Product Description

'Even more compelling than the detective plot is the novel's portrayal of the harrowing lives of its historical characters. Brooks is a compassionate writer. "People of the Book" is a powerful account of individual resistance to intolerance and the precious value of history. It is also a gripping story.'

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #936551 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

Review
Praise for 'March': 'Brooks's considerable historical research for "March" is pleasingly lightly worn. Her efforts have borne a rich fruit. It is a big, generous romp that manages to make clever use of "Little Women" without suffocating beneath it.' Sophie Harrison, Sunday Times 'A tightly controlled novel in which, you sense, every sentence has been carefully weighed and calculated, and Brooks successfully balances narrative leanness with luxuriant language. "March" is that rare species: a serious popular novel that is not afraid to grapple with big ideas.' Douglas Kennedy, Waterstones Books Quarterly 'Researched with great historical thoroughness, "March" hews faithfully to the spirit of Alcott's original!Louise May Alcott would be well pleased.' Economist Praise for 'The Year of Wonders': 'The "Year of Wonders" is a staggering fictional debut that matches journalistic accumulation of detail to natural narrative flair.' Guardian 'A lyrically written and emotionally engaging novel.' Independent 'The plot is gripping, I like the psychological subtlety of characters struggling with a shifting world, and it's packed with historical detail.' Daily Mail

Review
'These stories have a raw and visceral power. The book is full of historical detail.'

Review
'An irresistible subject, given urgency by its timeliness and poignancy by its paradoxicality: for the novel is based on the true story of an ancient Jewish codex saved from the fire by a Muslim librarian. Her performance will satisfy many readers.'

Customer Reviews

I really enjoyed this book!
Having enjoyed March last year, I anticipated a treat when I picked this book up, and I was not disappointed. If anything, this book is better than her previous work (rewarded with the Pullitzer Prize for fiction.) It was one that I was loathed to put down, and virtually had to force myself to go Christmas shopping rather than continuing to read! What an amazing book!

This novel concentrates predominantly in more modern times, although the 'novel within the novel' takes us back through time; exploring the persecution of the Jews through recent times and back to the Spanish Inquisition.

Hanna, the main character, is a restorer of ancient books who is invited to restore teh Sarajevo haggadah - an ancient text which appears to have been preserved against all the odds. During her time with the book, she discovers several 'clues' to the past history of the book and the people responsible for its preservation. These clues lead her to speculate a bit more about the history of the book - but, meanwhile, the 'book within the book' allows the clues to reveal more of the story to us, the readers.

Other reviewers have expressed disappointment that Hanna herself was not able to uncover the story of the book's history - but for me, that would have been totally unrealistic from the few small clues hidden within, and would have ruined the credibility of this well researched piece of fiction. After all, this book is entitled 'The People of the Book' - so it is totally appropriate that it looks at those involved in the preservation, rather than in the book itself. Nevertheless, hanna's story is beautifully dealt with, and Brooks has still managed to add a couple of intriguing twists to the end of the story.

I found it intriguing to read in the appendix that Geraldine Brooks was fortunate enough to have witnessed the uncovering of the book in Sarajevo. How fortunate she was to have been allowed this privelege! I have also been intrigued enough to follow up from my reading and to find out more about this incredibly beautiful book through internet research. It is my hope, before long, to be able to see it for myself!

Enjoy this book - it is a rewarding, informative and intriguing read; giving an incomaparable insight into many aspects of European History.

Fiction woven around facts
The real history of the Sarajevo Haggadah is exciting, and author Brooks weaves stories of fictional -- and occasionally real -- people around the main known episodes. This charming medieval Jewish passover prayerbook had several amazing escapes from destruction in its long life. Several of the episodes -- the Inquisition in Spain, the papal censorship in Italy, the attempted looting by the Nazis in Yugoslavia -- highlight the merciless anti-semitism of Christians, and these are the parts of the book where Brooks shows some real emotion in her writing. Between the historical stories, we also get the plodding plot of an Australian book conservator who rebinds the haggadah, deals with her lousy mother, finds her long-lost Jewish ancestry, and uncovers an unlikely forgery. This grinds along and nearly made me give up the book at times. I wish Brooks had added some more light-hearted episodes. When I look at my own reproduction copy of the Sarajevo haggadah it is easy to think of what might have replaced some of the girly conservator story. Why not tell us about the long-ago family passover celebrations that put the wear on the pages? Who was the naughty child that doodled around the illustrations? Who sketched the extra pictures? Who were the buyer and seller of the haggadah that recorded their transaction on the flyleaf? So here is a historical novel that is an inpired idea, but seems not to go far enough in living up to the inspiration.

Gripping Stuff
After having read the blurb on the back and not being particularly keen to pick this book up for a few weeks, when I finally did I couldn't put it down.

I found this book a really gripping and actually left me pining to pick it up and carry on reading when I had other stuff to do (work mainly - how inconvenient!). This is the story of Hanna, an Australian rare book expert who gets the fantastic opportunity to work on the Sarajevo Haggadah (which has been missing for decades). From here (between the story of Hanna and her discoveries) we are treated to a feast of life in cities such as Vienna, Venice, Barcelona and Seville ranging over more than 5 centuries. I absolutely loved these stories and meeting the people in them and ultimately making the connection between them and how the book ended up in its next home.

I really did enjoy this book, and would even say it is one of the best books I have read this year. I found it not only incerdibly interesting but also a great story that kept making me want to read on (I love books that make me not want to put them down). I recommend this book highly and I hope you enjoy as much as I did.