People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks begins in Sarajevo in 1996. Hanna Heath, a thirty-year-old rare book expert from Australia is examining an illustrated Hebrew manuscript from 15th Century Spain. The book was first noticed in 1894. After passing through many hands, it was lost in 1992 when the siege of Sarajevo began.
The author alternates chapters set in 1996 and chapters going farther into the past. Hanna finds small clues in the book’s binding, wine stains, a white hair, and a fragment of insect wing. As the story progresses we get closer to the secret of who created the book. Each time is revealed through the action of characters circa 1940 Sarajevo, 1894 Vienna, 1609 Venice, 1492 Tarragon Spain, and 1480 Seville.
Inspired by a true story, People of the Book shows the book bringing together Jews, Christians, and Muslims trying to save the priceless manuscript.
Author Brooks was the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for fiction winner for her novel, March.
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