I thoroughly enjoyed the dictionary of lost words so was delighted to be given a chance to read this second book, although I found it a little slow getting into the story I’m glad I took my time to enjoy it. A very well researched and interesting story which keeps you engaged throughout, highly recommended

What a great book. Even better than the Dictionary of Lost Words!

I was initially sceptical about it, and was wondering whether it was lazy writing to basically use the same research for two books. However, if you enjoyed the previous book, the world building element is delightful, the gentle crossover with previous characters is enjoyable and the story is definitely different enough (better!). I would read it again and will be buying a nice copy when it comes out.

A powerful and moving story set in Oxford at the time of the fist world war. The story unfolds through the eyes of a young woman who, with her twin sister, collates, folds and binds books. Although identical in looks the girls have very different outlooks on life and ambitions for the future. One twin is content to fold papers and live by routine. The other, Peggy, takes every opportunity to read snippets of the books that pass through her work station and dreams of becoming a student at the university despite the social barriers that she would have to overcome.

The social aspects of working life for women before, during and after the war are exposed through the experiences of the characters portrayed. The war provides opportunities for both sisters through the opportunities it provides and the relationships they build whilst retaining a strong sisterly bond.

The publishing house, canal boat where the sisters live, the colleges and temporary hospitals are each described in rich detail. There is depth to the characters with underlying themes of class, gender, the impact of war, death and love. It was a real pleasure to read this book.

Having enjoyed The Dictionary of Lost Words, I was pleased to have the opportunity to read The Bookbinder of Jericho.

This new novel by Pip Williams is similar in style and tone to her first book. A gentle, historical story with lots of detail about the publishing process in Oxford during the First World War. I took a little while to get properly into the story but was gripped fairly quickly. I enjoyed the focus on women, similar to the author’s first book, which was a refreshing take on this period of history.

I think anyone who enjoyed the first of these books will enjoy this second too.

I do love a bit of historical fiction and this did not disappoint. Based during the world war, Peggy and Maude are twin sisters who work in a bindery. Peggy has put her life on hold to care for her sister and has put her dreams away.

This is a tale of love, family, dreams and war. There’s heartbreak, happiness, romance and everything in between.

I loved the characters, they had real depth and were very likeable.

The storyline was strong and it kept me hooked throughout.

Overall a lovely, enjoyable read.

I loved this book, it was so refreshing to read a book about Oxford that was from the 'town' not 'gown' point of view and that showed the real differences between the haves and have nots of the city even before the question of women's rights in the 1910s comes into play.
It was also refreshing to see a different WW1 home front, how the question of the Belgian refugees played out long term and also how disabled soldiers were treated during the war too.
I did roll my eyes very gently at the inclusion of Vera Brittain as a fleeting character but WIlliams cleverly wove her story into the novel in an oblique fashion so I forgave this.
I've not read "The Dictionary of Lost Words" and I liked how this was a companion piece to that and not a sequel.

Peggy and Maude are 2 twin sisters who live on a barge “Calliope” and work in the book bindery in the town of Jericho, a suburb of Oxford. The book is set, before, during, and after the 1st world war, at a time, not only of great political turmoil but also the beginning of the emancipation of women under the guidance of Emmeline Pankhurst leader of the suffragettes in Britain and in this respect one of the most important figures in modern British history.

The work of a “binder” is exactly as it sounds. Maude and Peggy spend each day cataloging/numbering pages before binding them into the complete book. Peggy in particular has a lifelong love of the written word, and the power of reading, indeed their home on the barge is adorned with reject bindery books. Peggy has ambition to attend Somerville College Oxford which was created for women when universities refused them entry, and for people of diverse beliefs when the establishment religion was widely demanded. However this is a time when the evil ambition of a war hungry Germany spread its tentacles deep into Europe and when the countries of Belgium and France are threatened England rises to Kitchner’s call to arms.

Rather than view the 1st world war through events on the battlefield we the reader are shocked by stories of soldiers sent to recover and recuperate at English hospitals. Volunteers were needed to alleviate the increasing workload and suffering and it was in one such a location that Peggy met “Bastiaan” a Belgium soldier badly wounded both mentally and physically……”I’m begging. Look at me. Look at me. Look at me……I looked. A graft of skin from forehead to jaw, more like vellum than tripe. It had been scraped and stretched and stitched to the good skin around it. But there was no bone to shape it and where the eye should have been there was just a hole”...........

This is a superb, informative and highly emotional read with a young, attractive headstrong heroine, through Peggy the author expertly explores issues of the time pertaining to women, their emancipation, and right not only to vote but to have good education. The relationship between Peggy and a very damaged Bastiaan highlights the futility and carnage that was the 1st world war……”German people are not my enemy, Peggy. But there are some who have used their language like a weapon, to share the evil of their thoughts”........”Lovers were proposing, fathers were passing on pocket watches and sage advice, mothers were knitting thick socks and vest (they might not be able to protect their boys from the Hun, but they sure as hell could protect them from the cold)”........

Many thanks to the publishers for an early copy, highly recommended.

This book about Peggy, and her twin sister Maude who work as bookbinders when most of the men have gone off to fight in WW1 should have been right up my street. Somehow, sadly I could not connect to it. In my opinion there is far too much description of how the bookbinding process actually works, it’s very technical. Folding, sorting, stitching, cutting, aligning, more folding - it was overkill. I recognise that this process in printing and binding books is a dying art, if it even still exists in that form. I found it slowed down the narrative to almost a standstill, and I found myself reluctant to go back to the book for that reason. The story seemed to be going round in circles at one stage, and not moving forward at all.
I found it hard to connect to Peggy, I didn’t get much sense of her, apart from as her twin Maude’s carer, as Maude has special needs.
The contrast between how men were regarded, and how women were treated, in the time of the suffragettes’ birth rise to prominence, was interesting. I just wish the story had moved forward at a slightly faster pace.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

I loved this book so much. For starters, I turned down the opportunity to work at a bookbindery to work in libraries instead. I could really relate to a number of the themes in this book. Being a carer to a neurodiverse child and a single mother like the main character’s mum. I related to Peggy’s wish for education to better her life and the struggle this was to achieve and with her social standing as well as the choice between children and family and education and asserting her voice in the world as a person and a woman. This is the type of book I would want to read in my book group as I have so much to say about it and a great need to discuss and share. I will be recommending it and I think most people will really enjoy this novel. The characters were very well put together and so was the main story and smaller threads that run throughout. Some aspects were hard to read about and it linked to current affairs, like the situation in Ukraine. It’s a great book for carers. It highlights disabilities both physical and otherwise, and class issues and feminism, Amazing book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this gentle gem of a book set in Oxford
University and town I was quickly entranced and wanted to follow the girls story
I loved the fact that one of the main characters was different she was seen repeating sentences she had heard around her a symptom called echolalia common with Autistic people .Her diagnosis was not made clear and this was entirely appropriate to the historical period when young women like her would either have been looked after as in our story by family or sadly would have been committed to mental asylums
The issue of bright poor girls and education in the early years of the 20th century and through the First World War was covered beautifully.I loved the way the book bindery of her workdays became the source of reading material which allowed her to educate herself Her initial failure to gain a place in the women’s college of the university surprised me
I found the book a gentle relaxing life affirming read
I read an early copy on NetGalley uk the book is published in the uk on 1st August 2023 by Random House uk vintage
This review will be published on Goodreads NetGalley uk and my book blog bionicsarahsbooks.Wordpress.com

Peggy and her sister Maude work in a bookbindery in Oxford. WW1 is looming and suddenly their lives are about to be turned upside down.

I was immersed in this book from page one. The setting, the characters and the plot were beautifully written. If you adore books you are in for a treat. Peggy’s love of books is explored in such glorious detail - the smell, the feel, the words..and her burning desire to do more than simply bind them but to study them has you rooting for her throughout.

The horrors of war are not shied away from and although the book is difficult to read in parts, the strength of the community and the bonds of friendship make this book a highly recommended read.

This was such a lovely detailed book that takes you on a heart-warming journey. The characters are incredibly well written and you can't help but root for them and hope for a happy ending. I could also tell how well researched this was and it is amazing seeing how far the world and treatment of women has come (although of course there are still major problems) yet Peg and Maude are incredibly resilient. Overall this was an amazing book and I highly recommend.

The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams

A brilliant tale for lovers of anything to do with books , a real insight as well.
Set during ww1 and in Oxford we meet Peg and Maude who are twins with Maude having a disability.
We learn of the struggles of both sisters with living and working during this time alongside those of women generally who were expected to take on the roles of men at war , the beginning of rights of women to do with voting and also those seen to have a disability and how society see them and treats them.
A fascinating story all round .

The Bookbinder of Jericho’ is an unusual and memorable exploration of the effects of the First World War on those who fought, those who were left behind, and those who became displaced because of it. At its centre is Peggy, a young bookbinder working for the OUP. Her days are monotonous enough – it would appear that bookbinding is a relatively simple skill which calls for precision and deft hands above all else. However, Peggy is also a book lover and she takes any opportunity to read what she is binding and to secrete spoilt copies in her ever-growing library on the barge which she and her twin sister Maude call home.
Pip Williams’ portrayal of bookbinding is fascinating in itself. However, she also explores women’s rights, the British class system, patriotism and, of course, the fallout of war in this engaging and thought-provoking narrative. Whilst Peggy and her sister, Maude are at the centre of the novel, Williams also gives us a cast of memorable characters, not least Bastiaan, Peggy’s Belgian architect refugee lover whose goal is to help rebuild Belgian after the war. She recognises that, ‘It had animated him, this idea of repair, and I knew as he spoke of it that he would need it to fully recover.’ Over the course of the story, Peggy learns to question all that she has taken for granted and accept some things that she has not.
As Peggy so astutely recognises: ‘As soon as someone cracks the spine, a book develops a character all of its own. What impresses or concerns one reader is never the same as what impresses or concerns all others.’ So it will be with ‘The Bookbinder of Jericho’: whether it be the development of women’s education, attitudes to war, how the disabled are treated, or the position of refugees, there is much to engage readers in Williams’ second novel whether or not they have read her first.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Vintage for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

An excellent read, although I was slow getting into it, unable to quite get the folding and gathering of the pages in the bindery! As a historical novel it has been well researched and is informative about aspects of the 1914-18 War and the Suffrage movement. The cast of characters are endearing and believable, easy to get invested in. How much we take for granted now and how different life was for women then. I loved Peggy’s story, her love of words and her long thwarted ambition ant the interplay of the relationship with her sister Maude. One to recommend.

A wonderful story based on actual events. What a lot I learned about making books in the days before mechanisation! Great believable characters and the awfulness of WW1 told from the perspective of ordinary women left behind to get on with things. This book brings home the divides in society at that time - between the educated ‘upper class’ and those who should know their place ; men who make the rules and women who cannot challenge them ; Belgian refugees fleeing the horrors of war and English people who resent them - but throughout, the love and decency of ordinary people shines through. Peggy and Maude will stay with me for a long time and I will now look at old books with a new appreciation.

The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams is a beautifully written tale of resilience, friendship, and the power of words during the tumultuous times of World War I. Peggy, along with her twin sister Maude and their friends in the bookbindery at Oxford University Press, must step up to shoulder the burden left behind by the men who have gone to the Western Front. Despite her dreams of studying and her deep love for books, Peggy must navigate societal expectations and limitations as she finds herself torn between her responsibilities and her own desires.

Williams masterfully portrays the struggles and triumphs of women from different walks of life, from volunteer nurses to refugees, who come together during the war. The book is a poignant exploration of the choices and sacrifices that women had to make during a time of upheaval and change. The prose is rich, evocative, and filled with a deep appreciation for the written word. The characters are vividly drawn and their stories are intricately woven together, creating a compelling narrative that draws readers into Peggy's world.

The Bookbinder of Jericho is a beautifully crafted historical novel that captures the challenges and complexities of women's lives during a pivotal moment in history. Williams' writing is immersive, tender, and thought-provoking, and readers will be captivated by Peggy's journey as she navigates love, loss, and the power of storytelling. This book is a must-read for historical fiction fans and anyone who appreciates the enduring significance of books and the stories they hold.

Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read this book. I enjoyed it immensely.
Set in the years around the first world war, this is the story of Peggy and her identical twin sister, Maude. Peggy has always been restricted by Maude’s needs for care and supervision, especially since their mother’s death. The girls work for a publisher in Oxford – very much town, not gown.
The onset of the war brings new opportunities for women, and both Peggy and Maude are able to take advantage of these in their own ways. There’s the sadness of seeing young men they’ve known all their lives heading off to the front, but also the chance to take on new roles.
There are other women here, too. Lotte is a Belgian refugee, who offers them both new freedoms. Gwen is a student at Oxford who takes Peggy on as a “project”. Their friend Tilda is a VAD, writing back from hospital at the front. The war is always there. There are women who offer support to Peggy’s aspirations of a bigger life – and women who try to bring her back down to their level. Peggy’s battle is against sexism, and classism, and against her own internalised fear of change. Women’s experience of war has traditionally been passed over, but Pip Williams has obviously immersed herself in the literature and history of the period. This book feels well-researched, but never weighed down by it. It just feels that these are authentic voices.
The ending is very satisfying. I found that last scene immensely moving. Well worth a read.

I found this to be quite a slow read. I felt both Peggy and Maude were held back by each other. I enjoyed Maude and her friendship with Lotte.

The history of the Belgiums in England during World War One was interesting. I found the reactions once the war had ended were harsh. There is a lot of history from around the war, which I enjoyed, it was well researched.

The writing style was different from what I normally read. I'm not sure if I totally enjoyed it. It just didn't flow well and felt clunky.

Loved the history shared. I just didn't love the delivery

A book about books, about the making of books to be more precise, set during WWI. A lovely historical fiction novel set in Oxford, focused mainly on female characters and the female wartime experience.

The story centres around twin sisters Peggy and Maude who work at the Clarendon Press during the First World War in the “women’s side”, gathering and folding book pages. Peggy takes on caring responsibility for her sister after their Ma passes away and the girls work side by side at the press until the war breaks out and new challenges and characters enter their lives.

Peggy dreams of becoming a “gown” and being able to read and study the books instead of folding them, but feels bound by her care for her sister. We follow her story to find happiness and fulfilment throughout the book. Meanwhile their family friend leaves the country to become a VAD and the book is interspersed with letters from her which document a different perspective of wartime than that on the home front. I liked that women were the forefront of the story and although there was a romance plot it was much more centred on sisterhood and friendship.

I found this an easy book to get into and enjoyed following the development of the characters, but I did find the second half of the book quite slow in comparison to the first. Overall I would recommend to any fans of wartime historical fiction.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.