Reviews

The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams

grakie's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

melolivia17's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

kiwialexa's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

off2explore's review against another edition

5.0

This charming and poignant historical novel focuses on life in Oxford during WWI. This is a story of war, with significant loss and the impact of wounded soldiers and refugees entering the community, but the fighting remains distant. Williams deftly handles issues of gender, class, disability, and nationality by introducing full-fledged characters with diverse backgrounds. I really enjoyed following Peggy’s journey from bindery girl to college student, despite all odds.

poisonivy's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

i liked this, but v hard for it to compete w how much i loved the dictionary of lost words!! was nice seeing some of the dictionary’s characters make an appearance too 🥹

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and War

alli_oopsie's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

freddiebigbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

tivendar's review against another edition

inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.0

xandrarama's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

All the great storytelling of The Dictionary of Lost Words but at least 75% less heartbreak. The pacing was more consistent too. This was a gripping read for me and I was sorry to finish it. A side benefit was learning about bookbinding methods of the early 20th century and the displacement of Belgian civilian refugees into the UK during the First World War.

hannah_the_bookworm's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic, Child death, Grief, and War