5. People of the Book - Geraldine Brooks

For: Adults
Published: January, 2008
372 pgs.
Rating: definitely a 5
Finished this afternoon, MLK Day, Jan. 19, 2009

This one took me a week to read, but I took every opportunity I could, because I became fully engrossed in it very quickly. Hanna Heath, a book conservator from Sydney, Australia, is called to Sarajevo to restore an ancient illuminated Haggadah. It is 1996, and the bombings and the war in Bosnia are just over. Sarajevo is still a mess, and it is found that the Haggadah had been saved by the head librarian of Sarajevo's library, a Moslem named Ozren Karaman. Five hundred years of history come with this beautfiully preserved book, and part of Hanna's mission is always to find out as much of the history of her restorations as possible.

The story goes back and forth between Hanna in 1996, then backwards to 1480, when the illuminations were first drawn - 12 years before the Hebrew and bindings were added. From wine stains tainted with blood to salt markings on the parchment, from a piece of a butterfly wing to a thin white hair, Hanna uses friendships and acquaintances around the world along with modern technology to come up with some ideas about the history. Ah, and what history. So much tension between Jews and Christians. The Spanish Inquisition. Nazi Germany and the resistance. Venice. Vienna. Gambling. Love. Hate. We, the reader, get the full story. And it's fascinating.

The story ends in 2002 - with a very interesting, intriguing twist. Geraldine Brooks knows how to do it. She has written two previous novels (Year of Wonders and March, both on my TBR list), received a Pulitzer Prize. and now lives on Martha's Vineyard. I can't wait to read more of her writing. A real winner.

Addendum: There's a great interview on the web with Geraldine Brooks at: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=81413