Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams

20 reviews

author2223's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical content, and War

Moderate: Murder, Misogyny, Child death, and Classism

magicsarah's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, and Death

flashandoutbreak's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, War, Alcohol, Death, Grief, Sexual harassment, Violence, Xenophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Vomit, Child death, and Medical content

qwertybc's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

I am such a big fan of Pop Williams’ work. She weaves a story which provides insights in to the world then and now. This thought provoking work sheds light on a perspective of the Great War era that is very much unsung. Her characters are well developed and have depth to them in a way that draws you into the text. I can’t wait to visit Oxford one day and see it with a new lens. 

Overall I’m a big fan. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness and Child death

Moderate: War

ninjamuse's review against another edition

emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical content, Misogyny, Death, and Sexism

Minor: Vomit, Death of parent, Child death, and Xenophobia

macaronoui's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad slow-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? N/A

4.25

I was delighted when I got an earc for “the dictionary of lost words” by Pip Williams a few years ago. That book spans roughly 1890-1925 and follows the daughter of a man working on the letter A & B of the first oxford dictionary. It is one of my all time favorite books and such and intricate story about how wealth, opportunity and the patriarchy collide in acceptable words.

This is a book set in the same universe and as the previous book is historical fiction, like this book, some of the people mentioned are real.

We follow Peggy around 1914 as she works as a bookbinder in a factory in Oxford, UK with her twin sister Maude.

Maude is alluded to have, what I think is something on the autism spectrum / neurodivergent. In the book she is taken care of constantly by either her sister, neighbors or friends. I wonder if there was an austism sensitivity reader. I found some bits really infantilised her. I did however appreciate the loyalty of Peggy of taking care of her sister like then when other women might have married and started their own families.

The book is quite heavy as it is set during the first world war, and then the (misnamed) Spanish Flu.

It’s very interesting to read how a girl from “town” wants to be a “gown”, but many things prohibit her from going to the women’s uni. The book feels very well researched and heartbreaking. Also shines a light on all the invisible women, who took care of the soldiers and families during the flu. 

I recommend this to people wanting to know more about the forgotton people  in the first world war, and people interested in the process of printing, binding and making books.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Child death, War, Medical trauma, and Classism

louise2000's review against another edition

dark emotional tense 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, War, and Child death

thumbeleia's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Addiction, Genocide, Alcoholism, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Ableism, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Classism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Deportation, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Vomit, War, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Sexual content

pamela22's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-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

5.0

I think I enjoyed this even more than The Dictionary of Lost Words. I was captured by all of the characters and the tales they had to add to the overall narrative.
Despite the novel beginning and ending with the start and end I of WW1, it’s a tale of hope and one that I found to be more uplifting than despondent.
Another well-researched effort and it enhanced my understanding of this time period in England. I really like how Williams give voice to those who have been on the margins of history. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Classism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual harassment, Grief, and War

mel_s_bookshelf's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Death of parent, Classism, and Child death