I LOVED this book! The novel tells the story of the journey of a rare illuminated manuscript through centuries of exile and war. Priceless and beautiful, the book is the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, and is one of the earliest Jewish volumes ever to be illuminated with images. We meet Dr. Hanna Heath, an Australian rare book conservationist who has been tasked by the United Nations with the job of preparing the book for exhibit. Hanna is part museum curate and part history spy. Through her examination, she discovers a series of tiny artifacts in its ancient binding--an insect wing fragment, wine stains, salt crystals, a white hair--she begins to unlock the book's mysteries. The reader is ushered into an exquisitely detailed and atmospheric past, tracing the book's 500 year journey from its salvation back to its creation. I was completely captivated by the story and storytelling skill of Geraldine Brooks.