Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Affirm Press (2023). 432p.
Description
"It is 1914, and as the war draws the young men of Britain away to fight, women must keep the nation running. Two of those women are Peggy and Maude, twin sisters who live on a narrowboat in Oxford and work in the bindery at the university press. Ambitious, intelligent Peggy has been told for most of her life that her job is to bind the books, not read them-but as she folds and gathers pages, her mind wanders to the opposite side of Walton Street, where the female students of Oxford's Somerville College have a whole library at their fingertips. Maude, meanwhile, wants nothing more than what she has: to spend her days folding the pages of books in the company of the other bindery girls. She is extraordinary but vulnerable, and Peggy feels compelled to watch over her. Then refugees arrive from the war-torn cities of Belgium, sending ripples through the Oxford community and the sisters' lives. Peggy begins to see the possibility of another future where she can educate herself and use her intellect, not just her hands. But as war and illness reshape her world, her love for a Belgian soldier-and the responsibility that comes with it-threaten to hold her back."--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member shelleyraec
“Your job is to bind books, not read them…”
Pip Williams blends history with imagination, weaving a captivating, poignant tale of desire, duty, grief and love in The Bookbinder of Jericho, a companion novel to her award winning fiction debut, The Dictionary of Lost Words.
Set within the bindery
Told in five parts, beginning in 1914 and ending in 1918, The Bookbinder of Jericho is well grounded in historical fact, exploring the gatekeeping of education and knowledge, womens suffrage, the horrors of war, post traumatic stress, and the devastating spread of Spanish Flu. It’s also a thought provoking and emotional story, rendering longing, romance, heartache, and loss with sincerity.
Peggy is a complex central figure, intelligent and dutiful but prickly, her resentment of all she is denied, by her gender, her social status, and her responsibilities, is never far from the surface. Though they are identical in looks, Maude’s contented nature and simple needs contrasts sharply with that of her twin. The supporting characters, including family friend Tilda (who appeared in The Dictionary of Lost Words), and Belgian refugees Lotte and Bastiaan, are well drawn and enrich the story.
Evocative prose effortlessly conjures movement and place. I found it easy to visualise the sisters crowded narrowboat lined with books and manuscripts, the balletic grace of the bindery women sweeping pages into their arms, the intimidating architecture of Oxford University, and Maude carefully folding her array of colourful paper stars.
The Bookbinder of Jericho is a rich, lyrical, beautifully crafted novel, I won’t hesitate to recommend.
Pip Williams blends history with imagination, weaving a captivating, poignant tale of desire, duty, grief and love in The Bookbinder of Jericho, a companion novel to her award winning fiction debut, The Dictionary of Lost Words.
Set within the bindery
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of the Oxford University Clarendon Press, we are introduced to Peggy, who, wielding her late mother’s bonefolder, gathers and folds the pages of books she dreams of studying at University, but as a Town, with the added responsibility of her vulnerable twin sister, Maude, such ambition has always seemed impossible. Then World War I breaks out, heralding change that seems to bring the future Peggy wants within her grasp, but war always calls for sacrifice.Told in five parts, beginning in 1914 and ending in 1918, The Bookbinder of Jericho is well grounded in historical fact, exploring the gatekeeping of education and knowledge, womens suffrage, the horrors of war, post traumatic stress, and the devastating spread of Spanish Flu. It’s also a thought provoking and emotional story, rendering longing, romance, heartache, and loss with sincerity.
Peggy is a complex central figure, intelligent and dutiful but prickly, her resentment of all she is denied, by her gender, her social status, and her responsibilities, is never far from the surface. Though they are identical in looks, Maude’s contented nature and simple needs contrasts sharply with that of her twin. The supporting characters, including family friend Tilda (who appeared in The Dictionary of Lost Words), and Belgian refugees Lotte and Bastiaan, are well drawn and enrich the story.
Evocative prose effortlessly conjures movement and place. I found it easy to visualise the sisters crowded narrowboat lined with books and manuscripts, the balletic grace of the bindery women sweeping pages into their arms, the intimidating architecture of Oxford University, and Maude carefully folding her array of colourful paper stars.
The Bookbinder of Jericho is a rich, lyrical, beautifully crafted novel, I won’t hesitate to recommend.
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LibraryThing member JulieStielstra
I liked some aspects Williams's previous book, The Dictionary of Lost Words. I liked the word-nerd parts: about finding, learning, thinking about words and their meanings and their use. So I figured I would give this one a shot. I didn't last long. Slow (and I have a high tolerance for slow),
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banal, and even I (a librarian by profession!) couldn't be engaged by details of bonefolders and glue. Then I kept thinking: wait a minute, wasn't there a frisky actress / suffragette in the other book? And Bill... and Gareth... characters from the earlier novel repurposed here for this one, which felt odd. I'm also quite well-read on WWI, and should be moved by the young men flocking off to that slaughterhouse - but even that didn't rise to any genuine emotion (that was the weakest part of Dictionary as well, I thought). It had the feel of a book cobbled together with scraps of leftover research - and even incident - from the other one, with little life or spirit of its own. Maybe I quit too soon, but life is short and there are many other books. Didn't work for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member ladycato
I received an advance copy via NetGalley.
The Bookbinder is a standalone companion book to Williams's extraordinary The Dictionary of Lost Words. Both books follow independent-minded women in Oxford during the time of World War I, and some side characters overlap between the two, but this is not a
Peggy and Maude are twin sisters who work in the bindery, each day folding pages to be inset into books, just as their late mother did before them. Peggy yearns for more--she stopped school at age 12--and looks upon the 'Gowns' at Oxford as an exclusive club that she will never be part of, but so wants to be. She's constrained by her own doubt and her devotion to Maude, who is disabled (she cues as perhaps autistic, and as an autist myself, I was alert to the portrayal and liked how it was handled). As Britain enters the war and the men leave and refugees from places such as Belgium arrive, Peggy's life changes.
Williams' approached the Great War from a unique angle, and a fascinating one at that. A sweet romance develops in the course of events. It's really a solid work of historical fiction, and one that I'm glad I read. Don't expect perky happiness throughout. Though this book doesn't go to the war, it doesn't shy away from its devastating effects on the home front.
The Bookbinder is a standalone companion book to Williams's extraordinary The Dictionary of Lost Words. Both books follow independent-minded women in Oxford during the time of World War I, and some side characters overlap between the two, but this is not a
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sequel in the traditional sense. Nor is it as emotionally powerful as the other book, though it is still an enjoyable read, and one I largely pushed through in a day.Peggy and Maude are twin sisters who work in the bindery, each day folding pages to be inset into books, just as their late mother did before them. Peggy yearns for more--she stopped school at age 12--and looks upon the 'Gowns' at Oxford as an exclusive club that she will never be part of, but so wants to be. She's constrained by her own doubt and her devotion to Maude, who is disabled (she cues as perhaps autistic, and as an autist myself, I was alert to the portrayal and liked how it was handled). As Britain enters the war and the men leave and refugees from places such as Belgium arrive, Peggy's life changes.
Williams' approached the Great War from a unique angle, and a fascinating one at that. A sweet romance develops in the course of events. It's really a solid work of historical fiction, and one that I'm glad I read. Don't expect perky happiness throughout. Though this book doesn't go to the war, it doesn't shy away from its devastating effects on the home front.
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LibraryThing member sleahey
I was pleased to have the opportunity to read this companion to The Dictionary of Lost Words, and indeed many of the issues highlighted are the same, such as the absence of women's rights and the importance of the written word. Peggy and Maud are twins who work at the Oxford Press publishing
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company. The focus is on Peggy, who quit school at age 12 in order to care for Maud who is mentally challenged, perhaps autistic. Peggy has always dreamed of attending Oxford in spite of her poverty, and finally sees a possible way forward. While the injustice of her gender and poverty preventing her easy access to an education are powerful in this novel, I was struck even more by the tragedy of World War I. The descriptions of the impact on the soldiers and women attendants were an excruciating anti-war message. The secondary characters were well-rounded and added a great deal to the plot. Too bad Peggy never got to meet Esme. Show Less
LibraryThing member bell7
*Free e-book ARC made available by the publisher through Edelweiss Plus - thank you!*
Peggy works at the Oxford University Press in the bindery, folding pages alongside her twin sister, Maude, who is developmentally challenged and uses repeated words and phrases to communicate. When World War 1
I adored The Dictionary of Lost Words, and enjoyed seeing the cameos of characters from the first book, but this one very much stands on its own and tells a different story. I liked Peggy, Maude, and the other women whose stories are front and center in Williams' work. Their experience of war is different from what's highlighted in history books, volunteering for the Red Cross and meeting refugees far from home. Peggy also dreams of more, reading the books she's supposed to be folding, and hoping for women's suffrage. The research Williams has done for this book is tremendous but doesn't get in the way of her storytelling. Readers of Marie Benedict who appreciate historical fiction about the people who often get overlooked will enjoy this story.
Peggy works at the Oxford University Press in the bindery, folding pages alongside her twin sister, Maude, who is developmentally challenged and uses repeated words and phrases to communicate. When World War 1
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begins, Peggy and her family and friends find their world turned upside down, but one thing remains the same - the women's stories are the ones untold, and a working woman like Peggy has a hard road ahead of her.I adored The Dictionary of Lost Words, and enjoyed seeing the cameos of characters from the first book, but this one very much stands on its own and tells a different story. I liked Peggy, Maude, and the other women whose stories are front and center in Williams' work. Their experience of war is different from what's highlighted in history books, volunteering for the Red Cross and meeting refugees far from home. Peggy also dreams of more, reading the books she's supposed to be folding, and hoping for women's suffrage. The research Williams has done for this book is tremendous but doesn't get in the way of her storytelling. Readers of Marie Benedict who appreciate historical fiction about the people who often get overlooked will enjoy this story.
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LibraryThing member JanaRose1
Brilliant, ambitious Peggy takes care of her twin sister Maude, who is a bit slow. In modern days, she would probably be diagnosed with autism. The twins work in a bindery, folding, gathering, and sewing books. Peggy collects the remnants, torn pieces, and scraps of books. As the men leave for the
I was amazed by the character development throughout the book. The characters really changed and grew with the war. I was particularly touched by Peggy and Maude's relationship, and the care they took for one another. The plot revolved around day-to-day matters, but moved quickly. I would love to read more from this author. 5 out of 5 stars.
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war, refugees arrive from war town Belgium. Peggy slowly allows herself to dream, envisioning herself at the nearby university studying. I was amazed by the character development throughout the book. The characters really changed and grew with the war. I was particularly touched by Peggy and Maude's relationship, and the care they took for one another. The plot revolved around day-to-day matters, but moved quickly. I would love to read more from this author. 5 out of 5 stars.
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LibraryThing member sue222
Having read and enjoyed Pip Williams’ earlier work The Dictionary of Lost Words, I was excited to try her new book—and I was not disappointed. The Bookbinder inhabits the same world as her previous work, but on the “town” side of Oxford, in the bindery of the Oxford University Press.
The Bookbinder was both enjoyable and immersive. I feel I was more invested in Peggy’s growth and success than i was in Esme’s in the previous book—perhaps because of her more working class roots. I finished the book in a bit of a book coma, not really ready to leave the world of Peggy, her sister Maude, and the family they created around themselves.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this books.
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Although a few characters of the earlier book make brief appearances, it only seems to emphasize the almost total separation of the two worlds.The Bookbinder was both enjoyable and immersive. I feel I was more invested in Peggy’s growth and success than i was in Esme’s in the previous book—perhaps because of her more working class roots. I finished the book in a bit of a book coma, not really ready to leave the world of Peggy, her sister Maude, and the family they created around themselves.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this books.
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LibraryThing member foggidawn
"Your job is to bind the books, not to read them." Peggy has heard these instructions ever since she started working in the Oxford University Press bindery, but she can't help grabbing a sentence or two here and there as she gathers and folds the pages. And, if there are sections or books with
I found this to be an immersive read -- I could practically hear the swish of papers being gathered and folded, and smell the canal as Peggy and Maude walked home along the towpath. Williams writes complicated, interesting characters that bring their historical setting to life. This story touches briefly on parts of The Dictionary of Lost Words, but I don't think it's necessary to have read that work in order to enjoy this one. I highly recommend both.
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imperfections, she takes them home to the narrowboat on the canal that she shares with Maude, her twin sister. It was her mother's dream for Peggy to get an education, but that fell by the wayside when her mother died and Peggy took over caring for her neurodivergent sister, who also works at the bindery. Peggy still looks longingly at Sommerville, the women's college next door to the bindery, but she knows it's not for common folk like her -- she's "town," not "gown," and she had better accept her place. The Great War changes many things for Peggy and Maude: new friendships, new love, and new opportunities. When Peggy's chance for an education comes, will she have to sacrifice the tender romance that is just beginning to bloom in her life?I found this to be an immersive read -- I could practically hear the swish of papers being gathered and folded, and smell the canal as Peggy and Maude walked home along the towpath. Williams writes complicated, interesting characters that bring their historical setting to life. This story touches briefly on parts of The Dictionary of Lost Words, but I don't think it's necessary to have read that work in order to enjoy this one. I highly recommend both.
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LibraryThing member runner56
Peggy and Maude are 2 twin sisters who live on a barge “Calliope” and work in the book bindery in the town of Jericho, a suburb of Oxford. The book is set, before, during, and after the 1st world war, at a time, not only of great political turmoil but also the beginning of the emancipation of
The work of a “binder” is exactly as it sounds. Maude and Peggy spend each day cataloging/numbering pages before binding them into the complete book. Peggy in particular has a lifelong love of the written word, and the power of reading, indeed their home on the barge is adorned with reject bindery books. Peggy has ambition to attend Somerville College Oxford which was created for women when universities refused them entry, and for people of diverse beliefs when the establishment religion was widely demanded. However this is a time when the evil ambition of a war hungry Germany spread its tentacles deep into Europe and when the countries of Belgium and France are threatened England rises to Kitchner’s call to arms.
Rather than view the 1st world war through events on the battlefield we the reader are shocked by stories of soldiers sent to recover and recuperate at English hospitals. Volunteers were needed to alleviate the increasing workload and suffering and it was in one such a location that Peggy met “Bastiaan” a Belgium soldier badly wounded both mentally and physically……”I’m begging. Look at me. Look at me. Look at me……I looked. A graft of skin from forehead to jaw, more like vellum than tripe. It had been scraped and stretched and stitched to the good skin around it. But there was no bone to shape it and where the eye should have been there was just a hole”...........
This is a superb, informative and highly emotional read with a young, attractive headstrong heroine, through Peggy the author expertly explores issues of the time pertaining to women, their emancipation, and right not only to vote but to have good education. The relationship between Peggy and a very damaged Bastiaan highlights the futility and carnage that was the 1st world war……”German people are not my enemy, Peggy. But there are some who have used their language like a weapon, to share the evil of their thoughts”........”Lovers were proposing, fathers were passing on pocket watches and sage advice, mothers were knitting thick socks and vest (they might not be able to protect their boys from the Hun, but they sure as hell could protect them from the cold)”........
Many thanks to the publishers for an early copy, highly recommended.
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women under the guidance of Emmeline Pankhurst leader of the suffragettes in Britain and in this respect one of the most important figures in modern British history. The work of a “binder” is exactly as it sounds. Maude and Peggy spend each day cataloging/numbering pages before binding them into the complete book. Peggy in particular has a lifelong love of the written word, and the power of reading, indeed their home on the barge is adorned with reject bindery books. Peggy has ambition to attend Somerville College Oxford which was created for women when universities refused them entry, and for people of diverse beliefs when the establishment religion was widely demanded. However this is a time when the evil ambition of a war hungry Germany spread its tentacles deep into Europe and when the countries of Belgium and France are threatened England rises to Kitchner’s call to arms.
Rather than view the 1st world war through events on the battlefield we the reader are shocked by stories of soldiers sent to recover and recuperate at English hospitals. Volunteers were needed to alleviate the increasing workload and suffering and it was in one such a location that Peggy met “Bastiaan” a Belgium soldier badly wounded both mentally and physically……”I’m begging. Look at me. Look at me. Look at me……I looked. A graft of skin from forehead to jaw, more like vellum than tripe. It had been scraped and stretched and stitched to the good skin around it. But there was no bone to shape it and where the eye should have been there was just a hole”...........
This is a superb, informative and highly emotional read with a young, attractive headstrong heroine, through Peggy the author expertly explores issues of the time pertaining to women, their emancipation, and right not only to vote but to have good education. The relationship between Peggy and a very damaged Bastiaan highlights the futility and carnage that was the 1st world war……”German people are not my enemy, Peggy. But there are some who have used their language like a weapon, to share the evil of their thoughts”........”Lovers were proposing, fathers were passing on pocket watches and sage advice, mothers were knitting thick socks and vest (they might not be able to protect their boys from the Hun, but they sure as hell could protect them from the cold)”........
Many thanks to the publishers for an early copy, highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member khoyt
It is hard to put my thoughts into words. I love this author. I love her prose. The characters are all people you wish you knew; people with whom you hung around. The story was intelligent and thought-provoking. I am already looking forward to her next novel.
LibraryThing member shazjhb
Great book. WWI was well depicted. The characters seemed real and so human.
LibraryThing member infjsarah
I absolutely loved Pip Williams "Dictionary of Lost Words", so was really looking forward to this next book. And it didn't disappoint. I didn't love it quite so much as "Lost Words" but it was pretty close. It's happy and sad, hopeful and hopeless, and really satisfying. It made me think about
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bookbinding which despite always loving books, I've never thought about much. Recommended - especially if you love books and learning. Show Less
LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
This novel is centered around a book bindery in Oxford, England, during World War I. Peggy and her twin sister Maude work in a book bindery, where they labor folding pages and creating beautiful volumes, but not reading the books. Peggy, whose education ended in her youth, wants more and looks on
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the Oxford students who surround her family with longing. As war rages across the English Channel, Peggy's world starts to shift and new opportunities emerge. I liked this book, especially the beginning and the end, but the middle was long and I don't know that this book has much to set it apart from other novels written in a similar vein. Show Less
LibraryThing member mbmackay
Wonderful writing - clear, spare text with not one unnecessary word.
Excellent historical fiction telling of the life and roles of those of different genders and classes, against the backdrop of world war 1.
The sister of the protagonist has some form of autism, but is never classified. We gradually
I was captivated.
Excellent historical fiction telling of the life and roles of those of different genders and classes, against the backdrop of world war 1.
The sister of the protagonist has some form of autism, but is never classified. We gradually
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become aware of her differences, and abilities, but never explicitly - shown, not told.I was captivated.
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LibraryThing member kimkimkim
Pip Williams writes softly, so softly that she allows you time to embrace her characters, their surroundings and the opportunity to know them intimately. Her writing requires attention and concentration because she builds upon her story and its occupants every so slowly. There is much to be told
Twins, identical but completely different. One “filters conversation like a prism filters light. She broke it down so that each phrase could be understood as an articulation of something singular. The truth of what she said could be inconvenient; sometimes it made life easier to understand her.” The other aware of their differences feeling the need to protect and preserve. Bindery girls folding pages, one not caring about the content, the other inhaling every word, nuance and thought - they couldn’t be more different although they were identical.
“Keep en eye.”
“Watch over.”
“Deep breath.”
On the cusp of World War I the sisters live a basic life, because this is a basic story of a very basic fight, for among other things, the vote for women, a margin of equality for women, and the work that women have done to wage those good fights. The research is immaculate, for one who has no knowledge Williams introduces the reader to Somerville College, The Clarendon Press, The Oxford University Press always reminding that women had to fight for a place in education, had to fight to break the protocols of class. The story ranges from everyday work at the bindery, to the heartbreaking consequences of war and the Spanish Flu, to the friendships and love that take up residence in the lives of the twins, Maude and Peggy, as the days and years pass.
Intrigued by the introduction of “The Anatomy of Melancholy”, it made several appearances and other than addressing a vast myriad of subjects, its inclusion informs and allows the story to embrace the melancholy that Burton wrote about and that Peggy is feeling . It opens the story to the vast ignorance, even by a librarian, of how a book is bound and the segregated sections of the bindery and segues into “a love of learning and overmuch study”. This is an apt description of Peggy and her desire to gain access that is withheld, to matriculate, to be a scholar, to find validation, to be acknowledged.
I enjoyed this book and the attention Pip Williams attributed to her twins, their point in time and circumstances. Her writing is profound in its simplicity with a fine tuned ear to description and dialog. Many, many thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a copy.
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but Williams prefers to drop crumbs and allow the reader to come to her/his own conclusion at the appropriate time with just a few words. Twins, identical but completely different. One “filters conversation like a prism filters light. She broke it down so that each phrase could be understood as an articulation of something singular. The truth of what she said could be inconvenient; sometimes it made life easier to understand her.” The other aware of their differences feeling the need to protect and preserve. Bindery girls folding pages, one not caring about the content, the other inhaling every word, nuance and thought - they couldn’t be more different although they were identical.
“Keep en eye.”
“Watch over.”
“Deep breath.”
On the cusp of World War I the sisters live a basic life, because this is a basic story of a very basic fight, for among other things, the vote for women, a margin of equality for women, and the work that women have done to wage those good fights. The research is immaculate, for one who has no knowledge Williams introduces the reader to Somerville College, The Clarendon Press, The Oxford University Press always reminding that women had to fight for a place in education, had to fight to break the protocols of class. The story ranges from everyday work at the bindery, to the heartbreaking consequences of war and the Spanish Flu, to the friendships and love that take up residence in the lives of the twins, Maude and Peggy, as the days and years pass.
Intrigued by the introduction of “The Anatomy of Melancholy”, it made several appearances and other than addressing a vast myriad of subjects, its inclusion informs and allows the story to embrace the melancholy that Burton wrote about and that Peggy is feeling . It opens the story to the vast ignorance, even by a librarian, of how a book is bound and the segregated sections of the bindery and segues into “a love of learning and overmuch study”. This is an apt description of Peggy and her desire to gain access that is withheld, to matriculate, to be a scholar, to find validation, to be acknowledged.
I enjoyed this book and the attention Pip Williams attributed to her twins, their point in time and circumstances. Her writing is profound in its simplicity with a fine tuned ear to description and dialog. Many, many thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a copy.
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LibraryThing member clrichm
This was a very well-written book in many respects; unfortunately, I found it fairly dull, with not much action happening in the foreground. It simply dragged, and my mind frequently tried to wander away as I read, forcing me to reread sections that I didn't absorb the first time. Peggy, the main
I also felt that the ending was abrupt and the epilogue disjointed, but those were small things in comparison.
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character, was hard to like, since the only emotion she seemed to feel with any intensity was anger. We readers were told what she thought about Bastiaan; we were told that she wanted to read all the books she collected. We weren't shown how she really felt about Bastiaan, though, outside of her desire for sex, and we weren't shown in any emotional way that she really loved the books she read. She seemed more entranced about becoming a "gown" (student) than about what that would entail or lead to.I also felt that the ending was abrupt and the epilogue disjointed, but those were small things in comparison.
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LibraryThing member DKnight0918
Thanks so much to Netgalley for the review copy. I’m glad I gave this author another chance. I plan to go back and finish The Dictionary of Lost Words. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
LibraryThing member tamidale
Set in World War I, this story follows the lives of twin sisters Peggy and Maude. Their mother died while they were in their teens and Peggy feels an obligation to take care of Maude, who is a bit slow.
Their mother heavily influenced both girls and because of that Peggy developed a love of reading.
During this time, wounded soldiers from Belgium seek refuge in their community and the sisters join other women to do their part to help the wounded men. Peggy begins a friendship with one of the men that develops into a romance, leaving her to make a choice between marriage or an education.
This is a story with wonderful characters and a look into the lives of the women during WWI and they manage to make their lives better in spite of the hardships that war brings.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance copy.
I am pleased to offer my honest review and recommend this book to other readers.
Their mother heavily influenced both girls and because of that Peggy developed a love of reading.
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At the bindery, she slips all the damaged pages into her pockets to take home and read. She also longs to further her education, but her working class income doesn’t allow for that.During this time, wounded soldiers from Belgium seek refuge in their community and the sisters join other women to do their part to help the wounded men. Peggy begins a friendship with one of the men that develops into a romance, leaving her to make a choice between marriage or an education.
This is a story with wonderful characters and a look into the lives of the women during WWI and they manage to make their lives better in spite of the hardships that war brings.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance copy.
I am pleased to offer my honest review and recommend this book to other readers.
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Awards
RUSA CODES Reading List (Shortlist — Historical Fiction — 2024)
Australian Book Industry Awards (Shortlist — General Fiction — 2024)
ARA Historical Novel Prize (Longlist — Adult — 2023)
The Indie Book Award (Shortlist — Fiction — 2024)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2023-03-28
Physical description
432 p.; 9.17 inches
ISBN
1922806625 / 9781922806628
Local notes
In 1914, when the war draws the young men of Britain away to fight, it is the women who must keep the nation running. Two of those women are Peggy and Maude, twin sisters who work in the bindery at Oxford University Press in Jericho. Peggy is intelligent, ambitious and dreams of going to Oxford University, but for most of her life she has been told her job is to bind the books, not read them. Maude, meanwhile, wants nothing more than what she has. She is extraordinary but vulnerable. Peggy needs to watch over her.