Burning Road

The Plague Tales #2

by Ann Benson

From the bestselling author of The Plague Tales comes a spellbinding new novel that sweeps from medieval France to America in the year 2007—interweaving two gripping stories and two extraordinary eras....

In fourteenth-century France, pockets of plague still bring death to peasants and noblemen alike. Amid the fury and the chaos, Dr. Alejandro Canches searches for a safe haven, accompanied by his foster child, Kate—the illegitimate daughter of Edward Plantagenet. But both disease and human enemies pursue them, and their only hope for survival is a rebel leader... and medical secrets that lie hidden in an ancient manuscript.

Seven hundred years later, Dr. Janie Crowe is searching for the cure for a crippling disease in a world where genetic engineering has gone mad. A repressive government wants to stop her, unnamed benefactors want to help her, and time is running out to find answers linking two dark eras, two dedicated doctors, and one miraculous book....

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction, Historical, Thriller, Fantasy, Medieval

706 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 13, 1999

About the author

Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is so interesting and you get two storylines in each book. The transitions from 17th century to the future (to 2020 as it was written in the 90's) is easy to follow as each chapter the story changes back in forth in time.

[Nathalie Prat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Es war leider nicht so spannend wie das erste Buch. Lange Zeit habe ich mich gefragt, worum es überhaupt gehen soll und warum ich noch weiterlese. Die Verbindung zwischen Alejandros und Janes Geschichte war auch sehr schwach. Ziemlich enttäuschend.

[W.J. Small · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was fully prepared to give Ann Benson's "Burning Road" four stars until I hit the ending. What a colossal disappointment.
Like the first book in the trilogy ("The Plague Tales"), "Burning Road" jumps between present and the late Middle Ages. In both time periods, main characters are battling the aftermath of a deadly plague, and both are seeing a resurgence of this plague. The medieval section about Alejandro Canches and his daughter Kate was good. Aside from anachronisms, which also were a detraction in the first book, I found the plot interesting and compelling. However, the present narrative was severely lacking. The author introduced many plot lines which were never resolved nor explained. Janie, the main character, acted in ways that made no sense whatsoever. Her reactions to disturbing or shocking events were unbelievable, and a defining trait she possessed in the first book was completely ignored and even negated in the second. The final 40 or so pages of this book ruined the entire book for me.
If Ann Benson had resolved plot lines and made her characters consistent from one book to another, I would have liked this book much better. As it is, I would have preferred it if she had only written the book from the medieval perspective. 3 disappointing stars.

[Colleen Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was of two separate times in history, 1358 and 2007. In both times, deadly plague like diseases were present and two people of each of those times were in a minority of research, experimentation and discovered preventatives or cures of the respective diseases but under threat of being identified. Interesting human interest stories occurring in both cases. I interrupted my reading often and so may not have enjoyed the full impact.

[Kelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked The Plague Tales better. I find the female protagonist incredibly annoying and continually doing stupid stuff which inevitably endangers her and others.. She is non sympathetic character in any way, shape, or form. On the other hand the medieval portion of the book is alluring and satisfying. The characters are sympathetic, rich, and desirable. The Burning Road left many questions that I found that I wasn't even interested in pursuing. like what happened to the English Suitor in the future portion of it.... it's too bad because the material could have been treated differently and made spectacular.

[Guadalupe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Como siempre que el autor entrelaza las historias de dos épocas diferentes hay una que te interesa mucho y otra que se hace pesada y más aburrida. En este caso me ha parecido mucho más interesante la historia ambientada en la época de la peste que la narrada en tono de ciencia ficción en la actualidad.
En resumen, novela entretenida para pasar un buen rato sin más pretensiones.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ann Benson continues the plague tales and modern rush for cure. It is once again written in the then and the now. Loved this second book and will be watching for third-the story is not over. I recommend these Plague Tales stories to everyone.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this second book in the series but with the same criticisms as before. The author continues to make errors related to medical detail and scientific terminology. Didn't she have a bacteriologist or physician proof-read the book?

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!! I am in love with this book. I usually don't like medical thrillers mixed in with historical fiction but this was exceptional and kept my interest the whole way through!

[Alice Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are awesome! Battles with plague in the Middle Ages from the perspective of an adventurous Jewish doctor on the run.

[Pamela Mclaren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second in a three book series — and I have already read the third, although how many years ago, I can't even imagine. So my insights here are only on this one book, as a stand alone.

Yes, the 700-plus pages seems daunting, but once I got into the story, I was pretty much hooked.

This is a story within a story: one, a 14th-century Jewish physician, Dr. Alejandro Canches, who is searching for a save haven in a time and place that looks on Jews with suspicion and are still suffering from the plague and a war. Canches is traveling with a child he has taken under his wing, protecting her from the political forces that would use to their means — Kate, the illegitimate daughter of Edward Plantagenet. At the beginning of these chapters, we find out that Canches is translating a valuable tome that carries medical secrets.

That manuscript, which links the two stories, has made it to the year 2007 and into the hands of Dr. Janie Crowe, who has survived a first wave of a new plague to her cost. She is no longer able to practice medicine but now works in medical records under a regime that literally has means to track every individual. But they can't seem to stop her when she discovers a medical mystery that seems to affect young Jewish boys, causing their bones to not only break, but shatter into pieces.

As I said, I was hooked. As a reader I've read a few books (by no means an expert) on the Black Plague that hit in the Medieval World and the Spanish Flu of the early 20th-century. And of course, lived through COVID. So I was interested to read more from the words of even fictitious individuals having to deal with deadly and highly contagious diseases, the fear, the panic and the often very mistaken believes about its causes and cures.

Ann Benson has created both worlds and brought them the characters and time period to stark reality, and readers are compelling to continue reading to find out how things turn out in both stories. While you know that some of those very characters will die, you read to the end to find out how it works out.

I like the characters in this book, especially Kate and Canches. There story is especially compelling because of the political intrigue tied to living and surviving during those times. Janie Crowe is a bit harder to read, to like. She battles and does so with little blowback for ignoring her job, her relationships, etc. I don't believe she could have been as lucky as she is. She does suffer setbacks in her clandestine work but somehow, she alone comes up with solutions. The people she trusts are entirely faithful to her. I think, in reality, it would not be so.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book. It is a good read for its multilayered tales, characters and situations.

[Barbara Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

by Barbara Kelley

Burning Road in Book #2 in The Plague Tales series by Ann Benson. This book continues where Book #1 left off, but a few years in the future from where the 1st book took place: begins in 1358, during the Black Plague, and 2007 in the still futuristic present. Burning Road was originally published in 1999, when 2007 was still in the future. In today's world of 2020, we are facing another pandemic, the Corona Virus, and in the 1350s, the Black Plague was still raging throughout Europe and Asia. This episode finds Alejandro, during the 1350s, fleeing with a little girl of seven years of age who begs him to take her with him. She just so happens to be one of the King of England's children from his mistress and is in much danger if the kingdom finds out that she had the plague and that Alejandro saved her life with his medical wonders. With a bounty on his head, Alejandro vows to protect this child with his life and tells everybody she is his daughter. But Kate has blond hair and blue eyes and is fair of skin, while Alejandro has dark hair and brown eyes and is dark like the Spaniard he is. This was a time of greed and betrayal among people he thought were his friends, and the king's bounty would put the two travelers in a great deal of danger. Then in the future of 2007, Janie and Carolyn still strive to find peace in a world that is also endangering their own lives. Janie and Carolyn read really old medical journals written by Alejandro in the 1300s, as well as women, both before and after Alejandro who also write in the journal. These women are healers that taught Alejandro all he knows of certain herbs and sulfur water that could cure the plague. These journals are another factor that puts Janie and Carolyn's lives in danger. I gave this book 5 stars.

[Childe of the Night · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my honest opinion this is MUCH better than first book. While first was rather blank and underwhelming and left me a bit "hungry" even though it was a lot of text and made me roll eyes more than i'd expect, the second one was a pleasant surprise!
Dynamic, more "tasty", characters became more interesting - both past and future kept me hooked and i wanted to get to know what's next asap! ...Well, except Bruce. He is the same cardboard figure of a man as he was before. But all previous characters and the new ones became more interesting and deep.
I loved the detective part of the future timeline, too! Same as the past kept a few plot twists that made me go "wait what?" a couple of times.

It is so much fun! And even though it has it's flaws and fantasy-fiction factor in what seems like a sci-fi and historical fiction, it is wrapped into story much more organically and naturally. I had a very good time with this text!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I started reading this book, I did not realize it was part 2 of a trilogy, so there were several sections that seemed to come out of the blue, assumed understanding of something, or were just plain confusing. I would strongly recommend reading The Plague Tales first. In addition to that, I found much of the science, or a reason for something working as a cure lacking: the protagonist has an idea that might work to cure some boys, but what was the basis of that? What did that involve? Despite being in the sciences (or perhaps because of it!), there seemed to be a big jump from idea directly to fruition. These factors were annoying to me, but the book is well written and with a good plot line - but do read The Plague Tales first! I suspect it would have cleared up a lot of the questions I had in reading the Burning Road.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unless I missed something, there must be another book because there were a couple of threads the author failed to tie up. If I missed the resolution to these subplots, I would have to say they handled in such a way that they failed to meet expectations.

This was an okay book. Not great. Not bad. Just okay.

For this reason, if there is another Plague Tales book, I don't think I will be going out of my way to track it down.

[Mandy Schimelpfenig · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sequel to The Plague Tales is full of action, romance, and tragedy. It follows two timelines again in the wake of the Black Death, and again I remember more of the historical portion than the modern. I like that the author isn't afraid to pile up the bodies and spare feelings. It's raw and realistic and I'm here for it.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good tale

As a continuation of the Plague Tales, this book takes the main characters into new territory, both literally and figuratively. The plague has begun a new turn, while new threats have to be dealt with.

[Ginny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as interesting and compelling as the first, which I read at least a year ago. Love historical fiction. Is it wrong to enjoy books about plagues??

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awsome book

[Johanna Markson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toby

[Melissa Crespy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good. Enjoyed how she carried forth the story from The Plague Tales, but book 2 was not as compelling as Book 1.

[Oodles · Rating 3 out of 5]

The follow-on book to The Plague Tales, this novel was okay. It didn't leave me with as many questions as the first book but clearly the author intends to write another. Oddly, the first book ended with one of the characters having a young child who is only just born at the end of the second book. It's a time slip novel, this book continues the trials and tribulations of the physician Alejandro Canches and his adopted daughter Kate (who remind me from time to time of Jean Valjean and Celeste always on the run in Les Miserables) in 1358, 10 years after the first book. The "future" advanced only 2 years from the first book to 2007. I continue to wonder why this author, who was writing in 1999, chose to make the future so near our own present day. She describes a time when antibiotics have become useless through overuse, people have id tags in their hands so they can pay for things, gas is rationed, Big Brother is everywhere. It's not implausible but not here yet so it still seems odd to me. I preferred the medieval period to the modern day in this one but neither story was really compelling and the book left me wanting.

[Cathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked The Plague Tales, although I thought the book dragged on a bit in the middle. But at least the story was novel, combining the 14th century with a not too distant future - both main characters are doctors, one battles the plague, the other lives in a modern world that has survived a super bug, transforming the lives of everyone.

Although The Burning Road is a stand-alone book, I would recommend reading The Plague Tales first. It just helps to understand the characters better. This second book just did not work for me. I found the whole thing too contrived. I did not like the storyline set in the 14th century. I just did not identify with the characters and was skimming paragraphs fairly early on, because I was bored. It might have worked better for me, if each story had actually been a separate book. I battled on for about 200 pages, but then gave up. I skimmed through the last chapter and it does sound like an interesting story, it just did not manage to keep MY interest.

[TheIron Paw · Rating 2 out of 5]

Arrgghh! This was the second book of the series and gave away so much of the plot of the first one that I don't think I'd get much out of the first book (that's what happens on holidays and you grab what you can in a language you can read). Much of my problem with this book may stem from not having read Plague Tales previously: it gave away most of the plot of PT but assumed I already knew the characters and their situations. I eventually did get to understand the 14th Century characters but the 21st C. characters still seemed somewhat cardboard to me by the end. The 14thC plot was well developed and apparantly well researched but the 21stC plot appeared to have a number of holes and inconsistencies (perhaps from focusing too much on setting up a sequel?). I also have some questions about the accuracy of some of the genetic material - but will have to bow to someone with more expertise in that field. On the whole, an interesting read but start with Plague Tales.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say I was a little dissapointed by this book. I really liked plague Tales but BR just didn't live up to PT. It wasn't a bad read, but the last 20 pages felt like Benson was just preparing for the next book in the series. Which I will probably read as well. . .just not right away.

Something else of note. . . it is funny actually. I keep reading books the have two story lines interwoven and I really don't like these type of books. Just when you start getting into one story the chapter ends and the book moves you back to the other storyline. . .errr. . .must not read another book like that right away.

[Vtalland · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was OK. I really liked tThe Plague Tales, so I had high expectation for this one. It follows the same structure of two plots that move linearly forward in time, one in a post-epidemic "current" time period and the other in the middle ages (14th century). I felt that in her first book she made the inter-connection between the two plots much more compelling. In this book I found the point of connection rather oblique, even by0the-way. But her premise is interesting, as are most of her companions. And she continues to paint a very vivid picture of medieval life, pestilence and medical study.

[Anne Pusey Roberts · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once again, this books tells parralel stories across time - in this case France during the Plague and Massachusetts in a non-identified time in the future after a major biological outbreak. The 14th century story is part medical, part political and part romance and is reasonably well-told. The futuristic story was harder to get into but ultimately more interesting. My chief complaint is that it left way too many plot strings dangling and was a little too vague about some of the events in the characters' pasts. Again - for a beach read - just fine!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding, excellent. Found a few minor points that I'd have preferred to have been clarified, but they were minor for sure. Really love the 14th century story with Alejandro, he's such an amazing character, love everything about him. The "future" story line was better than most of the first book's "future" story, in my opinion, but it did build on the first book with some amazingly wonderful story lines of its own. This is my fourth read of this series. I am starting The Physician's Tale now!

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sequel to my much-loved Plague Tales continues the future/past storylines and brings back the compelling characters. In the future, Janie deals with a possible scientific conspiracy, while in the past, Alejandro and his daughter are caught up in the Jacobite rebellion. War, plague, conspiracy...gotta love it!

[Kara Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't know what to rate this. I loved the characters which is why I read this book. I like the duo nature of the book with different plot lines. It is very slow going though. You can easily put this book down. I needed a book that you couldn't put down and was very exciting and this wasn't it.