Point of View

The entire novel is written in a first person point of view, that of Anna Frith, the central character. Accounts of past events Anna has not witnessed are shared by other characters, such as Elinor and Michael Mompellion. The book is told as a recounting of surviving the Plague. In the epilogue, the novel switches from past to present tense to give the sense that this is the moment from which she is sharing the story.

Setting

Except for the epilogue, the novel takes place entirely in the Plague village, which is based on the town of Eyam in central England. Set in 1665-66, the village has about 380 residents. Most are miners, shepherds and servants to the Bradfords, the wealthy family in the area. The village is positioned on a hillside so that you are always walking uphill, downhill or on a slant. Anna describes the...