A Company of Fools is a chronicle written by the young choirboy Henri which tells of events at St. Luc’s abbey during the time of the plague in France. Henri begins by telling the reader of his life as a shy choirboy. Shy, that is, until one of the monks brings back Micah, a street urchin saved from hanging by the grace of his beautiful voice. Soon Henri and Micah are playing pranks together and becoming fast friends. When the plague hits Paris, things start to change in the abbey. The monks, along with Henri and Micah, form the “Company of Fools” and go out among the people to help them laugh and forget their troubles. When things get out of hand, Micah’s character is put to the test.

Ellis gives Henri a light, innocent voice that is still capable of telling of the horrific events of the plague. As Henri becomes friends with Micah, he comes out of his shell and really enjoys life. Henri has never really known a life outside of the religious life and if often baffled and excited by Micah. When Micah begins to act it a way that outrages Henri, the reader can tell just how awful he feels to have this rift between them. Through everything, Henri hopes that Micah will make the right decisions as he struggles with choices about his life.

Ellis does not attempt to deify her characters. Just because the boys live in an abbey does not make them perfect. The same goes for the monks and certainly for the Prior. This aspect of her writing is what makes this a believable account. These are merely people trying to survive and live as they have always lived; they are not saints. GraceAnn DeCandido, writing for Booklist, points out, “What happens to Micah's song, and to Henri, makes a vivid chronicle of monks, good and bad, and intentions, good and bad, set in the horrific context of a plague year.” Ellis accurately portrays the confusion of not knowing what is causing such suffering. People cling to whatever hope they can, and Henri’s descriptions help us understand why that is so. In A Company of Fools, Ellis delivers a very strong historical story voiced by a very strong narrator.

DeCandido, GraceAnn. 2002. Review of A Company of Fools in Booklist.