NONFICTION - Jan. 14, 1996

A FOOL AND HIS MONEY: Life In a Partitioned Town in Fourteenth Century France by Ann Wroe (Hill and Wang: $22; 243 pp.) It is not clear exactly what’s wrong with Peyre Marques, but over the years he has become more and more forgetful. Worst of all, Marques buried a large quantity of gold coins but cannot remember their location. When three workmen accidentally stumble on the gold in Marques’ basement, it is immediately claimed by his cagey son-in-law. A court case follows, recorded in the town’s register with painstaking detail. All this takes place in 14th century France.

In her vivid, compelling book, “A Fool and His Money,” Ann Wroe interweaves poor Marques’ story with the larger story of Rodez, a town literally divided in half by warring political factions. Wroe has the gift of making readers feel exactly how daily life must have been during that time. “A Fool and His Money” is filled with wonderful details that enhance our connection to the ordinary people who rarely make history.