Overall: 9.2
This one definitely has a downer ending -- but it's a downer ending done right.
Plot Synopsis:
"For Kivrin, preparing for on-site study of one of the deadliest eras in humanity's history was as simple as receiving inoculations against the diseases of the fourteenth century and inventing an alibi for a woman traveling alone. For her instructors in the twenty-first century, it meant painstaking calculations and careful monitoring of the rendezvous location where Kivrin would be retrieved.
But a crisis strangely linking past and future strands Kivrin in a bygone age as her fellows try desperately to rescue her. In a time of superstition and fear, Kivrin - barely of age herself - finds she has become an unlikely angel of hope during one of history's darkest hours." - from the book jacket.
To explain further, Kivrin is accidentally plonked into the middle of the Black Plague, and no one in the future is able to rescue her because they are themselves dealing with a deadly influenza epidemic.
The Skinny:
As you all know, I hate chronological snobbery with a passion. When Willis' 21st century characters declare confidently that the people of the Middle Ages were savage, superstitious witch-burners who, by the way, were entirely inured to death, that automatically sets my teeth on edge. Fortunately, Willis' purpose is not to gratuitously slam the Middle Ages; on the contrary, she spends the entire novel blasting her modern characters' prejudices to smithereens. When the Black Death hits the village in which Kivrin has found herself and she makes her (ultimately futile) attempts to stave off an utter bloodbath, the villagers around her demonstrate that they are capable of learning by following Kivrin's advice. And while one character does make the dark suggestion that Kivrin is a witch, she is ignored.
Which is not to say that Willis white-washes the 14th century. Indeed, she is quite candid when it comes to the ever-present filth and the dramatic class differences. She is also unfailingly accurate in her depiction of the very real corruption which existed in the Church. But for every negative she reveals in the 14th century, she also reveals a negative in the 21st. In the 14th century, we see selfish high-ranking clergymen attempting to flee the Plague. In the 21st century, after Oxford is placed under quarantine, we see a group of selfish tourists demanding the right to do the same thing. In the 14th century, we see people attributing the Plague to the wrath of God. In the 21st century, we see at least one academic insisting, despite the complete lack of evidence, that the deadly new flu must have come from the time machine. In the 14th century, we see one noble character constantly berate the illiterate - but sincere - parish priest for failing to be perfect. In the 21st century, we see that mechanical carols and flaky religious sects have very nearly bled the soul out of Christmas.
Connie Willis' major theme, then, is that people are people regardless of the technology they have at their command. A 14th century child might've encountered death on a far more frequent basis, but that doesn't mean she was incapable of mourning the loss of her puppy. A 21st century scholar may know more about science and medicine, but that doesn't mean he is any less susceptible to irrational conclusions. If there is one thing that has remained constant throughout the centuries, Willis seems to argue, it is our human nature. There is no one era that has more than its fair share of sinners -- or saints.
Characterization: 9.0
The full range of humanity is represented in both centuries, and that gives the story a texture that is certainly worthy of praise.
Plot/Pacing: 9.0
The gradual way in which Willis reveals Kivrin's true temporal location maintains the suspense without frustrating the reader.
Concepts/Themes: 9.5
See above for my discussion of Willis' lack of chronological snobbery. I also appreciate her extremely Christian-positive depiction of Father Roche, whose abiding faith makes him one of the clear heroes of the piece.
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