Brook's novel traces the life of an actual book: the Sarajevo Haggadah, a Jewish codex, or prayer book. This exquisitely illuminated manuscript originated in medieval Spain. A present day book conservator, Hannah Heath is summoned to Sarajevo to restore the book. In it's pages, she finds several clues to its 500 year old history: a butterfly wing, a wine stain, salt crystals, and a white hair. The reader is trasported back in time to the book surviving the Spanish inquisition, anti-semitic 17th century Venice and 19th century Vienna, and the Nazi book burnings.
This is a culturely rich saga-such a wonderful read based on a true life literary puzzle!
Death in the Details by Katie Tietjen
2 days ago
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