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| Wonderful Story, Careful ResearchThis was a fascinating story, a real page turner. The description of how medieval manuscripts were created was particularly interesting. I thought that this book showed some very detailed research behind the scenes. Although that sometimes can kill a story, in this case it enhanced it.
This book was recommended to me by multiple people several times, and I finally bought it because it is required reading for my son in high school. He couldn't put the book down, and once I started it, I couldn't either.
Why Religious Tolerance Matters....Geraldine Brooks' "People of the Book" is not only a tribute to Judaism and the unjust suffering of generations of Jews, but a persuasive argument for ethnic diversity in all cultures. For as her story of the Sarajevo Haggadah clearly demonstrates, when a culture is devoted to the "book" and all that the book stands for -- such as learning and the arts -- for example, it tends to be richer in all ways, particularly in terms of its humanity. By showing how the Haggadah rose from the ashes of the Spanish Inquisition and was miraculously protected by defenders of all faiths for centuries, Brooks reminds us of the inextricable link that exists between religious tolerance and diversity and thus the flourishing of truth as well. A society that does not meld its disparate religious elements by a common appreciation for truth threatens to become static and self-destructive as rival religious faiths fall back on base fears and vengeance to achieve control of the social order.
Brooks deftly recreates the story of the illuminated Haggadah, the only one of its kind. At the same time she depicts the various defenders of that sacred piece of art and in the process exemplifies a vivid imagination of people and an astute grasp of human psychology. In her characterizations she portrays sadists, ignorant soldiers and arms of the Inquisition, rabbis and priests, women and men of wealth and poverty, Jews, Muslims, Catholics, Christians, "sofers" and "mussawirs," neurosurgeons, museum curators and scholars, resistance fighters, founders of the Jewish nation, conquerors, and slaves. Her themes include feminism, fear, religious intolerance as well as human compassion, art, mysticism, doubt, moral corruption, lesbianism, and ignorance. Through her descriptions of the myriad of peoples populating a conflicted world, she suggests the causes of perennial war as well as the antidote -- the healing power of love, symbolized by the Haggadah illustrator's love for her protector and his mute son. A Muslim taken as a slave Zahra, the artist, uses her gifts "for the glory of God," as did numerous others who helped save the Haggadah from extinction. By endowing Zahra with her own faith as well as an appreciation of religions other than her own, Brooks underscores the importance of religious tolerance. For Brooks, this means respecting the "truth" of others without demanding narrow interpretations based on a particular religion. Recognizing that she might never again have a home of her own or the freedom women as well as men value, Zahra acquiesces to the unfairness of her plight as well as the seeming lack of hope it presents. She does this without despair, just a quiet stoicism and the pursuit of her art -- the ultimate consolation for one assigned to slavery in a strange land.
The book moves back and forth in time, from the present when a young expert on book restoration and history takes on the enviable study of the famous Sarajevo Haggadah, to its creation in medieval times by a female Muslim artist. Sometimes the chronology is confusing, moving backward and forward in time, but Brooks is able to sustain one's attention by the sound psychology that drives her characters. Thus, we relate to the artist whose suffering drove her to the finest of artistic achievement and the emira, who takes her in as a friend and then grants her freedom by giving her as a gift to a doctor who will care for her. In the emira, we see female abuse of the worst kind. Deflowered and dominated by the crass and sadistic emir, she is queenly in her suffering and generous in her actions toward her fellow sufferers. When she flees to a convent, we understand the male cruelty that could drive a woman to lesbianism. Her characterization reveals that not all beautiful women of her time were willing to submit to tyrants, no matter how obvious the material benefits were. For the emira, living a cloistered life amidst silent, meditative, humble nuns was preferable to being a queen with all the possessions and power a woman could want.
Brooks' characterization of Hanna, the protagonist, is adept and unusual. She is a modern woman who has suffered the lack of love that assigns one to workaholism in a vain attempt to immerse oneself in work rather than to seek out human companionship. Edgy, refusing to be possessed by a man, she is content with short sexual interludes devoid of commitment until the obvious capacity to love in a fellow museum director teaches her what it is to love someone deeply and unselfishly. A man who has lost his wife to a sniper and his son to a coma as a result of an attack in the Sarajevo War, Dr. Ozren Kamaran is the embodiment of human love as he reads to his comatose son and always places his son's needs first. Rejected by him, Hanna then takes stock of her own shortcomings, recognizing it is her mother's cruel legacy that she herself would be committed to her profession more than to people. When she finds out who her father was and acknowledges her mother's gross neglect, she starts to recognize the value of human love. By researching the Haggadah, she at last glimpses the fact that profound artistic achievement is the expression of human love, as was the Haggadah the expression of the artist's appreciation for the man who saved her from certain death as well as for the mute son for whom her love was great enough and tender enough to create the vehicle for him to appreciate the glory of his own God. Because of her gift, the boy would not only be able to appreciate the story of the "Exodus" and do so in the home, a sacred place, but in viewing the artist's rendering of "truth," he could also appreciate the value of illuminating the history of his faith as well as the importance of artistic achievement in general.
One of the more interesting aspects of the book is the juxtaposition of two cities: Sarajevo and Vienna in terms of their histories of tolerance or lack thereof. Whereas Sarajevo was multi-ethnic in its composition, each religion respecting the rights and doctrines of the other religions, Vienna denoted anti-semitism, intolerance and violence. Vienna was famous for its spectacular suicides and its incidence of veneral disease, evident in Mittl, a sofer for the "Haggadah," who died from arsenic therapy for advanced Syphillis. By such statistics, Brooks points out the corruption inherent in Viennese culture and elliptically compares it to the desecration evident in the Nazi invasions of much of eastern Europe and the infamous book burnings as well as the mass graves and charnel houses of the Third Reich. Venice, too, is cited for its original assimilation of the Jews, but it was in the dissolute ambience of Venice that the gambling Rabbi Judah Aryeh, met his untimely death at the hands of thugs and where the priest who spared the Haggadah from burning drank himself into oblivion, refusing to acknowledge his own Jewish heritage. Most significantly, even in his final acts of corruption, Rabbi Judah Aryeh, begs the priest: "Do what you will to me, but save the book." The defendants of the Haggadah were numerous and diverse, but in the end it is arguable that all of them were motivated by the idea of one's right to cherish and appreciate "the book" and consequently and metaphorically, diversity of thought. This is in direct contrast to the "iconoclasts" who could appreciate only the truths of their own intolerant politics. Make no mistake about it, Brooks argues that to destroy books is to attack the truth.
Since Hanna is immersed in the age-old conflicts of religion in such far flung vistas as Italy, Spain, America, and Australia, it is believable that at some point she would attempt to find a respite from them. Still embroiled in the nasty rivalry her mother imposes on their relationship and limited as well in her emotional growth by her competitive mother, it is understandable that she would immerse herself in the outback of Australia, as if to cleanse herself of the contamination of her Eastern European experiences. She meets her father's family in New York and is bonded to them because of their openness and seeming genuine acceptance, something she has never felt from her own mother or experienced in a father. In fact, she has been betrayed by her own mentor, a father figure. Her devotion to "the book" and what that devotion means in terms of her character serves her well in her personality development, although one does not get the impression she will ever be the kind of person she might have evolved into had she had a loving mother rather than a workaholic feminist or a father whose work was not his main concern. One senses she will continue to be an apt scholar and book historian and preserver as well as seeker of the higher truths man strives for. Yet the capacity for intimacy and connectedness will elude her, all part of the imperfect legacy of her father and mother. Despite the Sharanskys' efforts to include her in their family, she will continue to charter the course of intellectual pioneer, as did her mother, without a corresponding inclination toward deeply personal, human love. In that sense, the book is somewhat disappointing, but in all fairness, it is the acceptance of all truths of life, that willingness to hear all sides, that is the gift of some of civilization's greatest thinkers and artists -- most of them imperfect as human beings for one reason or another.
"People of the Book" is a searing argument for tolerance and the preservation of man's accomplishments -- all of them. For human beings, although flawed and ruthless, also possess the capacity for wonder and exquisite religious devotion. That which nurtures the soul -- whatever its origin and perspective -- deserves a hallowed place in the archives of civilization. For that reason among others, this is a wise book, although in places it is contrived, particularly when Hanna ends up the executor of the Sharansky Foundation and in the nasty vendetta of her narcissistic mother. It is sad in what it doesn't reveal about an edgy woman's indifference to human commitment and her potential for emotional maturity, but it shows how important the intellect is in the mix and how invaluable are those who perpetuate all truths in their own seeming plodding efforts at preservation and acceptance. This is indeed an intelligent book, one full of humanity and historical significance, even if it also illustrates the pitfall to which all men are subject: the fear of human intimacy, always the result of the failure to bond with parents, who for whatever reason, lacked the generosity of spirit necessary to raise happy, centered, well adjusted children.
Marjorie Meyerle
Colorado Writer
Author of "Bread of Shame"
History and Fiction Blended to PerfectionI love it when a book is able to seamlessly and eloquently combine fiction and history, leaving you wondering where fiction ends and truth begins. As a voracious reader, I enjoy being able to delicately step through a story's pages and revel in the imagination of the writer, whilst learning a new nugget of actual history that sadly, didn't make any of my history classes in high school or college.
People of the Book: A Novel, by Geraldine Brooks, does just that. This is a treat beyond all compare, beauty of history and story within front and back covers. The Haggadah is a Jewish book that is read on the first night of Passover and tells the stories of enslavement, and the subsequent miracles performed by God which ultimately resulted in freedom. In People of the Book, Hannah Heath is a rare books expert from Australia who travels to battle-torn Sarajevo in 1996. Her task is to preserve the beautiful Sarajevo Haggadah that has just been uncovered after 100 years. This Haggadah, though, is very different both in color and in sketch -- odd that it has survived throughout the years, since its original creation date sometime in the 14th century in Spain would have been during a time when drawing a person and illuminating it as such, although clothed, was considered offensive. Somehow it has survived throughout the years from the Spanish Inquisition to the Holocaust. Piqued by this curiosity, and passionate about preservation, Hannah also finds several items that are encapsulated within the pages of the book, such as a red stain, or a white hair, or an insect wing, and these objects become the opportunity for the author to explain in whose hands this book may have fallen, and the significance they earned in history. We watch the book travel from Venice and to Vienna, and we learn the stories of the people who held the book, cared for the book, and saved the book, ultimately saving a critical piece of Jewish history. Although some of these sections are fictionalized, the story of the Sarajevo Haggadah sends the message to the reader that it has become even more than just the colorful drawings and the binding of it, but about the people of the book, the people who fought and died for this incredible piece of history.
I found this refreshing and moving, and I was struck by the significance of a book that is of such beauty and importance to history. It made me wonder who really were the people that protected it through hundreds of years? Geraldine Brooks writes each character and scene in such a fluid manner, moments depicted with such heartbreak, such horror, and yet with hope. It moved quickly for me and it wasn't long before I finished.
When I closed the book, I felt regret that I had never learned of this subject and felt that it was a duty of mine to learn more on such an important topic. I immediately began to research away and found several important sites that held more information that helped my education on this subject grow.
Reading People of the Book has made my visits to the museum a much different experience, awareness more profoundly etched within me, as I look at an object on display -- in whose hands did this significant artifact fall, how did this manage to survive time and human ignorance to get to this museum behind protected glass, for me to view? And on my list of places to visit, I will add Sarajevo no matter how battle-torn, simply to be able to visit with the amazing Sarajevo Haggadah, where it is on permanent display.
Audiobook review for People Of The BookI found the book engrossing, even fascinating in parts. I'm sure if I'd read it I'd have liked it better. The problem is, I listened to it on CDs, and the reader, Ms. Wren, doesn't have an inkling of how Hebrew and Yiddish words are pronounced. I found myself either flinching at a pronunciation or puzzling over the intended word. For example, it took me a minute or two to figure out that Yazright was meant to be Yahrzeit, a memorial candle for the dead. I'm not going to review the book. That's already been done several hundred times. I just want to warn all potential listeners that the producers dropped the ball here, and the production values are pretty shabby. I can only comment on the Hebrew and Yiddish. I have no idea how mangled the Arabic is. Listeners, be prepared. Producers, be ashamed. Be very ashamed.
A fascinating and moving storyIf you're a fan of historical fiction, you'll love this book. It reminded me a lot of some of the James Michener books, the way it weaves together a present-day story and the historical artifacts in that story with the explanations of how they artifacts got to be there - terrific stories in their own right. Beautifully weaves together the histories of many of the peoples of central and southern Europe into a wonderful mystery.
While the story is tied to a Jewish book (the Passover Haggadah), the story is universal, and can be enjoyed by people of any religion or no religion.
Product DescriptionFrom the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of March, the journey of a rare illuminated manuscript through centuries of exile and war
In 1996, Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, is offered the job of a lifetime: analysis and conservation of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, which has been rescued from Serb shelling during the Bosnian war. Priceless and beautiful, the book is one of the earliest Jewish volumes ever to be illuminated with images. When Hanna, a caustic loner with a passion for her work, discovers a series of tiny artifacts in its ancient binding—an insect wing fragment, wine stains, salt crystals, a white hair—she begins to unlock the book’s mysteries. The reader is ushered into an exquisitely detailed and atmospheric past, tracing the book’s journey from its salvation back to its creation.
In Bosnia during World War II, a Muslim risks his life to protect it from the Nazis. In the hedonistic salons of fin-de-siècle Vienna, the book becomes a pawn in the struggle against the city’s rising anti-Semitism. In inquisition-era Venice, a Catholic priest saves it from burning. In Barcelona in 1492, the scribe who wrote the text sees his family destroyed by the agonies of enforced exile. And in Seville in 1480, the reason for the Haggadah’s extraordinary illuminations is finally disclosed. Hanna’s investigation unexpectedly plunges her into the intrigues of fine art forgers and ultra-nationalist fanatics. Her experiences will test her belief in herself and the man she has come to love.
Inspired by a true story, People of the Book is at once a novel of sweeping historical grandeur and intimate emotional intensity, an ambitious, electrifying work by an acclaimed and beloved author.
Amazon.com ReviewAmazon Best of the Month, January 2008: One of the earliest Jewish religious volumes to be illuminated with images, the Sarajevo Haggadah survived centuries of purges and wars thanks to people of all faiths who risked their lives to safeguard it. Geraldine Brooks, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of March, has turned the intriguing but sparely detailed history of this precious volume into an emotionally rich, thrilling fictionalization that retraces its turbulent journey. In the hands of Hanna Heath, an impassioned rare-book expert restoring the manuscript in 1996 Sarajevo, it yields clues to its guardians and whereabouts: an insect wing, a wine stain, salt crystals, and a white hair. While readers experience crucial moments in the book's history through a series of fascinating, fleshed-out short stories, Hanna pursues its secrets scientifically, and finds that some interests will still risk everything in the name of protecting this treasure. A complex love story, thrilling mystery, vivid history lesson, and celebration of the enduring power of ideas, People of the Book will surely be hailed as one of the best of 2008. --Mari Malcolm 
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