Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague Review

The NGC staff started the Documentary/Book Club to review resources we utilize in our programs and to find new ways to learn more about global issues. Feel free to email the reviewer (contact info below) if you have any follow-up questions!

Author: Geraldine Brooks

“Here we are, alive, and you and I will have to make it what we can.”

Who should read: Seniors in High School

Why it’s important: Deals with Global Issue of epidemics.

What Lisa thought : Year of Wonders chronicles the year 1665-1666 in an isolated English village where Plague has been spread through an infected bolt of cloth. Geraldine Brooks masterfully displays the personal trauma and precaution involved in the spread of an unknown epidemic. Parallels can easily be drawn between the infection of this small town and larger epidemics across the world in the present day, including the need for clarity on causes of infection, presence of false beliefs and superstitions, strained interpersonal relationships, and economic impact of the disease. I was struck by the very personal nature of the Plague and the overwhelming feelings of fear associated with transmission. In keeping with the period, much of the language is in archaic English, but is easily understandable using context clues. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about the spread of epidemics.

 

Lisa Glenn, Director of Programs, reviewed Year of Wonders to learn more about her click here. 

“Bang for Your Buck” Review

The NGC staff started the Documentary/Book Club to review resources we utilize in our programs and to find new ways to learn more about global issues. Feel free to email the reviewer (contact info below) if you have any follow-up questions! Directors: Seth Chase and Brice Blondel

“In the 4th poorest country in the world, one thing remains affordable to all: the grenade.”

Who should watch: High School students

Why it’s important: The documentary deals with Global Issue of Armed Conflict.

What Steven thought: This is a wonderful and short documentary that shows how weapons and violence are destructive to communities. The content is not visually graphic, but it does talk about deaths by grenades and other violent acts committed in Burundi. Talks about the negative consequences of having weapons easily available and the aftermath of an extensive civil war. Bang for Your Buck is the winner of Oxfam‘s “Shooting Poverty” film competition. Watch it here. To read more about where Seth Chase and Brice Blondel inspiration for their project click here.

Steven Rouk (steven@newglobalcitizens.org), NGC Intern, reviewed Bang for Your Buck.