The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams (book review) – perseverance and a whole lotta’ books

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams (my review) is one of the best books I discovered during my casual “hunting sessions” on NetGalley. So when I found out that Pip Williams publishes a new book set in the same universe, the excitement went over the roof! 🚀

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The Bookbinder of Jericho in a nutshell

Twin sisters Peggy and Maude work as bookbinders at the Oxford University Press. They are folding and sewing the pages of some of the most important books, but they’re not expected to read them. Once World War I starts, things begin to change in the Bindery, and not only … the whole world of Peggy and Maude turns upside down.

The Bookbinder of Jericho is a touching story about family and love, social classes and impact of war, books and fighting against the odds for the education you want.

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My overall impression

I loved being back to the universe I discovered in The Dictionary of Lost Words, in a world where the love of books & knowledge is so precious. I had high expectations regarding this book, and it definitely surpassed all of them. The Bindery girls got deep into my heart, with their perseverance, strong friendships, and the ways to tackle the changes around them.

There are two compelling topics that I detail below: 1) the impact of political dynamics on art and literature, and 2) the unexpected treats for bookish souls. Of course, after clarifying whether The Bookbinder of Jericho is a sequel of The Dictionary of Lost Words.

By the way, did you know that Jericho is a neighbourhood in Oxford?

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Is The Bookbinder of Jericho a sequel?

The Bookbinder of Jericho is not a sequel of The Dictionary of the Lost Words. As the author says, it is rather a “companion book”. Both stories happen at the same time, and some characters appear in both narrations.

However, The Bookbinder of Jericho illustrates “a different slide of history”, presenting Oxford – the people, the culture, the impact of war – from another lens.

For my point of view, the two books can be definitely read as stand-alone books. And you can read The Bookbinder of Jericho without reading The Dictionary of Lost Words, and the other way around. Having read both book, I recommend reading both, no matter the order 🙂

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Impact of political dynamics on art and literature

An interesting topic showcased throughout the story is how the war (and political dynamics, at a larger scale) has impact on art and literature. To be more concrete – if a country starts a war, should we stop reading the books written in that culture? Stop learning that language? Stop engaging with artists from that culture?

With World War I being an important event in the book, what is happening at the Bindery in regard to printing German books is quite fascinating – I’ll let you discover yourself 🙂

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Unexpected treats for bookish souls

Apart from the main character working at the Oxford University Press, there are so many other unexpected bookish treats – the 5 parts of the story are named after classic books (from Shakespeare to Robert Burton), ideas from books are discussed by the characters, there’s a lot of action reading happening at the University’s library, and Peggy’s own library is one of a kind.

Reading The Bookbinder of Joricho is the equivalent of being in a bookish “candy store” – you’re fully immersed in a world of books and you’ll enjoy every single page of it.

Aaand something more for your bookish soul – check out the hand-binding process performed by author Pip Williams:

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Wrap-up

The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams is a book that I recommend with all my heart, and it is high on the list of books to gift to my friends. Charming characters, complex cultural context, smooth storyline, overall atmosphere – all pieces come together to paint a delightful picture!

If you’re looking to read other historical fiction stories related to war times, here are some recommendations:

• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (my review) – the mini TV-series will be launched in November 2023!
• The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan (my review)
• The Tattooist at Auschwitz by Heather Morris (my review)

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If you would like to buy this book (or any other bookish things), please consider using one of these links: Amazon | Waterstones | Carturesti. Thank you!

‘Till next time … happy reading!

Georgiana

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PS: I received a digital copy of this book in May 2023 at my request, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. My review expresses my own thoughts about the story and it is not influenced in any way by the publisher or the author. The book will be published in the UK on July 6th, 2023.