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thayerbowen's review against another edition
3.5
Bookbinder at Oxford university press which apparently is across the street from Somerville college (this is important to the book). I didn’t quite find it believable but I don’t know why. This is the same author who wrote the book about the woman working on the OED.
tkelly2000's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
aawethevenstar's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
relaxing
sad
slow-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? No
4.0
eesti23's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"Courage is found not in the absence of fear, but in the resolve to persist despite it."
"To read is to travel, to explore worlds unseen and understand lives unlived."
"Books are like people; they have the power to change the world, one mind at a time."
The Bookbinder of Jericho covered a period of time (during and after World War I) and a location (Oxford University Press bindery) that I didn't know much about. Peggy's story as she navigates desires, her place in the world (working-class woman in a rapidly changing world), and looking after her sister Maud was at times exciting and at other times sad. I found myself regularly looking up more information on bookbinding, which was extra interesting.
libraryfrog's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the story and think it was well woven. I am not usually a women’s fiction or historical fiction reader and yet I have enjoyed both of the author’s books I have read, this and dictionary of lost words, so I am grateful for that.
I do wish we had seen more relationship between the sisters because it felt very surface level. We almost never see them alone together, which made Maude feel like a dialogue/plot device at times. I think we also could have done with less over-explanation of Maude by Peggy and just let her shine on her own as a character.
As someone who is autistic with echolalia and an oral speech disability (though mine presents differently) myself, I would have loved a fuller exploration of her character since we rarely see communication disabilities well explored in books. But I did feel it was more respectfully done than I usually see and there were some nuances that I really liked. Kind of a low bar being crossed though, honestly.
I just think it could have been pushed more for having disability be so central to the story. It definitely read like an author writing about something she has not experienced and, like it says in acknowledgements, had like one person help her with. Not a terrible job, and some wins, but an area I would encourage her and other writers to push even further in the future.
Otherwise I liked the way the ending and most of the plot was done, loved the topic, and appreciate the great effort that clearly went into the making of this book.
I do wish we had seen more relationship between the sisters because it felt very surface level. We almost never see them alone together, which made Maude feel like a dialogue/plot device at times. I think we also could have done with less over-explanation of Maude by Peggy and just let her shine on her own as a character.
As someone who is autistic with echolalia and an oral speech disability (though mine presents differently) myself, I would have loved a fuller exploration of her character since we rarely see communication disabilities well explored in books. But I did feel it was more respectfully done than I usually see and there were some nuances that I really liked. Kind of a low bar being crossed though, honestly.
I just think it could have been pushed more for having disability be so central to the story. It definitely read like an author writing about something she has not experienced and, like it says in acknowledgements, had like one person help her with. Not a terrible job, and some wins, but an area I would encourage her and other writers to push even further in the future.
Otherwise I liked the way the ending and most of the plot was done, loved the topic, and appreciate the great effort that clearly went into the making of this book.
abbeyyyr's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
jesspen's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Dull.
Read as an audio book.
I struggled to connect with the characters and story. Its too long for a relatively simple narrative. If this would made into a 2 hour play with a stage adorned in paper stars I'd go and see it and hope to pick up on everything I glazed over from boredom.
Read as an audio book.
I struggled to connect with the characters and story. Its too long for a relatively simple narrative. If this would made into a 2 hour play with a stage adorned in paper stars I'd go and see it and hope to pick up on everything I glazed over from boredom.
mhsenglish's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
hopie_duncs's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
maryvdb2024's review against another edition
4.0
Another excellent book by Pip Williams set in a printing press in Oxford during World War One with the dreadful consequences of war and the Spanish flu woven through it. All seen through the eyes of twin sisters Maude and Peggy.
Characters are well developed with themes of feminism, class, equal rights and “women’s work” woven with profound loss and suffering. Nice to see characters developed in “the dictionary of lost words” appear again in a different context. Highly recommend both books.
Characters are well developed with themes of feminism, class, equal rights and “women’s work” woven with profound loss and suffering. Nice to see characters developed in “the dictionary of lost words” appear again in a different context. Highly recommend both books.