People of the Book

Books | Fiction / Literary

3.9

(345)

Geraldine Brooks

The bestselling novel that follows a rare manuscript through centuries of exile and war, from the author of The Secret Chord and of March, winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Inspired by a true story, People of the Book is a novel of sweeping historical grandeur and intimate emotional intensity by an acclaimed and beloved author. Called “a tour de force” by the San Francisco Chronicle, this ambitious, electrifying work traces the harrowing journey of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, a beautifully illuminated Hebrew manuscript created in fifteenth-century Spain. When it falls to Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, to conserve this priceless work, the series of tiny artifacts she discovers in its ancient binding—an insect wing fragment, wine stains, salt crystals, a white hair—only begin to unlock its deep mysteries and unexpectedly plunges Hanna into the intrigues of fine art forgers and ultranationalist fanatics.

Buy now:

More Details:

Author

Geraldine Brooks

Pages

416

Publisher

National Geographic Books

Published Date

2008-12-30

ISBN

0143115006 9780143115007

Community ReviewsSee all

"An imaginative tale of the journey of an ancient book. As Hanna, the book conservator, delves into the materials and supplies used to produce this book, she wonders about how it came to be…"

Merry

"really a 3.5 for the complexity and research that went into it"

J w

Jfly winslow

"Spectacular story! The life that lies behind the manuscript that is found and the lives it has touched is incredible. The story is a beautiful web of experiences that are so intricately connected. I was captivated! "

Nathalie Faviere

"Great woven tapestry of the Jewish canon"

Caroline Shank

"4/5 for the audio version. Good narrator, very interesting book!"

Addie Anderson

"In this work of historical fiction, Geraldine Brooks tells a reimagined story of the famous Sarajevo Haggadah, a Jewish seder book that survived hundreds of years of turbulent history in Europe and the Middle East, finally resurfacing in war-torn Bosnia. Brooks frames the narrative through the discoveries of the Australian book conservationist tasked with studying and repairing the ancient book. Her voice is cynical, passionate, and equally funny. As she discovers new clues in the manuscript, Brooks writes chapters imagining the story of the Haggadah's journey dating back to before it was assembled in the fifteenth century, from the perspective of those who contributed to it or kept it safe through generations of anti-semitism and conflict. The result is a beautiful story that displays how different people of different faiths have played huge roles in saving this work of art, suggesting the importance of multiculturalism in contributing to the diverse fabric of humankind today. A great read of faith, struggle, and humanity."

Jacob Longini

"A page turner that I couldn’t put down. I also learned a lot."

Tracey Holden

"Liked this at first but it got really boring and hard to follow. Some scenes of a sexual nature would pop up out of nowhere. Didn't like that. Don't recommend this book."