The Bookbinder: A Novel Paperback – August 6, 2024

I was initially drawn to this book because I find bookbinding interesting and tend to enjoy books about books. What I got instead was an incredible portrait of women in and from Oxford during World War I. The unique perspective made this horrific period of history more palatable though no less awful.An excellent character driven novel, The Bookbinder is a work of art. It will appeal to many people for a wide range of reasons. As a teacher, I have had students hungry for knowledge and a chance at a better life like Peg as well as many “unique “ learners like Maude. As a woman, I appreciated the tangible reminder of how short our history of having a voice and a vote has been, especially for the working class. The love story between Peg and Bastian is beautiful and heartbreaking. The inexpressible grief of Lotte and others was painfully real. The portrayal of the influenza pandemic is especially poignant for those of us who experienced Covid 19. Most of all, this is a book about persistence and resilience and hope. Too often we let our deficiencies, losses, and failures define us. Maude, Tilda, Bastian, and Peg remind us that they don’t.I read around 40 books a year and about 2/3 - 3/4 are decently good. I’ve only read two this year that will stay with me and stay on my list of recommendations. The Bookbinder is one of them.

Found on Bookbub decided to give it a try. Now I will read Pip Williams other work. Three more words required.

I loved this book. It really took me to another world- a world where women had few rights and war tore people and towns apart. But the main character, even though she was impacted like everyone else, chose to rise above it all and fought to reach her goals. It was a love story, a war story, an overcoming adversity story as well as a tutorial on the hand making of a bound book. I found it fascinating. The writing was so good I could picture every scene in mind, hear the characters talking and moving about. I highly recommend!

I loved the characters and story. Maybe a little too much about bookbinding, but that was interesting too. I Almost want to say there was not enough about the war and the influenza devastation. I also enjoyed her previous book. I look forward to more from this author.

I don't often rate books with five stars. However, Willams does an exceptional job weaving multiple themes into an engaging story set around World War 1.Peg and her twin sister, Maude, work in the Clarendon Press bindery. While Maude has issues (not stated, but probably somewhere on the autism spectrum), Peg has a thirst for knowledge and a hidden desire to go to Somerville, the women's college associated with Oxford. Peg volunteers to be a reader for wounded soldiers and eventually falls in love with a wounded Belgian soldier. The Spanish flu has an impact as Peg is later called on to nurse victims of the disease.Along the way, Williams discusses the class system of university towns with the clear separation of Town and Gown, the limited opportunities for women of any class and the fate of Belgian refugees from the war.There is no single tragic event (although one character dies of the Flu). The relationships among a large cast and the background of the War maintain the tension throughout the book. Events seem to be the natural result of this structure.One special note. Williams includes a technical description of how books are bound that is actually interesting and shows detailed research but does not take away from the narrative.

I won't bore you with details since the blurbs on Amazon and the author have already done that. My overall impression was the book just didn't live up to my expectations. I kept wondering about where the book was headed ... was trying to show how boring the bookbinder's job was? What the war was like? What refugees and the war wounded went through? And the ending ... just ended although thr reader learns that Peggy finally made it into college and Gwen was actually graduating. I must have missed something because it felt so abrupt.

This is the BEST bit of historical fiction I've ever read. My new favorite author. Characters are highly and lovingly developed, story is gripping, compelling, and educational. Beautifully researched, thoughtful, accessible, fascinating. Read her next novel, The Bookbinder; it's everything this one is. Remarkable author. If you find yourself in love with this author, step to the back of the line, far behind me at least.

The book gets off to a slow start. Lots (I mean LOTS) of focus on the technicalities of folio folding/book-making. I'm a bookmaker and I got bored, so I can't imagine this will appeal greatly to a broader audience. However, in the end I was glad I stuck with it. The story deals with complicated relationships, grief, friendship, family dynamics, and world history with a sympathetic and understanding eye.