The Plague Tales by Ann Benson
My review
rating: 2 of 5 stars
This book warrants a half-hearted “meh”.
In theory, this book has potential. It’s a parallel novel with one strand occurring in 1348 and the other in 2005. The former deals with a Jewish physician who masks himself a Christian and is tasked with protecting England’s King Edward and his family from the plague. The latter, modern-day, thread focuses on a forensic pathologist student accidentally unleashing it.
Unfortunately, the book never really gets off the ground. Its characters don’t have much depth to them and one finds it difficult to relate to their choices. Worse, the story drifts and falters. At some times boring the reader and at others just confusing them with unexplained plot devices that reek of deus ex machina simplicity and laziness.
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Review of Ann Benson's The Plague Tales
