Dan Brown Lite
Disappointing even for a fluff novel. The Wikipedia article on the Sarajevo Haggadah is a more interesting read. Historical fiction needs either a quality retelling of history or a quality story to get by, and this book offers neither. There's precious little known of the Sarajevo Haggadah's existence, so Brooks imagines a series of events throughout its existence interwoven with a bit of modern-day drama. But she apparently went for the Dan Brown approach by inventing physical details of the book itself, throwing off the balance between history and fiction. The pattern of revealing a detail and immediately following it with a chapter set in the past is too contrived and trite even for mindless beach reading. It's certainly interesting to wonder about this book's journey through the years, but Brooks' imagined history offers little to recommend it.

Wonderfully Imagined
This story is so well written. The diverse people involved in the books history and the mysteries of what eventually became of them spark the imagination. I wanted to know more, but really there was no need, it was obvious in most cases. The author was perfect at changing writing styles and placing me in the mini-worlds of these tragic figures. On finishing the book I immediately went on line and looked at pictures of the actual illuminations. It was both intellectually stimulating and a very good read. I look forward to enjoying more from this author.

Journey of a Prayer Book
When do we consider loss in our own lives? What cost and what effect does loss have on our everyday existence? Is it traumatic only when a loved one passes or is there more of a sense of collective loss when looking at centuries of war, loss of life or needless destruction of towns and cities? How do we measure that loss compared to a loss of love or even when a beloved object goes missing? In reading Geraldine Brooks' novel, one comes away with a personal reflection of what loss means.

PEOPLE OF THE BOOK integrates all of the various and very dissimilar kinds of loss by telling the story of a journey of a beautiful rare meticulously engraved Haggadah.

Pulitzer prize winner Geraldine Brooks does a terrific job with this story. She was able to weave the true story of this missing prayer book into a well written historical fiction novel.

Hanna Heath is our protagonist who is an Australian book conservator summoned to investigate the authenticity of this newly surfaced gem of a prayer book which had been saved from a Bosnian museum by a librarian.

Hanna makes a series of discoveries while examining the find as any ancient book conservator would. She uncovers an insect wing, a thin strand of white hair, a stain that appears to be blood or wine, and some evidence that the prayer book had been near or around salt water. The investigation takes us back in time through centuries to the 1480's in Seville.

Brooks so competantly weaves a tale with intimate details and she introduces us to all of the PEOPLE who touched or were changed by this BOOK. The true story of the Haggadah is a beautiful and intimate study of the basic goodness of mankind through difficult and ominous events and Brooks is successful in capturing that quality in her literary art.

PROS:

Hanna's investigation leads us and her into the depths of intrigue, deception, and suspense. The journey of the book itself helps Hanna find out more about herself as well as truths she never knew existed. Fantastic weaving together of truth and fiction.

CONS:

Only one for me: the last chapter. It was just a little too pat and a bit incredulous. The main reason for this wonderful book not being a perfect five.

Recommended: B

People of the Book: A Novel


Bentley/2008

This book was...
simply wonderful. Beautifully written, brilliantly researched and compelling.

Geraldine Brooks gets better with every novel. I highly recommend this.

a book to be read twice
No spoiler here...I loved the book!

I think it is a book to be read twice. It is like a "nested doll"; each segment is built on the one that follows. But, it goes backwards.

The story begins with Hanna who is hired to preserve the Sarajevo Haggaadah. She discovers a few clues as to its provenance...a hair, a bit of salt, a stain, missing clips and an insect wing.

Each "clue" takes us further back into the history of the Haggadah. And, when it does, takes us back into another time where you understand how that little bit of something is part of the history of this Haggadah.

In real life, there is a Sarajevo Haggadah; this is what it's provenance might have been.