People of the Book

People of the Book is a historical fiction novel by Geraldine Brooks. It is about Hanna Heath, an Australian book conservator, who is called upon to conserve the world-famous Sarajevo Haggadah (a Jewish text setting forth the order of the Passover Seder). As she repairs the manuscript, she stumbles upon little clues as to where the book has been over its 600 years of existence. The finding of each artifact--- a hair, a stain, an insect wing--- is followed by a flashback to the time when it became part of the Haggadah. For example, the book explains in detail how an Italian Inquisitor spilled wine on one of the illuminations. Geraldine Brooks used some interesting techniques to make the reader think more deeply about what was going on.

The use of flashbacks is a powerful tool in this book, especially since it's historical fiction. Reading Hanna's part of the story is engaging, but without the voices of the past it would be a rather boring book to read. These recollections show real feelings and meaningful thoughts, which helps the book have some more insight. Overall, it's not a very juicy book--- just straight and to the point, with a few creative techniques.

Another appealing twist Ms. Brooks adds to the story is the historical element. As you read the flashbacks, you travel back in time, and there are many engrossing facts to learn. I found it fascinating to learn that the Sarajevo Haggadah was actually made in Barcelona, Spain, since I myself was born and raised in that very city. It was nice to have that special connection to the book's history.

I sense that by the end of this novel, I might be able to discover something more profound in the story, but for now the author's tactics have made me think about how I could improve my own writing. It made me think of new ways to write stories, which is exciting to me. One method I'd like to try out is having an object "carry" the story; all the events in the book are tied to one object as it travels through the plot mountain, like in People of the Book. I think this is unique from most other books, in which the story tracks the main character.

  

Illuminated pages in the Sarajevo Haggadah.

- Adrian