I knew I was going to enjoy this book when I saw that Geraldine Brooks dedicated this novel to librarians everywhere. This is a story that follows an Australian book conservator who is charged with working on what is called the Sarajevo Haggadah (an illuminated Hebrew codex). As her work progresses, the mysteries begin to unravel, and we are shown glimpses of where the book has been. The jumps from the past to present are nice, and help push the narrative along. The characters can be compelling and are memorable, as well as Brooks's description of the Inquisition and the expulsion of Jewish people from Spain. In each period of the book's history, someone was able to make the necessary sacrifice to preserve it, and I had to say that I enjoyed those parts the most.
One of my classes for my library degree was the history of books and printing. It was a very interesting class and the professor mentioned this book, as well as several others, as being good supplemental reading.
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