People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

I recently finished People of the Book, which has been sitting on my shelf since it came out on hardcover. I remember grabbing it up immediately because I loved Year of Wonders, but then I heard several bad reviews and ended up putting it off. I should have ignored the reviews and given it a shot then because it turned out to be just the kind of book I enjoy.
It is the story of a rare book expert who is hired to conserve a Hebrew manuscript written in the fifteenth century. As she studies the book she finds mysterious clues about where it has been.  The story then follows the book's journey from person to person who took care of it.  I enjoyed each time period and the characters that were created for each story. The contemporary story about Hanna, the book expert, wasn't quite as good. This book is full of history and gives interesting background on the relationships of the Jewish and Muslim people. Very good-4.5/5