{"product_id":"plague-year-peter-abbot-9781772442144","title":"Plague Year","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic leads to the cancellation of a renowned quartet's planned performance of Schubert's \u003cem\u003eQuintet in C\u003c\/em\u003e. But the group continues to practice, in hopes of at least an eventual private performance, and in an effort to draw the musicians closer together and improve their music-making, Boris -- the group's founder and cellist -- asks each of them to keep and share diary entries, from which he'll choose a daily entry as a record of the journey they are making together, and yet apart.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo begins \u003cem\u003ePlague Year\u003c\/em\u003e, the latest novel by Hamilton writer Peter Abbot. Written as a series of diary entries and emails, \u003cem\u003ePlague Year\u003c\/em\u003e affords an intimate glimpse into the impact of a global pandemic at a personal level. The result is a poignant chronicle of a world-altering event as reflected in miniature in everyday life, written with grace and empathy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eA sample from Chapter One ...\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFriday 3rd April 2020 \/ JENNY\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eI'm surprised that the newspaper is still being delivered. I must try to thank the newsboy - if I talk to him from this side of the front-door, surely I would be far enough away, but maybe I shouldn't give him a tip - they say that type of physical contact could transmit the virus or whatever it is - but at least I could say Thank You at arm's length, surely? I wonder when he delivers the newspaper? Probably too early for me to get to the front-door, maybe I should pin a thank-you note to the screen-door? But if he stops delivery, I wouldn't really miss it - the CBC News on the radio is enough, more than enough, these days, I think! In fact, there's a lot of things that clutter one's life which, I confess, I wouldn't really miss.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBut what a shock when I did read the newspaper - I saw the main headline, \"We're in a race against time\", so then I read, in the end, almost everything there - and as I say, what a shock to see how the whole COVID-19 situation, here in Hamilton, is much much more serious than I knew. That disturbed me all day on and off - I could hardly concentrate on what I was reading - and then on TV in the evening, the news under the screen had this: \"80K COVID-19 CASES IN ONT. BY APRIL 30\" - and in the American news in the CBC newscast, \"Trump orders US Company to stop exporting masks to Canada\" - just when it seems wearing a mask - I haven't got one - is likely to become mandatory even in the supermarket. As I say, all a shock to me, and no doubt to many Canadians.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAnd it's a real pity about the Schubert Quintet, I was really looking forward to that - the rehearsals and the three performances - they're such a good Quartet, one of the best, otherwise they wouldn't be in such demand to go on tours in Europe as well as Canada. I was lucky to be invited because they needed an extra cello for the Schubert - which I love! It was Anna who arranged the invitation, I think - she has played Second Violin in the Quartet for quite a few years, and I know that Boris, who started it after he came to Canada with his parents, all those years ago - they were refugees, I think - has said how much he admires her playing, he told me that - I had a sort of interview with him, he's an old man and he did make some strange comments, I thought - Anna said he had been a refugee from I think she said Hungary and came to Canada as a boy or young man, with his parents who had been members of a major orchestra. He has a strong accent! But I had no problem understanding him. He's tough, I think, and of course he has very high standards. I played movements from Bach, the third cello suite, which I have always loved, and he grunted and said I'd \"do\". \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Peter Abbot\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1772442143\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781772442144\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Rock's Mills Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/16\/2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 214\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.52lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.00w x 0.49d","brand":"Peter Abbot","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44169971859711,"sku":"9781772442144","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_29fa5db4-66b0-4ce0-9d4d-5239faf904db.jpg?v=1689656059","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/plague-year-peter-abbot-9781772442144","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}