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The Bookbinder of Jericho

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The Bookbinder of Jericho

By: Pip Williams
Narrated by: Annabelle Tudor
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About this listen

In 1914, when the war draws the young men of Britain away to fight, it is the women who must keep the nation running. Two of those women are Peggy and Maude, twin sisters who work in the bindery at Oxford University Press in Jericho. Peggy is intelligent, ambitious and dreams of going to Oxford University, but for most of her life she has been told her job is to bind the books, not read them. Maude, meanwhile, wants nothing more than what she has. She is extraordinary but vulnerable. Peggy needs to watch over her.

When refugees arrive from the devastated cities of Belgium, it sends ripples through the community and the sisters' lives. Peggy begins to see the possibility of another future where she can use her intellect and not just her hands, but as war and illness reshape her world, it is love, and the responsibility that comes with it, that threatens to hold her back.

2023, ARA Historical Novel Prize, Long-listed

2024, Indie Book Awards Fiction, Short-listed

2024, Australian Book Industry Award (ABIA) General Fiction Book of the Year, Winner

2024, BookPeople (formerly ABA) Book of the Year Award Adult Fiction, Short-listed

©2023 Pip Williams. Originally published in by Affirm Press. (P)2023 Bolinda Publishing 20th Century Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction World War I Heartfelt Thought-Provoking War

Critic Reviews

"I’ve longed to return to Williams’ distinctive blend of riveting historical detail and brilliant women. The Bookbinder of Jericho is everything I wanted and more." (Toni Jordan, author of Addition)

"An extraordinary work of poetic grace and raw beauty that will enfold readers in its powerful and moving narrative. A stunning companion to The Dictionary of Lost Words." (Karen Brooks, author of The Good Wife of Bath)

"Rich, deep and fascinating, it’s what all novels should be – a companion for life." (Tegan Bennett Daylight, author of Safety and Bombora)
All stars
Most relevant  

I think Pip Williams and Geraldine Brooks both find the untold important stories that come from a time before our generation, giving voice to the usually silenced participants. Thank you for honouring their perspective and introducing us to behind the scenes experiences they were likely to have experienced.

Powerful, perspective driven story

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A beautiful, meaningful story that will stay with you. Annabelle Tudor inhabits the characters and captures the brilliant voices Pip has written.

Beautiful

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Brilliant I have learnt so much about the breakdown of the class structure post WW1 from this riveting story. Fitted so well with The dictionary of lost words

Brilliantly written

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Interesting, believable characters in a fascinating time and location. Wonderful historical information about book binding and the First World War. Beautifully performed.

A delight of a book.

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My mind wanderers sometimes as I listen to my Audiobook. In this case never. I’m going to revisit this wonderful story to note the authors lines and wisdom.

Enthralling

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Such an enjoyable book. I loved the characters and how gently, but powerfully their stories came out. If you loved Dictionary, you’ll love this!!

Best of 2023 so far!

Fantastic

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I enjoyed the characters, the story, the narration and the history of bookbinding, the canal boats, WW1 and the suffragette movement.

Loved this book

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A beautifully written book about an experience of WW1 through the eyes of a girl. It is light, multifaceted, historical and gentle. It helps fill the gaps of our collective historical knowledge. Annabelle Tudor does a great job in making Peggy likeable but real. We need more stories about the hidden lives of women and girls in history.

A Joy to Read

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I didn’t think I would enjoy an audiobook as much as I did the Dictionary of Lost Words, but Pip has done it again with a wonderful story, and Annabelle has narrated it to perfection.

Another great from Pip

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I loved the story, the history and all the key characters and I especially loved the relationships between the women.

The reader was excellent! The story was enchanting.

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