Jan 02 2009
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks - a review
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks is the fictional account of an historical book that really and truly exists - the Sarajevo Haggadah. This Haggadah was written in fourteenth century Spain and is the oldest Sephardic Haggadah. It is known that it survived hundreds of purges over the years, from the Spanish Inquisition through Nazism during the 1930’s and 1940’s, through the war in the Balkans during the nineties. According to history, people of all traditions risked their lives and their families’ lives in order to ensure its safety and its continued life.
The book begins on a night in 1996, when it is extremely late and Dr. Hanna Heath, an Australian by birth, receives a phone call. Dr. Heath restores ancients manuscripts. She is informed that the Sarajevo Haggadah, which had disappeared in 1992, had resurfaced and the United Nations wants her to take a look at it and issue a report on its condition. Hanna eagerly agrees and discovers tiny clues - a pink stain, a white hair and other things - that lead her to discover where it originated.
Geraldine Brooks jumps in between time periods during this novel. She alternates between relatively recent times (1996) and prior historical periods, including Nazi Europe during World War II, Venice and Spain. During each section, she introduces a cast of characters that are astounding in their depth and in their growth. As the book progresses, we are slowly and tantalizingly drawn into the book’s rich history and are teased towards who created this magnificent work of art. Geraldine Brooks did a masterful job of writing the book - the prose is rich and descriptive. As she was describing things, it was as if I was immersed in the world that she was describing, feeling the emotions that her characters were feeling and experiencing the life that they were experiencing. It was phenomenal. It was also evident that she had carefully, diligently and lovingly researched her subject.
All in all it was a wonderful book that I would recommend to anyone.
Book number: 1 of 100
