Anna Frith is the story’s narrator and it is through her firsthand account that we experience how the arrival of the plague and subsequent quarantine impact the village’s townspeople. When the story opens in 1665, Anna is a widow of 18 with two young sons. She is a timid, provincial girl with little knowledge of the world outside her tiny rural village. Anna’s life changes dramatically when the plague strikes the village. As Anna grapples with the devastation brought about by the disease and the quarantine, we witness her transformation from a timid housekeeper to a strong young woman who has persevered in the face of extremely challenging circumstances.
If you would like to read more stories about strong young women who persevere in spite of challenging circumstances, visit the list of suggested readings.
When the story ends, Anna has left the village and is living in the port city of Oran located on the Mediterranean coast in northwest Algeria. To learn about Oran both in the 1600s and today, visit the links below:
If you would like to read other stories that are set in countries along the Mediterranean coast during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, visit the list of suggested readings.
A Reading Map for Year of Wonders 
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