Given Lives

SEPTEMBER 1665.Plague ravages the English capital, London.Thousands are left dead.In the Derbyshire village of Eyam, 160 miles north of the London tragedies, Kitty Allenby is settling into country life. Encouraged by her Aunt Anne and Uncle Robert, she is excited for the year ahead.That is until a stranger arrives from London, bringing a parcel of cloth for the local tailor - cloth infested with plague-carrying fleas.Within weeks, Eyam is under siege.By spring 1666, drastic action is needed to contain the spread of disease. What can be done?The Reverend William Mompesson thinks he knows. For his plan to succeed, Mompesson will need the co-operation of the whole community, including his predecessor and rival, Thomas Stanley.Will the two men be able to put aside the deep mistrust of one another for the sake of the people they are called to serve? How will the doomed villagers respond?And what of Kitty? Can she learn to love a community not her own, perhaps paying the ultimate price alongside strangers she barely knows?Based on true events, Given Lives is a story of bravery and sacrifice, of love that laid itself down for the sake of others. It is a whisper through time to each of us confronted by a modern plague, the global Covid 19 pandemic. Will we attune our ears and listen?’My great aunt (nine times over) and ancestor, Margaret Blackwell, is part of this wonderful novel and, as a family survivor of this dreadful plague, I felt privileged to be asked to read Anna’s novel.The story unfolds as Kitty comes to Eyam to celebrate the annual Wakes Week and becomes isolated with the villagers as they try to contain the disease. It captures the real depth of sacrificial love, care and compassion and their heroism during the plague outbreak in 1665-66. The trust and hope the families had in God to bring them through this tragic time is a real testament to their fortitude, as Kitty constantly, with her family, looks forward to a brighter and happier future.It’s a great read. and my thanks to Anna for her factual insight and passion for our history.’ - Joan Plant, Descendant of a Plague Survivor