#10 People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Book conservator Hannah Heath has been given the professional opportunity of a lifetime. A five hundred year old haggadah known for it's
unique illuminations and considered lost forever, has been relocated in Sarajevo, and they want Hannah to restore it. Once Hannah arrives from her home in Australia, she carefully restores the book and makes note of it's unique properties. As Hannah continues to study each piece of the book, the reader is given a glimpse into the haggadah's past, and the lives of the people who touched it.
People of the Book is the second book I have read by Geraldine Brooks, the first being Year of Wonder, which I liked a lot, but was disappointed by the ending. I think my favorite part about this book is how Brooks connects tiny details in the physical haggadah to the people who had held it in the past. These physical marks on the book are a good symbol for how each human being leaves their mark on the world. For example, Hanna discovers a wine stain on the book, which leads to a story about a friendship between a rabbi and a priest during the inquisition. Where this book shines the most is in the historical fiction parts I really like how Brooks presents us wide variety of interesting characters and settings in these flashback sections. At times it almost feels like a collection of interconnected short stories, a format I am fond of. I also liked how well People of the Book flows from the present to past day sections.
The present day sections are a little more uneven. Many readers have complained about the protagonist, Hannah Heath, but I found it easy to warm up to her. The storyline involving her rocky relationship with her mother is really engrossing, and many of the characters she meets grabbed my attention and even made me laugh a bit. I found the romantic subplot between her and Ozren, a Bosnian librarian, to be unnecessary. I also found the ending to be a tad unsatisfying (although not as much of a let down as Year of Wonders). One problem that exists in both the flashback and present scenes is that the author depends on convenient coincidences too often in order to move the story forward. This is not something that typically bothers me that much, but it did get on my nerves here, as it seems as is Brooks is often taking the easy way out.
Despite my issues with the novel, I do feel that People of the Book is an all around solid novel, and a satisfying mix of both contemporary and historical fiction. My enjoyment of the book was enhanced by the audiobook presentation. The narrator has a really pleasant voice, and she does a great job of crafting a variety of voices and accents without making the characters sounds too cartoon-ish.. I am happy that I picked up People of the Book, and will continue to read fiction written by Geraldine Brooks in the future.
Rating: four stars
Length: the print version is 372 pages
Source: Readfield Community Library
Similar Books: The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier
Other books I've read by this author: Year of Wonders
Next up, I will be reviewing Changeless by Gail Carriger
xposted to temporaryworlds , bookish , and goodreads
unique illuminations and considered lost forever, has been relocated in Sarajevo, and they want Hannah to restore it. Once Hannah arrives from her home in Australia, she carefully restores the book and makes note of it's unique properties. As Hannah continues to study each piece of the book, the reader is given a glimpse into the haggadah's past, and the lives of the people who touched it.
People of the Book is the second book I have read by Geraldine Brooks, the first being Year of Wonder, which I liked a lot, but was disappointed by the ending. I think my favorite part about this book is how Brooks connects tiny details in the physical haggadah to the people who had held it in the past. These physical marks on the book are a good symbol for how each human being leaves their mark on the world. For example, Hanna discovers a wine stain on the book, which leads to a story about a friendship between a rabbi and a priest during the inquisition. Where this book shines the most is in the historical fiction parts I really like how Brooks presents us wide variety of interesting characters and settings in these flashback sections. At times it almost feels like a collection of interconnected short stories, a format I am fond of. I also liked how well People of the Book flows from the present to past day sections.
The present day sections are a little more uneven. Many readers have complained about the protagonist, Hannah Heath, but I found it easy to warm up to her. The storyline involving her rocky relationship with her mother is really engrossing, and many of the characters she meets grabbed my attention and even made me laugh a bit. I found the romantic subplot between her and Ozren, a Bosnian librarian, to be unnecessary. I also found the ending to be a tad unsatisfying (although not as much of a let down as Year of Wonders). One problem that exists in both the flashback and present scenes is that the author depends on convenient coincidences too often in order to move the story forward. This is not something that typically bothers me that much, but it did get on my nerves here, as it seems as is Brooks is often taking the easy way out.
Despite my issues with the novel, I do feel that People of the Book is an all around solid novel, and a satisfying mix of both contemporary and historical fiction. My enjoyment of the book was enhanced by the audiobook presentation. The narrator has a really pleasant voice, and she does a great job of crafting a variety of voices and accents without making the characters sounds too cartoon-ish.. I am happy that I picked up People of the Book, and will continue to read fiction written by Geraldine Brooks in the future.
Rating: four stars
Length: the print version is 372 pages
Source: Readfield Community Library
Similar Books: The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier
Other books I've read by this author: Year of Wonders
Next up, I will be reviewing Changeless by Gail Carriger
xposted to temporaryworlds , bookish , and goodreads