People of the Book: A Novel
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
2 journalers for this copy...
(from Amazon) In 1996, Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, is offered the job of a lifetime: analysis and conservation of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, which has been rescued from Serb shelling during the Bosnian war. Priceless and beautiful, the book is one of the earliest Jewish volumes ever to be illuminated with images. When Hanna, a caustic loner with a passion for her work, discovers a series of tiny artifacts in its ancient binding—an insect wing fragment, wine stains, salt crystals, a white hair—she begins to unlock the book’s mysteries. The reader is ushered into an exquisitely detailed and atmospheric past, tracing the book’s journey from its salvation back to its creation.
In Bosnia during World War II, a Muslim risks his life to protect it from the Nazis. In the hedonistic salons of fin-de-siècle Vienna, the book becomes a pawn in the struggle against the city’s rising anti-Semitism. In inquisition-era Venice, a Catholic priest saves it from burning. In Barcelona in 1492, the scribe who wrote the text sees his family destroyed by the agonies of enforced exile. And in Seville in 1480, the reason for the Haggadah’s extraordinary illuminations is finally disclosed. Hanna’s investigation unexpectedly plunges her into the intrigues of fine art forgers and ultra-nationalist fanatics. Her experiences will test her belief in herself and the man she has come to love.
***
Another historical novel by Brooks, this one based on the Sarajevo Haggadah.
The true story of the Sarajevo Haggadah is an amazing one. A Haggadah is the Jewish book of rites, a collection of biblical stories, prayers and psalms related to Pesach or Passover. The Sarajevo Haggadah was written around 1314 (or 1350?) in Barcelona, Spain. It is thought to be the oldest Sephardic Haggadah still in existence. It is unique not only because of its age, but also due to its extraordinarily rich illuminations (examples can be seen here and here), uncommon in Jewish works of that time period. The book came to present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina by the end of 15th century with Jewish Sephardic settlers, who were exiled from Spain during the Inquisition in 1492. Notes in the book indicate that it spent some time in Italy in the 1500s. Beginning in 1894 the book was in possession of the Sarajevo Museum (Archeological Museum, Zemaljski muzej, founded by Sarajevo Croats in 1888). Kept with extreme care in a steel box, very few people had opportunity to see it.
But this story -- of how a haggadah came to have such brilliant illustrations and how it survived the exile from Spain and the intervening 500 years, is not the end of this particular book's tale.
The book had very turbulent history. During World War Two it was saved from the Nazis. At that time (1941-1945) Sarajevo belonged to Independent State of Croatia (NDH), and director of the Sarajevo Museum was Jozo Petricevic, a Croat, and the museum's chief librarian, Dervis Korkut. When German troops entered Sarajevo in April 1941, the Museum was visited by a German general Fortner, who ordered to bring Haggadah immediately.
- But mister general, - said Petricevic - one of your colonels came yesterday and carried off the book.
- What was the name of the colonel? - asked the suspicious general.
- We were not allowed to ask his name. - answered Petricevic recourcefully.
The German general, whose intention was to take the book by force, ordered to search the Museum. The Haggadah was already hidden by Petricevic and his colleagues. Korkut gave the book to a Muslim cleric in Zenica, where it was hidden under the floorboards of either a mosque or a Muslim home. During the Bosnian War of the early 1990s, when Sarajevo was under constant siege by Bosnian Serb forces, the manuscript survived in an underground bank vault. To quell rumors that the government had sold the Haggadah in order to buy weapons, the president of Bosnia presented the manuscript at a community Seder in 1995.
Afterwards, the manuscript was restored through a special campaign financed by the United Nations and the Bosnian Jewish community in 2001. Since December 2002 it has been on permanent display in the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo.
A full history of the remarkable man, Dervis Korkut, who saved the book from the Nazi officers who sought it, is told in the December 3, 2007 edition of The New Yorker magazine. The article, entitled "The Book of Exodus" also by Geraldine Brooks, sets out the equally remarkable story of the young Jewish girl, Mira Papo, that Korkut and his wife hid from the Nazis just as they acted to save the Haggadah. In a twist of fate the story reveals how Mira Papo , then an elderly woman in Israel, brought about the safety of Korkut's daughter - from the Serbian genocide of the 1990's.
The story of the Sarajevo Haggadah is also mentioned in the endnotes of María Rosa Menocal's The Ornament of the World.
***
Though the Sarajevo Haggadah itself is fascinating, Brooks' tale falls short. I found it hard to empathize with Hanna. The different segments of the story were uneven and didn't seem to be developed fully, but read almost as outlines of story ideas. My lack of interest in the meta-story arch (Hanna's story) only increased my disappointment that Brooks' narrative didn't capture the magic of the Haggadah's history.
The book isn't bad, don't get me wrong. It was OK. But it isn't as good as Brooks' Year of Wonders; it didn't capture the time periods and personalities as well as that earlier work. And, for a book that does capture people in a similar time, place, and struggle, Mary Doria Russell's A Thread of Grace deals beautifully with exiled Jews in Italy during World War Two.
***
Notes about the Sarajevo Haggadah were found at Wikipedia and a Croatian history site.
In Bosnia during World War II, a Muslim risks his life to protect it from the Nazis. In the hedonistic salons of fin-de-siècle Vienna, the book becomes a pawn in the struggle against the city’s rising anti-Semitism. In inquisition-era Venice, a Catholic priest saves it from burning. In Barcelona in 1492, the scribe who wrote the text sees his family destroyed by the agonies of enforced exile. And in Seville in 1480, the reason for the Haggadah’s extraordinary illuminations is finally disclosed. Hanna’s investigation unexpectedly plunges her into the intrigues of fine art forgers and ultra-nationalist fanatics. Her experiences will test her belief in herself and the man she has come to love.
***
Another historical novel by Brooks, this one based on the Sarajevo Haggadah.
The true story of the Sarajevo Haggadah is an amazing one. A Haggadah is the Jewish book of rites, a collection of biblical stories, prayers and psalms related to Pesach or Passover. The Sarajevo Haggadah was written around 1314 (or 1350?) in Barcelona, Spain. It is thought to be the oldest Sephardic Haggadah still in existence. It is unique not only because of its age, but also due to its extraordinarily rich illuminations (examples can be seen here and here), uncommon in Jewish works of that time period. The book came to present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina by the end of 15th century with Jewish Sephardic settlers, who were exiled from Spain during the Inquisition in 1492. Notes in the book indicate that it spent some time in Italy in the 1500s. Beginning in 1894 the book was in possession of the Sarajevo Museum (Archeological Museum, Zemaljski muzej, founded by Sarajevo Croats in 1888). Kept with extreme care in a steel box, very few people had opportunity to see it.
But this story -- of how a haggadah came to have such brilliant illustrations and how it survived the exile from Spain and the intervening 500 years, is not the end of this particular book's tale.
The book had very turbulent history. During World War Two it was saved from the Nazis. At that time (1941-1945) Sarajevo belonged to Independent State of Croatia (NDH), and director of the Sarajevo Museum was Jozo Petricevic, a Croat, and the museum's chief librarian, Dervis Korkut. When German troops entered Sarajevo in April 1941, the Museum was visited by a German general Fortner, who ordered to bring Haggadah immediately.
- But mister general, - said Petricevic - one of your colonels came yesterday and carried off the book.
- What was the name of the colonel? - asked the suspicious general.
- We were not allowed to ask his name. - answered Petricevic recourcefully.
The German general, whose intention was to take the book by force, ordered to search the Museum. The Haggadah was already hidden by Petricevic and his colleagues. Korkut gave the book to a Muslim cleric in Zenica, where it was hidden under the floorboards of either a mosque or a Muslim home. During the Bosnian War of the early 1990s, when Sarajevo was under constant siege by Bosnian Serb forces, the manuscript survived in an underground bank vault. To quell rumors that the government had sold the Haggadah in order to buy weapons, the president of Bosnia presented the manuscript at a community Seder in 1995.
Afterwards, the manuscript was restored through a special campaign financed by the United Nations and the Bosnian Jewish community in 2001. Since December 2002 it has been on permanent display in the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo.
A full history of the remarkable man, Dervis Korkut, who saved the book from the Nazi officers who sought it, is told in the December 3, 2007 edition of The New Yorker magazine. The article, entitled "The Book of Exodus" also by Geraldine Brooks, sets out the equally remarkable story of the young Jewish girl, Mira Papo, that Korkut and his wife hid from the Nazis just as they acted to save the Haggadah. In a twist of fate the story reveals how Mira Papo , then an elderly woman in Israel, brought about the safety of Korkut's daughter - from the Serbian genocide of the 1990's.
The story of the Sarajevo Haggadah is also mentioned in the endnotes of María Rosa Menocal's The Ornament of the World.
***
Though the Sarajevo Haggadah itself is fascinating, Brooks' tale falls short. I found it hard to empathize with Hanna. The different segments of the story were uneven and didn't seem to be developed fully, but read almost as outlines of story ideas. My lack of interest in the meta-story arch (Hanna's story) only increased my disappointment that Brooks' narrative didn't capture the magic of the Haggadah's history.
The book isn't bad, don't get me wrong. It was OK. But it isn't as good as Brooks' Year of Wonders; it didn't capture the time periods and personalities as well as that earlier work. And, for a book that does capture people in a similar time, place, and struggle, Mary Doria Russell's A Thread of Grace deals beautifully with exiled Jews in Italy during World War Two.
***
Notes about the Sarajevo Haggadah were found at Wikipedia and a Croatian history site.
This book came home with me last night, if only for the name... though the subject is of interest to me and Bumma might take a break from chick lit to browse it as well....Pictured left-- our Jim and Nick's Pig Fest (pictured left) when some of our local BCers got together with Buffra, and our visiting Kiwi Ambassadors: FutureCat and Otakuu. It's been a grand visit so far and we're only a few hours into it.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I'd read YEar of Wonders before and thought it a great tale. This also wrapped a story through history and the tell-tale scraps we leave behind. Learned a LOT about book preservation and all those good things. I read this while up in the mountains in Georgia, and will leave it up here for my sister in law to pick up if she's interested when we come up in sept. And then, it may travel some more....just like the book in the story, but under less trying circumstances.
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
For HAzrabai or for release on our great Adventure this fall...
For HAzrabai or for release on our great Adventure this fall...
Our trip to the mountains in September was cancelled, so I released this at The Bean today.
Journal Entry 6 by 
bookczuk
at Grapes And Beans - 42 E Savannah St. in Clayton, Georgia USA on Wednesday, November 26, 2008
bookczuk at Grapes And Beans - 42 E Savannah St. in Clayton, Georgia USA on Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Released 15 yrs ago (11/26/2008 UTC) at Grapes And Beans - 42 E Savannah St. in Clayton, Georgia USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
WILD RELEASE NOTES: To the finder of this book:
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