Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams

7 reviews

jopopipo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Grief, Misogyny, Sexism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Medical content, and Classism

Minor: Suicide

essieruth's review against another edition

challenging 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Medical trauma, War, Death, Suicide, Xenophobia, and Classism

It happens “offstage”, but a female character who is unable to give informed consent is taken advantage of by a man.

livcashmere's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism, Death, War, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Violence

siriface's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Pandemic/Epidemic, War, Medical trauma, Gore, Classism, and Death

gondorgirl's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Classism, Medical content, Death of parent, Grief, Medical trauma, and War

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

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