The Bookbinder of Jericho is a wonderful and captivating story of sisterhood, aspirations and opportunity. Pip Williams weaves a story between ‘town’ (the workers) and ‘gown’ (the scholars); centred on twin sisters, Peg and Maude Jones, who work in the book bindery and set against the backdrop of WW1 and the effects of the war in Oxford.

Williams' story perfectly balances elements of history, romance, aspiration, class and wealth divide; alongside the hardships, heartbreaks and trauma of war. It's a story of resilient women. And the literary references throughout and Peg's love of books will resonate with all booklovers.

I missed my bus stop I was so immersed in the story! And I was thinking about the characters in between. 🚌📚🫣

If you loved The Dictionary of Lost Words then you will definitely love Williams' new book. The Bookbinder of Jericho beautifully complements The Dictionary of Lost Words, which is a book I enjoyed but didn't love at the time. I had felt there were more stories to tell of the many wonderful characters Williams introduced and I had wanted more at the time I read it. I plan to reread The Dictionary of Lost Words! And here's hoping there are more books to come.

Thanks to #netgalley and @affirmpress for the e-ARC in return for an honest review.

I have some mixed feelings about this book. I loved the setting and the premise. It was a unique look at a specific population that has been underrepresented in the history of WWI. However, I didn't really like Peg, the main character. She's dissatisfied with her lot in life, and understandably so, but she treats her friends and loved ones poorly because of her frustration. Her friend Gwen benefits from the systemic sexism in society but Peg doesn't have to be so mean or angry at Gwen. The book is also longer than I felt it needed to be. I was having trouble staying interested until the end. I loved Tilda's character and would love to have seen more off her and Maude. This is very well-written and researched, despite my few complaints.