes away later on The Mastons children both die Anna has the last of her poppies which makes her depressed - she goes to search at the Gowdies for more when she remembers that they have it

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Richard Talbot falls ill, develops a plague sore around his groin and in an attempt to rid himself of it, he takes a branding iron to his own groin. Anna discovers a charm in the man’s house kept by the man’s wife Kate Talbot - revealed that she bought it for a shilling from a mysterious charlatan that threatened her into secrecy. Kate believed it was the ghost of Anys Gowdie. Anna reasons her and convinces her to burn the charm. Anna reaches the Gowdies’ cottage to find Elinor already there, searching for herbs/mixtures that might help cure the plague. Anna felt guilty for her true motive so she confesses her desire for the poppy. Elinor knows Anna took it and understands that Anna wants to use poppy to escape reality. Warns her of danger of addiction. She has used poppy before. Elinor fell in love with a 20 year old man Charles and even though her father and brother warned her against him she ignored them She ran away and became pregnant with a baby before their marriage after which he abandoned her. Due to shame she felt for giving her into her lust, she returned home, took a fire iron to her own body in order to self abort, almost died, womb destroyed - was because of this that she resorted to poppy. Michael Mompellion came into her life and Elinor admits that his presence and influence were crucial to her happiness - she was able to rehabilitate. He offered her his friendship, love and the two become married despite Elinor’s former sins. Elinor reveals a list of those afflicted as well as a map tracking spreading of plague - understand how contagion started and how it spreads. Elinor assumes that older people have developed stronger immune systems, that they are “good fighters of sickness” (156) in the “war against disease (156), so she proposes they use their plants and herbs to strengthen immune system of the young and beat the plague that way. Plants characterised as the “weapons of our armoury” (157).

Chapter 10 - Among those that go down the pit ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

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Anna and Elinor are concerned about Mompellion digging many graves at the rectory but he refuses to stop Jakob Merrill was dying of the plague. Mompellion convinced him to name Brand as one of his successors to reward him for his loyalty and ensure protection for his family. Anna bribes her father, Josiah Bont to help Mompellion bury bodies by digging graves so there would be less pressure on Mompellion - has to give up many lambs because of this Anna and Elinor start to experiment with the plants and herbs trying to make cures and remedies to “ease the suffering of the afflicted” (167) and “bolster up the defences of the well” (167). Mompellion has "surrendered to the inevitable". Mompellion closes the church and announces that there is no more room to bury dead bodies. People of Eyam are unhappy about this. The next day, Elinor and Anna share gossip about the Wickfords, a family of Quakers who live outside the village. George Wickford, the father, had a mine that he claimed for the family. Merry Wickford’s entire family died and left her in possession of an ore mine. According to mine law, whoever discovers the mine regardless of where it is is granted exclusive access to is so as long as they can show the barmaster (person who governs all miners) a dish of ore that has been extracted from that mine and they show within 9 weeks of discovering that mine then the mine is theirs for as long as they keep producing ore from it. As well as pay the crown. Elinor and Anna decided to help extract the ore for her, despite never having mined before. Anna comes up with a dangerous plan - fire-setting - find cracks in the rocks, stuck cracks with tinder so that you set it with fire, once heated cool with cold water sharp change in temp disrupts integrity of rock , reveals any ore that’s inside - Miners are able to create mini-explosions by heating and cooling rocks in a rapid fashion. This happens to be the technique that killed Sam. Anna forces Elinor to leave and then does her business. There's a massive explosion and Anna is buried in rocks. Merry and Elinor did not leave the mine - digged out the rocks that buried Anna - They saved her. Anna is in a lot of physical pain that night - sleeps well because of the sense of accomplishment she feels and “having done a thing that had come out right” (188).

Chapter 11 - The body of the mine

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Anna is visited by her father and has learnt that he started to help people by digging graves - in exchange for payment. Anna scolds Josiah for charging people outrageous prices but he ignores her Going around to houses of people who are sick and not yet dead and he will dig the holes then and there so they will be ready for people who are dead. One day, a villager named Christopher Urwin calls for Mompellion because he is close to death. It is revealed that he is in fact mostly recovered from the plague, but he assumed that he was dying after hearing Bont digging a grave outside his window. Mompellion confronts Bont once again. They get into a fight, and to our surprise, Mompellion knocks Bont out. Word around town that night is that Bont is drunk and furious. The next morning, Anna sees a figure approaching in the distance with blood and dirt coating his body. It's Christopher Urwin, and he's claiming that Bont tried to bury him alive. Bont is brought before a local court. He looks hurt when Anna refuses to come to his defense. In the end, Bont's punishment is to be confined to Urwin's mine "by a knife through the hands". Left there until someone comes to free him. Anna thinks that Aphra will go there to free Josiah so she doesn’t go herself. Due to storm, forced indoors. Aphra reveals she did not free Josiah for her 3 children were all struck by the plague and had to tend to them. Josiah Bont died out there. Neither of them went to free Josiah. Both go to the Urwin’s mine, his corpse feeded on by wildlife.

Chapter 12 - The press of their ghosts ● ● ● ● ● ●

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Anna returns to the rectory and fully grieves Elinor tells Anna that there are several among the village who have resorted to charms and spell work as sold by ghost of Anys Gowdie Mompellion also claims he sees people resorting to charms Mompellion asks Elinor and Anna to accompany him to tend to a child in the Mowbrays croft, another family in the village. Sustained cuts and scratches from his parents passing him through a rambled hedge which are prickly shrubs whilst performing a spell given to them by ghost of Anys Gowdie in order to prevent infection. Three of them go inside the Mowbrays croft and find that they are conducting another spell, one that involves boiling the baby’s hair in a pot of his piss. Another idea sold to them by Anys Gowdie in order to resist the plague. Anna is very angry that people keep “falling prey to such superstitions” - myths/beliefs in things that are not real or possible (214). Also mad at the “predatory woman” who is impersonating Anys making a profit from selling to people grief. “It became impossible for me to look into the face of a neighbour and not imagine him dead” (217) “Fear took each of us differently” (218) John Gordon virtually naked whipped himself with a “scourge of plaited leathers, into the ends of which had been driven short nails” (219). Mompellion is angered by this revelation - he explains that John Gordon’s behaviour mirrors that of “flagellants” (220) who believes “by grievous self punishment they can allay God’s wrath” (220) - he warns that this is dangerous because while flagellants usually only punish themselves, it can get out and spread to other people. They take off to address this issue. Find Jane Martin on the road with a man in the bushes. They meet John Gordon’s wife Urith Gordon who has been starved due to her husband’s demands. This also exemplifies the dangers of which Mompellion was concerned - spreading of flagellant doctrine. They feed Urith Gordon and help her clean up so she is not discovered by her husband. A week later, John Gordon is dead. Urith Gordon struck by plague, passes away as well.

Chapter 13 - A great burning ● ●

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Elinor falls ill, starts coughing. Anna laments about what she is going to lose when Elinor passes includin...