3.5
People of the Book
ByPublisher Description
View our feature on Geraldine Books’s People of the Book.
From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of March, the journey of a rare illuminated manuscript through centuries of exile and warIn 1996, Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, is offered the job of a lifetime: analysis and conservation of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, which has been rescued from Serb shelling during the Bosnian war. Priceless and beautiful, the book is one of the earliest Jewish volumes ever to be illuminated with images. When Hanna, a caustic loner with a passion for her work, discovers a series of tiny artifacts in its ancient binding—an insect wing fragment, wine stains, salt crystals, a white hair—she begins to unlock the book’s mysteries. The reader is ushered into an exquisitely detailed and atmospheric past, tracing the book’s journey from its salvation back to its creation.
In Bosnia during World War II, a Muslim risks his life to protect it from the Nazis. In the hedonistic salons of fin-de-siècle Vienna, the book becomes a pawn in the struggle against the city’s rising anti-Semitism. In inquisition-era Venice, a Catholic priest saves it from burning. In Barcelona in 1492, the scribe who wrote the text sees his family destroyed by the agonies of enforced exile. And in Seville in 1480, the reason for the Haggadah’s extraordinary illuminations is finally disclosed. Hanna’s investigation unexpectedly plunges her into the intrigues of fine art forgers and ultra-nationalist fanatics. Her experiences will test her belief in herself and the man she has come to love.
Inspired by a true story, People of the Book is at once a novel of sweeping historical grandeur and intimate emotional intensity, an ambitious, electrifying work by an acclaimed and beloved author.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesPeople of the Book Reviews
3.5
“The Enduring Journey of the Sarajevo Haggadah
Sometimes a book touches you so deeply that its resonance lingers weeks after you’ve turned the final page. As my work book club selection for March, this was an incredibly moving experience. Being from Macedonia, I particularly loved the Eastern European references; they added a layer of personal connection that made the story feel even more vital.
People of the Book is a fictionalized account of the perilous journey of the Sarajevo Haggadah, an ancient Jewish manuscript famous for its stunning, intricate illuminations. The story follows the manuscript’s survival across centuries—from Moorish Spain and Inquisition-era Venice to late 19th-century Vienna—tracing the people of all faiths who worked to preserve it. In the modern-day thread, many believe the Haggadah has been destroyed, only for it to resurface in Bosnia. Dr. Hanna Heath, a skilled conservator, is tasked with uncovering its past. By analyzing tiny artifacts found within the pages, she unlocks glimpses into the book’s journey through the ravages of history.
The novel’s structure is fascinating, moving in reverse chronological order through alternating chapters. Brooks populates these eras with vivid, memorable characters; a gambling Rabbi and a drunken Inquisition censor were two of the best. The research is impeccable, and the prose is often tense and thrilling, blending historical mystery with moving descriptions.
However, I felt the author occasionally tried to cover too much. Hanna’s complicated relationship with her mother felt remote from the central story of the Haggadah. Additionally, the portrayal of Hanna’s Australian character felt overdone and dated; the use of slang like "slammer" for jail felt out of touch with modern speech and occasionally pulled me out of the narrative. I also felt the author’s contemporary agenda was a bit heavy-handed. While the themes of interfaith harmony are beautiful, the way almost every expert Hanna encounters is a woman, and the specific reveal regarding the illustrator’s identity, felt more like a modern lens being pushed than organic history.
Despite these qualifications, People of the Book is a fascinating, informative, and deeply enjoyable read. It is a powerful look at how a single object can connect cultures and faiths. While some of our book club members didn't manage to finish it, I sincerely hope they go back to it. It is well worth the time.
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BelievableDiverse representationMinor characters stand outMultilayeredClever plottingGripping/excitingNonlinear narrativeSatisfying conclusionSuspensefulAncientAtmosphericBeautifulHarshHistoricalUnique locationBeautifully-writtenDescriptiveChild lossGriefReligious intoleranceSexual assaultWar violence
About Geraldine Brooks
Geraldine Brooks is the author of four novels, the Pulitzer Prize–winning Marchand the international bestsellers Caleb’s Crossing, People of the Book, and Year of Wonders. She has also written the acclaimed nonfiction works Nine Parts of Desire and Foreign Correspondence. Her most recent novel, Caleb’s Crossing, was the winner of the New England Book Award for Fiction and the Christianity TodayBook Award, and was a finalist for the Langum Prize in American Historical Fiction. Born and raised in Australia, she lives on Martha’s Vineyard with her husband, the author Tony Horwitz.
Other books by Geraldine Brooks
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