♡ Thank you for the free audiobook, PRH Audio.
Synopsis
It is 1914, and as the war draws the young men of Britain away to fight, women must keep the nation running. Two of those women are Peggy and Maude, twin sisters who live on a narrow boat in Oxford and work in the bindery at the university press.
Ambitious, intelligent Peggy has been told for most of her life that her job is to bind the books, not read them—but as she folds and gathers pages, her mind wanders to the opposite side of Walton Street, where the female students of Oxford’s Somerville College have a whole library at their fingertips. Maude, meanwhile, wants nothing more than what she has: to spend her days folding the pages of books in the company of the other bindery girls. She is extraordinary but vulnerable, and Peggy feels compelled to watch over her.
Then refugees arrive from the war-torn cities of Belgium, sending ripples through the Oxford community and the sisters’ lives. Peggy begins to see the possibility of another future where she can educate herself and use her intellect, not just her hands. But as war and illness reshape her world, her love for a Belgian soldier—and the responsibility that comes with it—threaten to hold her back.
Thoughts
This book had been sitting on my shelf since it was published in 2023. My excuse is that I hadn’t clicked with the author’s other book, The Dictionary of Lost Words, so I was apprehensive to start this one. Although I enjoyed it a bit more than the other book, it still fell flat for me. I was drawn in by the premise, but disappointed in the execution. I am happy that I gave each of these books a try, but I will be passing this one on, too.
★★★☆☆
☊ Listening to this via audiobook was nice. Narrator Annabelle Tudor did a fine job, but the story and listening experience sadly felt dry to me.
Question
Have you ever tried or considered trying bookbinding?