People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

Recently I read an article in Smithsonian Magazine written by Geraldine Brooks, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning March. The article focuses on two tour guides, one Muslim and one Israeli, working together in the fractious Holy land. The piece aims a light on those people who work in tandem and meld together their similarities more than their differences. Brooks’ style moves swiftly and aptly introducing the reader to various people and cultures in both the article and her novels. She mentioned People of the Book. Enough said. I checked it out from the library. If you are a fan of history and sleuthing, this book was a stellar choice

There, where one burns books, one in the end burns men. -Heinrich Heine

The story of the Sarajevo Haggadah, imagined in this 2008 book, spans over six hundred years. The illuminated manuscript is real but the events are imagined. The story sweeps from one time period to another telling the story of the people who may have handled this illustrious book. Hanna, a conservator, is asked to help restore this manuscript with a somewhat heated past. She’s bright, well-educated, but concerned as to why she’s been chosen for this job. Brooks connects us to Hanna through her estranged mother and through various esteemed colleagues.

The story veers off into a who done it. And Hanna must question whom she trusts. Read this and see how she handles it.