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    People of the Book: A Novel
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    People of the Book: A Novel
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    People of the Book: A Novel
    Audiobook13 hours

    People of the Book: A Novel

    Written by Geraldine Brooks

    Narrated by Edwina Wren

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    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 war

    In 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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJan 1, 2008
    ISBN9781429592437
    Unavailable
    People of the Book: A Novel
    Author

    Geraldine Brooks

    Geraldine Brooks was born and raised in Australia. After moving to the USA she worked for eleven years on The Wall Street Journal, where she covered crises in the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. Her first novel, Year of Wonders, was an international bestseller and she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for her second, March. She has written three further bestselling novels, Caleb’s Crossing, People of the Book and The Secret Chord.

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    Reviews for People of the Book

    4/5

    3,069 ratings294 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Interesting history based on a real book. Kind of a more literate Da Vinci code. A fast, fun book where you learn something!
    • 5/5
      In 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. Absolutely stunning.
    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed this book and loved the way Brooks alternates the story between Hanna Heath, a modern conservator who is employed to analyse and preserve an unusual and beautifully illustrated Sarajevo Haggadah, and the people throughout history who help shape the lineage of this five hundred year-old manuscript. Each time Hanna comes across an artefact trapped within the Haggadah (a piece of hair, a wine stain, a salt crystal, the wing of an insect), the reader is transported back in time to learn how this mark was made upon the book. The stories about the various people who helped create and protect the Haggadah over the centuries are fascinating, as is the history of the Jewish race and the persecution they have had to endure throughout the ages. A fabulous piece of historical fiction.
    • 5/5
      rabck from PerryFran; Fabulous book. The center of the book is the Sarajevo Haggadah, a book that has existed for 500 years, notable for it's illuminations (painted icon-like pictures) which are rare in a Jewish book. As the Australian curator takes apart and rebinds the book, she discovers things in it, like a cat hair and wine stains, and each discovery takes her in a direction to identify the why, and us in a direction backwards for a time in the life of the book, to when and how the artifact occurred.
    • 4/5
      A lovely idea, finely realized. Brooks deftly manages to thread together a series of vignettes across vast and various time and space tracing the marks left on the Sarajevo Haggadah. The best trick is using the surprising actual historical aspects of the real haggadah to ground the fiction. In lesser hands, the multiple timelines, characters, details, and references could over-power or weigh down a narrative, but Brooks has everything fit neatly and naturally together. There is a slight gap between what the reader knows and what the protagonist knows, which feels faintly unresolved. Still, a pleasure to read. Worth it for the descriptions of historical book-making techniques.
    • 3/5
      I liked but did not love this book. I had read something in the news about the book, so I knew there was some basis in truth to it. I thought the author did a good job of bringing the characters she created and the times and places she lived to life. However, the way the flashbacks were laid out made it hard for me to get a sense of the flow of history, which is one of the key benefits I derive from reading historical fiction.
    • 4/5
      The good: love, faith, people, places, food, wine, art - all are brought to very visceral life

      The bad: it's all here too - man's inhumanity to man (or woman) parades itself thru the lives and cruelties of the centuries .

      The ugly: For one of the first times ever for me, my rating might be a five if I'd read the hard copy instead of listened to the audio book which drove me a bit nuts.

      - the multiplicity of characters and their narrative voices likely would have been better served if there more voice actors involved in the audio book production

      - some characters were better acted than others giving the audio book an uneven feel

      - the structure, the parade of contemporary and historic periods, the variety of cultures and settings, were very engaging. This book kept my interest - more than making up for any shortcomings of the audio format I ''read' .
    • 5/5
      Hanna Heath, an Australian book conservator, has been hired to work on the recovered Sarajevo Haggadah, in still-tense 1996 Sarajevo.

      The Sarajevo Haggadah is a unique work, a centuries-old Jewish prayer book illuminated in the manner of Christian manuscripts of the time. It has also been a symbol of the multicultural heritage of Sarajevo. In working to conserve the book, Hanna discovers clues to its history--an insect's wing, a wine stain mixed with blood, some salt, a single white hair.

      In alternating chapters, we get the history of the book, working backward from World War II and the Nazi occupation of Sarajevo, to its origins in a Spain where the Muslims had not yet been defeated, and the Jews had not yet been expelled, and Hanna's intertwined work to uncover that history as well as her discovery of her own, unsuspected family history.

      The history is beautifully interleaved into the story, and Hanna's own personal and family history, as well as her difficult relationship with her mother, also unfolds with delicate skill. This is a wonderful book, not to be missed.

      Highly recommended.

      I borrowed this book from the library.
    • 4/5
      Such an interesting tale of how the Haggadah came to be, working backwards through time to the beginning of its existence. This is a story like no other I have read and it had me enthralled from the first chapter.
    • 5/5
      History, books and even a couple of cats towards the end! All of my favorite things together in one! I almost gave this 4 stars simply because there is tragedy after tragedy - not a happy read! But the quality if the writing and the story, and the ending - while not exactly all happy, at least on a positive note - ranks it a full 5/5 for me!
    • 5/5
      A new favorite! It is such a fantastic surprise when you start a book with no expectations and it becomes a top read. I had never read any of Geraldine Brooks' books before, but I am very much looking forward to the next one.

      This novel alternates chapters between the main character who examines and repairs historical books, and the stories of how the book came to the main character throughout history. A wonderful concept that reads as a series of short stories in many ways. I loved the history, the writing style, and the character development throughout the book.

      Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed most of the book. I particularly enjoyed the history of the Haggadah. I thought it was clever to give the history of the Haggadah in reverse order. I didn't particularly like the modern elements of the story, but my main complaint about the book was the ending. It seemed inane in comparison with the rest of the storyline. It almost felt like Brooks forgot to wrap up Hannah's affair, so she went back to quickly "resolve" things. Not my favorite book by this author, but I didn't hate it.
    • 4/5
      This book was referred by two fellows in a book committee... definitely a contender for a community read. I learned a lot - one of those books where you have to go find out more about topics mentioned (or those that are a Big Deal in the story). I know little about religions, and ancient texts, and customs. But now I know a bit more, and am curious.
      Yes, it is fiction, but it is based on fact, which can be some of the best storytelling to be found.
    • 5/5
      As a retired librarian, I was immediately captivated by the dedication, "For the librarians."This novel was inspired by the true story of the harrowing journey of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, a beautifully illuminated Hebrew manuscript created in fifteenth-century Spain of which I was totally unfamiliar. The novel is beautifully written and as much as one wants to hurry to learn the journey of the precious manuscript, this reader also wanted to savor each chapter of the odyssey.It is extremely rare that I would consider reading a novel again as there are so many stories yet to be read on my TBR shelves, the 'wish list' of novels identified but not yet purchased or borrowed, and those yet to be discovered or even written. That said, I wouldn't hesitate to pause sometime in the future and read "People of the Book" again.
    • 1/5
      There are few things I fear more than a trip to the dentist, but I would rather spend 10 hours in the dentist's chair than listen to this again.I have a long commute to work, and while I generally prefer non-fiction, I'm pretty forgiving when it comes to what I listen to on the way. This is the only book on CD that I disliked so much I had to stop it while I was in the midst of driving.The narrator (Edwina Wren) makes the dialogue of every non-native English speaker (and, alas, there are many) sound like Bela Lugosi. It was like having Count Dracula right there next to me on the highway and at traffic jams - but instead of telling me about some of his more interesting victims, he's reading his grocery list. "Bread, eggs, milk, grapes..." over and over and over. Because that's how incredibly boring this story is. I did not like the characters, I did not care about the Haggadah and halfway into this I finally returned it to the library.
    • 3/5
      A book restorer and conservator, Hanna is commissioned to restore and rebind a very rare haggadah. In the book, she discovers some unusual artifacts: part of an insect wing, a white hair, and some stains on the pages. Through these things, she tries to trace the path the book has taken since its creation. Going back and forth in time, the reader sees what Hanna has discovered and then how it came to be. A fascinating work of historical fiction, inspired by a true story.
    • 4/5
      Hanna Heath is a rare book restorer who gets drawn into the story surrounding the real-world Sarajevo Haggadah, which is a Jewish history book of sorts. And in the process, a rather crusty and antisocial young woman (who, damaged as she might be at the outset, is nowhere near as unlikable or unappealing to me as she apparently was to many other readers) becomes a lot more human as her work on this ancient book intersects with her personal life in several interesting and enlightening ways. Also, the Michener-like imaginary history of the Haggadah is told through backstories that trace the work from the present day to World War II and, eventually, back to the late 1400s. A treat for bibliophiles and history buffs, both the (relatively) present day parts of the novel and the history are handled well, and it all dovetails nicely in the end.
    • 5/5
      Book conservator travels to Sarajevo to work on an illustrated haggadah saved from the recent conflict.
    • 3/5
      A really good read
    • 5/5
      A totally uplifting book. MARVELLOUS!
    • 5/5
      BRINGS ANCIENT HISTORY TO LIFE!
    • 4/5
      A wonderfully woven story.
    • 2/5
      Sorry fans - very over-rated.
    • 5/5
      A great book.
    • 5/5
      great read following a Haggada back in time to the 1400s to the present when it is found in Syria.
    • 4/5
      An interesting story and a mostly enjoyable read. Based on an actual book with a mysterious history, Brooks' story imagines the details of that history. Good pacing and mostly interesting characters made this book a bit of a page-turner for me.
    • 4/5
      Australian book conservator Hanna Heath is called on to work on the immensely important, priceless Sarajevo Haggadah, rescued from the shelling of the Bosnian war. During her investigation, bit by bit she uncovers details suggesting stories of the 500 years of the book's life. Hannah's personal story, especially the relationship with her mother, did not ring true and much of it was unnecessary to the story. However, as a former archivist I found the fictionalized life of the Haggadah to be fascinating.
    • 3/5
      Inspired by a true story People of the Book spins back and forth in place and time, from 1492 to present. I am probably being stingy with the stars for Geraldine Brooks. The thing is she spoiled me with her 4-5 Starred novel Years of Wonders. But what I admired most about People of the Book is her laborious research on 3 different continents!
    • 4/5
      A new favorite author. Interesting fictional story based on the true events of the saving of a 1600's illustrated Haggadah, a Jewish text which sets forth the Passover Seder from war and Jewish persecution over centuries. The book tells the fictional story of a rare manuscript/document preserver (Hanna) investigates where the book has travelled over the years based on intricate inspection and investigation of unsuspecting clues left in the book from its many handlers. There are many characters in this story and the only thing that left me wanting is the end of each of their stories.
    • 4/5
      This was a wonderful story well written by Geraldine Brooks. Sorry I waited so long to read it. As the book moved progressively back in time (alternating with the present), I found myself confusing characters. The book is like the unfolding of a Sunday NYT crossword puzzle. Loved it.