Last word first: A great way to learn about a historical event without falling asleep. 4/5Would Joe like this book? Yes.
Description: The fictional diary of a 14-year-old girl named Alice living in London in 1665. As the bubonic plague sweeps the city, Alice documents its progress even as she struggles to survive herself. The story covers events through the Great Fire of 1666.
My thoughts: As my husband the history buff will tell you, I tend to start nodding off whenever someone brings up events that happened longer ago than yesterday. But if you’re going to read about history, this book is definitely the way to do it.
I was completely absorbed by the story of the Plague, as seen through Alice’s eyes. Looking at an even t in the first person (even vicariously) is so much more compelling than just reading a paragraph in a history text. The fear and horror come alive as the death toll rises and Alice wonders if the world as she knows it could really be coming to an end.
This is a great book for anyone curious about this historical period who doesn’t have the patience or stomach for something like Ken Follett’s World Without End (great story, though not as good as Pillars... and LONG). I’ll be passing this one along to my friend the 8th grade teacher for her classroom library.
My question to you: What historical event/time period do you find most fascinating?
5 comments:
Yeah - I know what you mean, this isn't a genre I read unless it's paranormal. Great Review!
I'm loving the new layout!
That does sound good! :)
Sounds like one that would be right up my alley! I will haveto check it out.
This sounds really good! Thanks for the info. :)
This sounds great, I've read some non-fic about the plague years but no fiction from that time.
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