Dallas Book Diva

PEOPLE OF THE BOOK By Geraldine Brooks

To quote Geraldine Brooks, "this is a book about a book." The novel is fiction, but is inspired by actual events that took place when Geraldine was a war correspondent working for the Wall Street Journal covering Sarajevo reporting on the Bosnia war. She heard about the Sarajevo Haggadah, a priceless, exquisitely beautiful, six-hundred-year-old Jewish book that was saved from destruction by a Muslim.

The novel opens when book conservator, Hanna Heath, is given the job of a lifetime, to analyze and conserve the famed Sarajevo Haggadah. Hanna discovers small remains in the book, (a butterfly wing, a wine stain, etc) that lead the reader on a journey to discover the "life" the book has led. Hanna is changed in the process. Brooks uses flashbacks to give us insight into the many lives touched by this magical book. I enjoyed it very much. The novel gives a peek into a fascinating profession and tells a magical story about a magical book. This one is not to be missed. What do you think?


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