tomperignon's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this novel more than I should have.
Generally, this isn't my genre of choice but it was recommended to me by a coworker who I respect immensely, so I gave it a go.
I ended really engaged with the history side of the novel, travelling with the Haggadah from finality to beginning. I learned a great deal about Jewish and Muslim culture, values, and ways of life; something I wasn't exposed to previously.
I really didn't care for Hanna's character, she was more of an afterthought, used to help drive the narrative forward.
I have never read Geraldine Brooks before, but I look forward to picking up her other works in the future.
Generally, this isn't my genre of choice but it was recommended to me by a coworker who I respect immensely, so I gave it a go.
I ended really engaged with the history side of the novel, travelling with the Haggadah from finality to beginning. I learned a great deal about Jewish and Muslim culture, values, and ways of life; something I wasn't exposed to previously.
I really didn't care for Hanna's character, she was more of an afterthought, used to help drive the narrative forward.
I have never read Geraldine Brooks before, but I look forward to picking up her other works in the future.
mirjam_jl's review against another edition
4.0
While I first struggled a bit to get into the story I really enjoyed it in the end. I liked the different story lines and how they all came together in the end. A great novel for book lovers!
dlberglund's review against another edition
5.0
This tells the fictional stories-the could have beens- of some of the people who came in contact with the Sarajevo Haggadah, a real 15th century sacred Jewish text. Hannah, a book conservateur, is our main character, tasked with inspecting the book and doing some preservation and repair work on it when it is found to have escaped the 1990s Bosnian war. Hannah find details and clues in the book that send her around the world looking for answers about where the book had traveled and how it had survived the centuries. Alternating chapters tell the tales of the (again, fictional) people who had created and saved this book from war, conflict, and Inquisition. Each of them were fascinating and rang with truth. I took my time with this book, looking up details about the times and places featured, and making note of things to research later. There was one detail I had issue with, late in the book, that was an inaccurate history stretch, but otherwise, I loved this book.
findyourgoldenhour's review against another edition
4.0
This is such an engaging and fascinating book. At first I was put off by how it jumps around, but once I saw the overall flow the author was trying to create I really liked it. It's inspired by a true event (the Sarajevo Haggadah); I highly recommend this book!
jennshelfishlife's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
marnold3305's review
hopeful
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
atinyteachie's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
fluteplayer7's review against another edition
5.0
I couldn't put this one down. The story (stories) were fascinating. The characters were wonderfully crafted. I would love to find more books like this.
nferre's review against another edition
4.0
Quite an interesting book about the preservation of a gorgeously illustrated Haggadah; th story follows the path of the book back in time, following clues uncovered by Hannah, the book's conservator. As the book travels through Europe, it is rescued miraculously from banishment and we meet those who treasured it, who wanted it banned and who rescued it. Each period of history is very cleverly explained, the war in Sarajevo, WWII, the Inquisition, etc, are all covered in separate chapters, and bringing them all together is Hannah who traces the history of the book through minute items found in it, the wing of an insect, a bit of stain of saltwater, a hair. The weakness of the book, is the choppiness of the chapters. Right when you "get" the names and place in time of the chapter, it's over and on to the next time period. Hannah and her relationships with her mother and her lover also lacked a bit in depth.
Overall a fascinating read.
Overall a fascinating read.
beckkopp's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0