People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

This story begins with an Australian rare book conservator, Hanna Heath, in Sarajevo to consult and research a centuries-old Haggadah, a Jewish prayer book. The continuing story then alternates back and forth from the current perspective of Hanna and her life to the historical perspectives of people whose lives have been touched by the prayer book in some way. In episodic flashbacks that move further and further back in time, the reader learns more about the lives of the individuals involved with the book and the tragic events in history that helped augment this rare illuminated manuscript, culminating with the story of the book's creation.

Although People of the Book almost feels like a collection of short stories, Brooks creates separate worlds, time periods, and deep character development in just a few short pages. She also manages to tie all the separate historical stories together by consistently returning to present day Hanna's narrative and her progressing research and discoveries, which then prompt a related historical tale about the Haggadah.

I would highly recommend this title for those who enjoy historical fiction and for book lovers in general. One of Geraldine Brooks' other novels, March, won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize For Fiction.