People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

People of the Book (A&R Classics)

by Geraldine Brooks

The new novel from the author of 'March' and 'Year of Wonders' takes place in the aftermath of the Bosnian War, as a young book conservator arrives in Sarajevo to restore a lost treasure. When Hannah Heath gets a call in the middle of the night in her Sydney home about a precious medieval manuscript which has been recovered from the smouldering ruins of wartorn Sarajevo, she knows she is on the brink of the experience of a lifetime. A renowned book conservator, she must now make her way to Bosnia to start work on restoring The Sarajevo Haggadah, a Jewish prayer book -- to discover its secrets and piece together the story of its miraculous survival. But the trip will also set in motion a series of events that threaten to rock Hannah's orderly life, including her encounter with Ozren Karamen, the young librarian who risked his life to save the book. As meticulously researched as all of Brooks's previous work, 'People of the Book' is a gripping and moving novel about war, art, love and survival.

Reviewed by Eve1972 on

5 of 5 stars

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What an intriguing little read this book was! I think Geraldine Brooks is fast becoming one of my favorite authors! This was a remarkable story about the history of the priceless medieval Jewish prayer book, the Sarajevo Haggadah. Jumping back and forth in time and giving us beautiful and painful insights into the history of the book, the author does a wonderful job of wrapping facts with fiction and creating a very spellbinding read. This is definitely one to add to you own "to read" list!

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 23 July, 2009: Finished reading
  • 23 July, 2009: Reviewed