When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna's eyes we follow the story of the fateful year of 1666, as she and her fellow villagers confront the spread of disease and superstition. In Geraldine Brooks' 2001 debut novel, the villagers turn from prayers to murderous witch-hunting, and Anna must find the strength to confront the disintegration of her community and the lure of love.