Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams

23 reviews

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

Moderate: Sexual content

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: Child death, Death of parent, and Classism