Great reader - Edwina Wren. ( )

Brooks won the Pulitzer in 2006 for her book March, so I felt obligated to try People of the Book when I saw it on display at the mega-bookstore that shall remain unnamed. I feel guilty that I didn’t spend my money at the local independent bookstore. I had a gift card. What could I do.

The book is about the Sarajevo Haggadah, a Jewish religious text that tells the story of the Jewish exodus from Egypt. It’s believed that this Haggadah originated some time in the 14th century in Spain and made it’s way to Sarajevo, surviving Jewish expulsion, the Spanish Inquisition, World War II, and the Bosnian War. The Haggadah contains some beautiful illustrations similar to Christian prayer books, and one of them includes a Moorish woman. This raises several historical questions about why this Jewish text has Christian influenced artwork and a Moorish woman. Brooks’ fictional protagonist is a conservationist of ancient texts. She finds several clues as to the Haggadah’s origins and history while restoring it for the museum in Sarajevo. The chapters take the reader back in time to tell the fictional story behind each clue, which is pretty interesting, but several times Brooks uses corny plot twists along the lines of something from a Dan Brown novel. Most are in the present and involve the protagonist and her own little storyline. Overall, the book is about how multiculturalism is great and created this wonderful work of art, but I have to say I felt the Christians in this book took a beating. I know, the Inquisition. I can’t argue with that. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but there are several times Brooks could have gone in a different direction with certain characters. Again, the Dan Brown nonsense really turns me off. It wasn’t a lot, but that’s my pet peeve, especially coming from a writer who won the Pulitzer.

People of the Book is good, and it kept my interest, but it’s not as good as I thought it would be. I guess that’s what I get for not buying March, but I figured her follow up to the Pulitzer could only be better…right? ( )

The book reads like a series of historical short stories that are interspersed among chapters of a short novel about a present-day book conservator. Dr. Hanna Heath is restoring a 500-year old Jewish codex known as the Sarajevo Haggadah; each of her discoveries about the book is followed by a chapter containing a glimpse of the people and circumstances involved in its history.It took me a while to warm up to this. We don't see much of Hanna's depth until the latter half of the book, and the first few historical chapters describe attempts to save the book from destruction by the Nazis or the Inquisitors. While the characters are vividly drawn, there's not much suspense in these chapters -- we already know the haggadah will be saved, since we've seen Hanna working with it. However, when Brooks takes us to the haggadah's origins, to the painter and calligrapher that made it in the first place, that's when the real mysteries of the book begin to reveal themselves in all of their beauty, tragedy, and hope. ( )

Good weaving of story lines ~ Brooks tells a good story but lacks sophistication in descriptive techniques; I would like a lot more detail about settings, the visual sense of place is missing. ( )

I came to this book with great expectations, having read and loved Brooks' first novel, 'Year of Wonders' several times over the years. This one didn't quite live up to her debut for me, but I certainly wasn't disappointed. Brooks has put together a sweeping work giving the reader glimpses into the journey of the famous Sarajevo Haggadah, a beautifully illustrated ancient Jewish prayer book.

She alternates chapters from the point of view of Hanna, a feisty young book conservator working on the haggadah, with episodes from the book's history, flowing through time and skipping across countries to follow it from its creation to its revered status today. It is an epic story, filled with hardship and death, war and persecution, romance and courage. Perhaps one of the reasons I preferred 'Year of Wonders' was its message of pulling together in times of natural disaster in order to survive. This novel was about the survival of the book when human bonds were being torn apart, and Brooks doesn't shy away from the cruelty of war and the idea of history repeating itself in the face of mankind's own futile desire for superiority.

I don't think I would read it again in a hurry - although the book survived, it was heartbreaking the way lives were being senselessly destroyed all around it. Suicide, murder, book burning, torture, it's all here. Most of this book is fictional, but the research on the religious turmoil and the bravery of the people known to have protected the haggadah is as meticulous as we would expect from Brooks. It's well worth a read: it made me think, it made me cry, it left me pondering huge themes and questions, and it reminded me of how lucky I am compared to these individuals who had to show immense courage just to hold on to their beliefs and stay alive. ( )

It was an interesting read, but not one I would rave about. I liked the way different chapters were from different time periods and people. It was quite readable. ( )

Very clever. Fascinating and well written. ( )

People of the Book is a fascinating story about a beautiful, rare book which has survived centuries of threatened destruction only to be saved time and again by the people who have been captivated by it. The story’s main character, Hanna, is a rare-book expert and conservationist who is called to Sarajevo to study the Sarajevo Haggadah and learn all she can about this brilliant masterpiece. In her examination of the book she finds several small, seemingly inconsequential clues as to where the book has been and whose lives it has touched. The author cleverly weaves together chapters dedicated to each clue, i.e. “The White Hair,” with chapters of Hanna’s modern-day struggles to unearth the stories associated with the clues all while discovering some of her own tragic family history.

The characters of the book are well-developed and entirely believable. Hanna and her mother have a loveless, often caustic, relationship which becomes even more troubled when Hanna discovers secrets of her family history that her mother has kept from her all of her life. The mother-daughter dynamic is frustrating and sad, but realistic.

The stories surrounding the clues Hanna finds in the Haggadah offer fascinating glimpses into the lives of those living in Italy, Bosnia and surrounding areas during various times of anti-Semitic waves of violence throughout the centuries from the late-1400s to World War II. For many readers, these brief glances into the past will open their eyes to a long, history of violence and hatred toward a people that is hard to understand, but necessary to remember.

People of the Book was a thoroughly enjoyable read from beginning to end. It was very well written and incredibly intriguing. Often in books with more than one story line, one story will lack the ability to keep the reader just as enthralled as the parallel story. Such was not the case with People of the Book. Learning the stories of the people who unknowingly left clues in the Haggadah was just as engrossing as following Hanna as she discovered the mysteries of her own family history and what the Haggadah meant to her. People of the Book is recommended to anyone who enjoys being captivated by an excellent story and learning a bit of history at the same time. ( )

Like other books by Brooks, the story started out promising but it just fizzled. ( )

People of the Book traces the history of an ancient Jewish text that was saved from disaster a number of times through the centuries. It’s fiction, but based on fact. It takes place in Bosnia, Boston, Venice and Spain fromthe 15th c. to the 20th. I find the review of history in that part of the world fascinating. The story line is compelling and holds my interest. Geraldine Brooks is my new favorite author. By the end of the book, I was hooked...a great story teller with wel researchd historical references.

Kept me interested through the whole history of researching this Hagada. Amazing writing. ( )

I really enjoyed the story. It has a good pace. As many reviewers have pointed out it moved around in time between present and past, with the present story staying with one character and the stories from the past moving backwards through time with different characters for each time period. It made me want to learn more about what I was reading, which, for me, is always the sign of a good book. ( )

I couldn't put this book down! ( )

Not the greatest book about books, but overall, not bad. Hanna is a bit whiney for me. All of the bad things that happen in her life seem to be her fault. If she would quit making some of these choices,she would be a lot happier. I did enjoy reading the historical pieces. I found them very interesting and insightful. ( )

Did not enjoy. Too many different stories about people involved in savinga historic book. Also, the reader in the audio version is terrible. Do not recomment. ( )

For all its praise this novel had some tedious writing. When the only two characters in the novel, so far, were in bed together by page 32 I put the book down for a few days. Historical sections are the best. The "Hanna" sections, except the final one, are weak and wading in self pity. Worthy effort. ( )

This is the story of a book, from its creation in the pre-Inquisition Spain by a Moorish female artist to its present life in a Bosnian museum. In the in-between time we follow the travels of the book from Spain, to Italy, to Sarajevo and Vienna and in the mountains of Serbia. We meet all of the people who interact with the book and glimpse their lives--Spain during the conviviencia & the Inquistion, ( )

The second best book I read last year. I've enjoyed Brooks' other novels as well. ( )

Disjointed - sensational ending as if written to be a movie. Skipped a lot of boring parts, but finished the book because it was for one of my books clubs. ( )

Dr. Hanna Heath, an Australian book conservator, arrives in Sarajevo days after the war ends to help preserve a long lost tome of the Jewish faith, the Haggadah. The book, which was believed lost, has turned up at the Sarajevo museum and needs to be restored.

With security tight, she sets about her task only to create more mystery and intrigue than she ever has with her work. Several odd artifacts are found in the book including a butterfly wing, a long silver hair, blood, and indentations from long missing clips; each a mystery in their own right. In putting together a paper on her findings, she begins her research only to be baffled by more questions than answers. She does her best to fill in the blanks and in the process becomes one of the people of the book.

Told in between Hanna's story are the tales of the people who helped to create, protect, and unknowingly, become part of the book and its history. Brooks introduces us to all the people who have touched the book in some way and the places it has traveled through history. She tells us the tales of the inscriptions, the brilliant illustrations, and the mystery surrounding the missing claps. She brings to life the history of not only the people but the book itself and its impact on the individuals it has touched and enlightened.

The ending, which seems more fitting to a mystery caper than this book, is distracting and completely unbelievable after one has become acquainted with the characters involved. While Hanna's story is certainly the glue that binds everything together, it is also the least interesting however; it provides a backdrop for the other stories and a time frame to place the other stories into.

Brooks weaves a wide-ranging tale that encompasses all the individuals that had a hand in creating and saving the book. Her story travels across time and religions and comes to life with her elegant descriptions. The book takes center stage of this intriguing tale and one can feel the soft parchment, smell the dust, and hear the creaking of the binding barely holding the contents together. In the end, it becomes the most fascinating element of the story. ( )

What an interesting book! This is a story of a book, it's owners and it's travels. It's story is traced through minute pieces of evidence found within the book's creases and folds. Really interesting and delightful concept - believable and exciting! ( )

This is a book worth reading. Not only is it clever and well-written, it is educational. I thought that Brooks did a great job of constructing fictional "short-stories" over the true discovery of the Sarajevo Haggadah. The stories are told as the conservator, Hannah Heath discovers speciments in the haggadah and tries to figure out how they could have landed in the historic book. Each story is separately interesting although I found Hannah's story the least interesting of them all. If there is one weak point of the book, it is Hannah's story. I would highly recommend this book. ( )

An Excellent Read but not fully worthy of the Pulitzer in my opinion ( )

This was chosen as our local One Book, One Community read for this year so I read it beforehand to be able to speak intelligently to patrons coming in and asking about it. I mostly enjoyed it - an interesting story with many stories interwoven into it....although I often felt cut short on those historical insights - just as I was getting into that story, it ended.

I'm not sure that the structure of the book was particularly enticing...instead, it was often somewhat confusing - I felt like I should have been taking notes to remember what happened to whom, when and where. Still, the story was a good one and although I felt the main 'modern day' character was a bit unappealing to me in some of her actions, I enjoyed the historical stories a good deal.

However, I didn't have a problem putting the book down for a couple weeks when I went on vacation and waiting to finish the last 100 pages or so...I didn't find it to be a page-turner. I have two colleagues who both tried to read the book and just couldn't get into it at all - one of them is forcing herself to listen to it on CD, but the other totally gave up, even though she liked another book by Brooks. ( )

This was a very engaging book .I found this story fascinating but it is hard to put a synopsis in because this book is the story of one book that spans 500 years.Where its been- who has it and how it got there.
While I listened to this I found myself just as engrossed with the book (in the book) as the narrator.I would recommend to anyone who likes historical fiction . ( )