Introduce Yourself

[Jessica]

Reply to this message to introduce yourself to the group.

Have you read anything else by Geraldine Brooks? Let us know what interests you about her latest book!

[ajmarkle]

Well, I just posted in the Moll Flanders book club, but I'm actually reading a Geraldine Brooks book right now, so of course I had to enter this discussion as well!

I just bought People of the Book and haven't started it yet, but I'm currently reading March, a Pulitzer prize winning story of the missing character of Louisa May Alcott's celebrated Little Women - Mr. March. The books documents his experience as a chaplain during the Civil War and, as we've come to expect from Brooks, is full of historical accuracy and subtlety. I also read Year of Wonders, a fictional documentary of the plague year in a small English village. Geraldine Brooks is a master of historical fiction - she's able to render characters beautifully, adopting the language and demeanor of the age while offering vivid descriptive language (there are passages in March describing the Civil War battlefields that make my stomach turn).

I'm looking forward to People of the Book because it will be a new region and theme for Brooks, and I'm excited to see how she deals with the movement of the "book" from one set of hands to the next.

[Teapharm03]

Hi...I just got the book can't wait to read it.....

[Fozzie]

Hi! I am Laura from the south coast of Maine.

People of the Book is my first of Geraldine's books. I do plan to read March now also, after I reread Little Women (as an adult).

I am a quarter of the way through People of the Book and find it riveting. Historical fiction is my favorite genre, so I am savoring the book's travels to other times and places.

I look forward to talking with all of you this month.

[bentley]

Hello Everyone,

I am from the metro area and a very frequent contributor. I already purchased this book a week ago but have not started reading it as yet. I am delighted to see that this book will be discussed on the Barnes and Noble site. I had not realized that when I purchased it.

My handle is Bentley.

Look forward to some very meaningful and active discussions; this will be the first book that I have read by Geraldine Brooks. I also plan on reading March when I get a chance. I love historical fiction and the fact that this book covers convivencia Spain, the ruins of Sarajevo from the silver age of Venice to northern Australia intrigues me. The inside cover of the book called The Global Journey of the Sarajevo Haggadah is fascinating.

Since Brooks was a correspondent for The Wall Street Journal in Bosnia, Somalia and the Middle East and was born/raised in Australia gives you a sense that the backdrop of the novel is one she is very familiar with.

Bentley

[LoriMary]

Hello,

I'm Lori from Wisconson (b-r-r-r), so I've been spending a lot of time reading in front of the fireplace lately!

I just read People of the Book last weekend and enjoyed it very much. When I was finished, I made a list of which characters appeared in which chapter so that I could tie up any lose ends in my mind of how they may have been connected or related and how they fit into the journey of the Sarajevo Haggadah. I'm curious to see if anyone else felt the need to 'put things in order' after finishing the book.

It was also interesting to read some of the information about the Sarajevo Haggadah that is published on the web and what others have to say about it's history.

I think Geraldine Brooks did an excellent job telling the story.

Message Edited by LoriMary on 02-01-2008 07:26 PM

[Carmenere_lady]

Hi I'm LyndaSue from Ohio.

I purchased this book about a week ago but have not yet started reading it. I was surprised to find the book a little on the small size. I was expecting an Historian sized novel. I hope to join in the conversation when I begin reading it this weekend but I'm just beginning The Road so maybe it will be a little bit later.
This is also my first G. Brooks novel. I purchased it because March rec'd such rave reviews.

[HannibalCat]

Hi all,
I'm Cathy from MA. I just picked up the book today, and I am looking forward to the discussion. I have so many books to read that it is hard to decide where to start. The book club is very helpful in my decision making. The books they choose are usually very good. This one looks very interesting. It is my first Brooks book.

[Carmenere_lady]

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HannibalCat wrote:
Hi all,
I'm Cathy from MA. I just picked up the book today, and I am looking forward to the discussion. I have so many books to read that it is hard to decide where to start. The book club is very helpful in my decision making. The books they choose are usually very good. This one looks very interesting. It is my first Brooks book.

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I'm in the same boat Cathy. I too have many books to get around to so when B&N does a discussion on one that I own it helps me to put it on top of the heap. This one though I just purchased because I thought it would be something different, something I knew little about. So far very interesting.

[Booklover_anon…]

Hi, I am new to online book groups - I belong to a book group with other ladies from church. We're going to read "People of the Book" in May or June, I can't remember which. It was the title "People of the Book" that caught my eye. After reading a description of the book I wondered if the title had a another meaning. Mohammed referred to Christians and Jews as the "People of the Book." I studied Arabic many years ago and have always been fascinated by Middle Eastern culture and by extension Islam. Our book group has read some books on the Middle East and Islam to help us come to a better understanding Muslims. I haven't begun the book yet, I picked up "March" to read since it is in paperback. I wanted to see if I liked Geraldine Brooks' style of writing before investing in a hardback. (I normally keep my hardbacks and am encountering a space problem) I heard portions of an interview on NPR. You might be able to go to www.wamu.org and find the archives for the Diane Rehm show to listen. Or from NPR.org as well. From what I was able to hear the book sounds fascinating so I went ahead and purchased the book. I'm looking forward to reading it. And I look forward to talking to all of you. I love historical mysteries!

[Clare]

My name is Clare and I am from Charleston, SC. I found out you were going to discuss this book on Monday and I went to B&N and bought the book. I finished the book yesterday. I really enjoyed the history and the descriptions of the people and places in the book.

[Fozzie]

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Booklover_anonymous1 wrote:
It was the title "People of the Book" that caught my eye. After reading a description of the book I wondered if the title had a another meaning. Mohammed referred to Christians and Jews as the "People of the Book."

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I didn't know this. I was speculating on the meaning of the title in another thread, but now need to add this to my thought process.

[the_archivist]

Hello, I am from Michigan, and my handle is the_archivist, because that is what I do for a living, and a passion.
I just bought the book "The People of the Book" and I am excited to start reading. I know I am a little late to this discussion board, so I hope you don't mind me dropping in. A friend of mine read the book and said she could not put it down. I read a lot of books with Jewish themes. To find one that has a book conservation and Jewish theme is a bonus.

[BookWoman718]

Hi,
I'm Jo, living in AZ, and have bought but not yet read "People of the Book." I've read several of the author's previous books and admire her writing. At least two of them have been read by my book club, to enthusiastic approval and good discussion. So I'm looking forward to getting into this. Brooks seems to be a meticulous researcher, but incorporates the material seamlessly into her writing for non-technical readers. It never seem ponderous or too detail-laden. I have another book to finish up this weekend but will move this one to the top of the TBR pile, now that I've found this discussion group....
BTW, like every girl named Jo who reads, I loved "Little Women" and can't remember how many times I re-read it back in the day. Loved the movies, too. Brooks' "March" was a wonderful enrichment of that whole experience, lifting the understanding to an adult level that made so much that happened, so much clearer. It was as if I had grown up in a family and heard their stories as a child, and then heard the hard truths about what really lay behind those stories after I was grown, with an adult's understanding and compassion. She deserves every accolade she received for that one.

[Fozzie]

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BookWoman718 wrote:
Brooks' "March" was a wonderful enrichment of that whole experience, lifting the understanding to an adult level that made so much that happened, so much clearer. It was as if I had grown up in a family and heard their stories as a child, and then heard the hard truths about what really lay behind those stories after I was grown, with an adult's understanding and compassion. She deserves every accolade she received for that one.

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What an eloquent review! Thanks!

[Clare]

I am in the process of reading Nine Parts of Desire, which is a non-fiction book about women in Muslim countries. This book was also written by Geraldine Brooks. After finishing People of the Book, I ordered a used copy of this book on-line. I received the book Friday and I am almost finished with it. Reading about other cultures and religions helps me gain some understanding of the belief systems that govern their actions. Clare

[Sidon]

My name is Sidon. I took out People of the Book from the public library.I read until p. 175 and then had to return this wonderful story  before I had time to complete the story. I am now waiting to take it out again and continue my enjoyment. Is patience really a virtue?

[Sidon]

My name is Sidon. I took out People of the Book from the public library and read until p. 175. I needed to return the book before I had a chance to  finish this wonderful story. I hope to take it out again and complete the story. Is  patience is really a  virtue?

[purplepaigetur…]

Hi  all !  I'm Paige from suburban Maryland and this is about my 6th or 7th discussion group.  I was lucky enough to meet Geraldine Brooks at an signing in my area. She is just a delightful person and very personable. I really enjoyed her talk and her power point presentation. And I just gobbled up The People of the Book.  It is her very best book. I had thought March was and although March is wonderful this book is even more so. This is going to be a great discussion group.

  

[Peppermill]

Hi! I am a late comer to this discussion, but I didn't get a chance to read People of the Book until today. I have devoured most of it, so feel as if I now dare enjoy the posting here. I will slip in a comment or two here and there if pertinent.

The theme of an ancient codex being conserved drew me to the book. I attended a lecture series at the Princeton Adult School on the history of the book awhile back, and it whetted my appetite for more. I have also discovered that the "science" in the book related to presentations our family saw on college visits a few years ago. One of the treats of the book for me has been the inside glimpses of the curators' worlds and where are some of the centers of that work.