Pam H. (PamelaH) - reviewed on 7/2/2015 + 90 more book reviews

I recognized the name of this author which made me have a bit more interest in this book. When I realized it was the same author who wrote "Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague", I knew I had to read this. I think I've learned more about history from reading historical novels than I have from history classes in school. Brooks is excellent at weaving a story around history that makes it a learning experience. This book, about the Hebrew codex known as the Sarajevo Haggadah, opened my eyes to much more than I would ever have known. I found it interesting to learn of Convivencia, when Jews, Christians, and Muslims coexisted in relative peace. Sometimes its refreshing to know that there can be religion without terror and war, book burnings, slavery, suppression, well, you get my drift. I am in fact, drifting right now though, because there was much struggle in this book's "lifetime." In 1996, Hannah, a rare book expert, finds herself delving into history when analyzing a Hebrew haggadah. In the books she finds an insect wing fragment, wine stains, a piece of hair, and salt crystals for starters, and begins to follow the whereabouts of this book, it's past, who may have created it, who risked their lives to save it. Well written, enlightening, a learning experience. Really enjoyed it,

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