Having won a Pulitzer Prize with “March”, her re-telling of “Little Women”, Brooks has moved onto deeper and darker ground with this novel about a book.
Not just any book. A Jewish Book which has survived more that 500 years of turmoil, book burnings and human terror. Finally resurfacing in Sarajevo near the end of the Bosnian War. A real book with an unknown history. The Sarajevo Haggadah.
Brooks creates a possible history for the book and the people who have been associated with the book. The glimpses into the world of book restoration are fascinating and the glimpses into the lives of the people around the Haggadah are warming yet horrifying. While most of us have learned that 1492 is the date Columbus discovered America, how many of us also know that it was also the year that Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, having defeated all the Moorish Muslims within their borders, decided they no longer needed the Jews and expelled them all. It seems the whole history of the volume is a series of rehearsals for the tragedy of the Bosnian Civil War during the ’90’s.
The research into both history and book restoration is meticulous. The dedication is to the most important people in human society, the Librarians. The great fear is that the book burnings could happen yet again.
Possibly the sole disappointment of “The People of the Book” is the way Brooks has drawn the relationship between the emotionally damaged restorer, Hanna, and her over-achieving mother. This may simply be a male reviewer’s reaction to the often repeated war between mothers and daughters.
How readable is “The People of the Book”?
After buying the book, I also went shopping and purchased some chicken and some Butter Chicken simmer sauce. I love Tandoori style chicken. I was really looking forward to that for my dinner. But first I had to walk back two bus-stops when I realised I had missed my stop. I must learn not to read on the bus! Then, way after dinner time, as the stomach growled in anger, I made myself a quick honey sandwich. I finally turned the last page at 2.15 am. I guess I will have to wait till tonight for my chicken.
But now I shall be able to eat it while contemplating the survival of a very special book. And remembering a well told tale which will live with me.
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Filed under: literature | Tagged: book review, Geraldine Brooks, People of the Book, Sarajevo, Bosnia, Pulitzer Prize, Book Burnings, Librarians
From Mothers day I’m going to try to give up acohol, coffee I cannot do without!
Coffee is not addictive – and I will prove it – after I have had a short black – - -
That’s what I need! Move over.
Short Turkish blacks with three sugars – Whooo hooooo
YIKES – WordPress has become confused and has removed my coffee cartoon, replaced it with this post and kept the coffee comments! I’ll try and sort this out!
Strange you should say that. I’ve just received an e-mail from a friend asking for help with his WordPress blog which he says has “gone mad”.
So is this post actually yours, Archie? I’d certainly claim it anyway, because it’s pretty good.
I heard the author of this book being interviewed on ABC radio a couple of days ago. It was playing in the background while I was working so I didn’t give it my full attention; I just caught snippets “…Spanish Moors…”, “…a black woman in Spain 500 years ago would have to be Muslim…”, “Bosnian War”, “Sarajevo” – “Strange mix”, I thought to myself, and then thought no more. But after reading this review “The People of the Book” is definitely on my list – my list of books to give to my mother-in-law.
Yep, Kerry O’Brien interviewed her on TV on Thursday night and that was what got me interested. There is some interesting science in the book, as well as a lot of history. Well worth a read.
wow that’s an odd thing to happen with your blog.
the book review sounds very persuasive, I’ll put it on my list. have just finished The Shark Net by Robert Drewe. makes me want to move over your way archie
I have that book on my “look for” list. Although I am a bit wary because Cooke killed one of my High School classmates a couple of months after we all left school. There are a lot of Gimcracks over here should you get the urge to move
which one of his victims was your classmate?
I just checked to be certain of the fact that she was the last victim (it was a long time ago) and found, from Wikipedia, “He killed at random, running people over in the street or silently entering homes and shooting, stabbing or strangling strangers. He was caught when the gun used to murder one of his victims, Shirley McLeod, was found, and police waited for Cooke to collect it.”
I see People of the Book is to be featured on First Tuesday Book Club in early April.
Thanks for that, Mike – I’ve made a note on my calendar