**Curiosities** by Anne Fleming is a captivating tale that weaves together the past and present. The story begins with Anne, an amateur historian, who stumbles upon five ancient manuscripts. These documents reveal a mysterious narrative set in a 17th-century English village devastated by the Plague. In this village, two children, Joan and Thomasina, survive and form a close bond with a woman living in the nearby forest. As the village repopulates, the woman faces accusations of witchcraft, leading to the separation of the children. Joan becomes a maid in a manor house, eventually rising to become a companion to Lady Margaret Long. Meanwhile, Thomasina, disguised as a boy named Tom, embarks on a journey to Virginia. As adults, Tom and Joan reunite and fall in love, but their relationship is discovered by a young clergyman who misinterprets their bond. Fearing for their safety, Tom flees to the North Pole. Anne, the historian, is left to unravel the intertwined stories and uncover the true fate of the lovers, exploring themes of identity and love in a time of limited understanding.

The 17008th greatest book of all time