The book follows Peggy, a bookbinder, during WWI in England. She has a twin sister who lives wth her and works with her as a bookbinder. Peggy always dreamt of more but she never felt it was possible. But her life and everyone's begin to change with the war and the arrival of refugees from Belgium.

This book felt more than anything a slice of life story. We follow Peggy intimately; we know her every thought, her ambition, her fears, and her loves. But we don't really follow more aside from her point of view; what we see from the war, from the world aside from her point of view is told to her (so, to us) via letters - we don't get to experience, just to be told about it. Peggy is an extremely human character - sometimes, she is frustrating, enfuriating, and stubborn. But others she's sweet, loving, and deeply afraid of not belonging and of not achieving. It's always interesting to follow the type of character that we feel is going to go through a lot of development. But I did feel hers felt incomplete. By the end, I felt a sort of lack about her overall arc. I felt Maude (her sister) was much more dynamic than she was. The book has a really good ensemble of characters even though some of them are pretty one note.

It is important to note that we follow the bookbinding process in excruciating detail. So many details, that sometimes it felt really repetitive. Maybe that was the intention. But I just find it too much.

I did like the romance though. It was really sweet. A touch of melancholy did touch this thread throughout the book. It is an enjoyable read. But I did feel the ending of the book was a little bit more open ended than I usually like.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

Thanks to Random House for this ARC! I rated this 4 stars. It was a fantastic read. I love how it complements the author's first book, while being able to be read as a stand alone novel. Some of my favorite aspects were the numerous strong female characters, each quite unique from the other. And they each carried the flag for a different hefty theme in the book, be it the pursuit of education, autism, suffrage, dealing with trauma and PTSD, war, disfigurement etc.

My one major qualm with this story was that at times I felt like the pace was dragging. I wish it could have been tightened up in some points to keep the story moving along, particularly the parts about Bastien. I really liked him as a character, but he seemed to be an accessory to the main plot at times.

My online review goes into my thoughts more deeply: copied below for ease of access!

Pip Williams is a new author for me this summer, and I’ve really enjoyed her unique take on historical fiction! Both her debut novel, The Dictionary of Lost Words, and her newest book, The Bookbinder, center on the experience of women at the Oxford University Press during WWI. The Bookbinder gives an inside look at the women who helped fold, collate, and combine the printed sheets, while also tackling several challenges and changes happening during the Great War.

We meet Peggy, our main character, who works at the bindery with her twin sister, Maude. Though twins, they have very different personalities and demeanor. Throughout their story of adapting to the changes at the Press, particularly when army enlistments take away a wide swath of men and open up more jobs for women, we meet additional women who enhance the plot. These are strong women, brave and capable, who don’t shy away from what life has dealt them.

I love the many strong women that Pip Williams incorporates into this story! There’s Peggy, who persistently seeks more knowledge and learning, even if it’s just snippets from the books she is folding. As the main character, we readers get to see how she manages her fears and doubts while she bravely pursues her future. She doesn’t shy away from finding her place in the world, whether that be through love, serving others, getting more education, and ultimately facing her deepest fears.

Other strong women we see include Maude, who represents women on the autism spectrum. Through her, we see how she copes and manages to find independence in her life. There’s Lotte, whose nurturing and mothering nature shine through even as she struggles to process the trauma of her hometown’s horrific massacre. We also see Tilda, a character that carries over from Ms. William’s first novel. Even if you read The Bookbinder as a stand-alone story, you can see her character grow from wild and free to one that also shows her compassionate and open-minded facets.

Thanks to her descriptive writing, Ms. Williams crafts a strong mental picture of the Oxford University Press, the town, and the neighboring river. I loved how skillfully she developed the locations that her characters inhabit, and I got a vivid sense of place while I was reading.

This book definitely rates 4 stars for me, a worthy read for any fan of historical fiction! I felt like the one thing holding me back from 5 stars was the occasional slip in pacing. There were moments where it felt slow and even dragging to me. Bastien was a helpful character and foil to Peggy, but their storyline seemed superfluous at times, given the plot’s focus on Peggy’s quest for knowledge. He’s a sympathetic and supportive character, and I enjoyed their interactions, but I think something could have been tightened up there. Along with Bastien, I wondered at times if dealing with so many heavy-hitting topics – war, feminism, disfigurement, trauma, literacy, autism, suffrage – also affected the overall pacing. At times the continuity and pace suffered from trying to tackle all these topics in just one book!

I would definitely recommend The Bookbinder book to anyone who’s a fan of England, the Oxford English Dictionary and Oxford University, historical fiction, and World War I. A lot happened in the span of not many years, indelibly shaping future generations. Thanks to Random House for the advanced copy!

I wanted to love this book. It has all the elements that I normally enjoy. Unfortunately, the pace is so slow that I dragged the second half which made the reading experience not as satisfying as I thought it would be. The characters are very interesting and some of them absolutely charming. The idea is quite original, this binding girl that wants to study at the Oxford University, and become a scholar. A “from town to gown” type of story, with the great war as a background and a love story. But in my opinion the execution failed.

Pip Williams has done it again! The Dictionary of Lost Words was one of my hands down favorites last year and I had high hopes for The Bookbinder and it met them all. I was thrilled to be thrown back into the world of Oxford and the workers of the press, their love of words, stories, and all things books. A beautiful portrait of those left behind during WW1 (largely women) and the work they picked up when a generation of men was lost. Heartfelt, smart, and heartbreaking, I'm officially an enormous Pip Williams fan.

I adored this book! Pip Williams sets this story in Oxford, England during WWI. Twin young women, Peggy and Maude live on a boat and work as bookbinders just as their mother did before she died. They are the Town girls, not the Gown girls who attend university. As their world changes due to the war, Peggy yearns for more in her life: more education, more freedom. She wants to break the cycle and become one who reads the books, not just the one who binds them. Fascinating heart-warming story.

For lovers of historical novels, this is one that must not be missed. Pip Williams, in what has become her gifted style, takes us back to the pre-World War I year as she tells the tale of Peggy, a bookbinder since childhood, and other characters including her identical twin sister who suffers from some form of mental retardation.

If you were fortunate enough to read her previous book, The Dictionary of Lost Words you will be transported back to the same location: Oxford University surroundings on both sides of the river.
If you haven't read it you will not be at a loss as this one stands alone. Williams' deep research of the period is evident in both novels.

The twins' mother has died, leaving Peggy to care for her sister, Maude. The live on a narrowboat filled with books. The books are the rejects from the Oxford Press bindery where both girls work. Peggy has amassed an education by reading these books, possibly an equivalent of a degree in English. When she meets the privileged Gwen, her life changes as Gwen shows her how to access the college library and encourages her to apply to Oxford. As with everything else of the time, everything is more difficult for women.

When the war breaks out, everything changes. There is an influx of war refugees from Belgium, survivors of incredible experiences. Lotte is one who watched the Germans murder her only child.
She is drawn to Maude and Maude responds.

Peggy volunteers to work with Belgian wounded soldiers and meets Bastiaan, who has had part of his face blown off. There are no first-person war descriptions only other people's letters and conversations. Yet you see, feel, hear and smell the scenes in the trenches and the hospitals. They are chilling and real.

Because this is Pip Williams, the status of women and the fight for suffrage plays a most important part of this book. There is also love, romance, grief and insight into Peggy and Maude's symbiotic relationship. There is a look at class differences as well. And if you think the Covid pandemic was bad, wait until you read about the Spanish Flu of 1918.

This is a book that will grab you by the heart and not let go. It's long, but worth every moment of your time.

Having read and enjoyed Pip Williams’ earlier work The Dictionary of Lost Words, I was excited to try her new book—and I was not disappointed. The Bookbinder inhabits the same world as her previous work, but on the “town” side of Oxford, in the bindery of the Oxford University Press. Although a few characters of the earlier book make brief appearances, it only seems to emphasize the almost total separation of the two worlds.

The Bookbinder was both enjoyable and immersive. I feel I was more invested in Peggy’s growth and success than i was in Esme’s in the previous book—perhaps because of her more working class roots. I finished the book in a bit of a book coma, not really ready to leave the world of Peggy, her sister Maude, and the family they created around themselves.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this books.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine Books for gifting me a digital copy of this wonderful historical fiction novel by the author of The Dictionary of Lost Words, Pip Williams - 4.5 stars rounded up!

It is 1914, the war draws the young men of Britain away to fight. Meanwhile, the women must keep the nation running. Peggy and Maude, twin sisters who live on a narrow boat in Oxford and work in the bindery at the university press. Peggy has always been told that her job is to bind the books, not read them, but she reads whenever she can and takes home any rejected books. She dreams of going across the street to Oxford's Somerville College to study in their library. However, she feels responsible for Maude after their mother's death, because Maude has challenges. When Belgium refugees arrive, Peggy's world seems to expand and she sees more possibilities for her life. She falls in love with a wounded Belgian soldier and her dream of Oxford suddenly seems a possibility.

This is another meticulously researched story by the author and will transport you to the past. If you love books (and of course you do!), the bookbinding history is so interesting. But this story focuses on education, its availability depending on class, and its worth. While men are characters in this story, it's the women left behind whose stories are told in this book - and they are fascinating. We see the generosity of souls, the acceptance of others, and always the work behind the scenes that is without glory. Be sure to read the afterword. Highly recommended!

The Bookbinder by Pip Williams tells the story of women from very different backgrounds who come together to work as bookbinders, and then as nurses during World War I. The book explores the class divide between the "town" and the "gown" in Edwardian England, and it shows these women from different worlds coming together to find common ground and friendship.

The book also explores the role of women in the war. Many women took on new roles during the war, and they often had to cross social barriers in order to do so. The book shows how they were able to use their skills and talents to make a difference in the war effort.

"'Every town will have a memorial for the men,’ she said, lifting the pot to pour. ‘But I don’t think there will be one for the women." The contributions of women during World War I were often overlooked. Women were able to make a significant impact on the war effort, and they deserve to be remembered and honored.

The book does a great job of developing its characters. Even the minor characters are well-developed and believable. In an incredibly moving passage, the women of Somerville finally get the recognition they deserve.

The Bookbinder is a story about friendship, courage, and the power of women to make a difference. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in World War I or the history of women's work.

The Dictionary of Lost Words made me an instant fan of Pip Williams. The Bookbinder is another intriguing story. Once again set in Oxford, it is not a sequel but you will enjoy hearing from some of the past characters.

Fans of historical fiction, women fiction or just good storytelling, will enjoy this story of twin sisters working in a book bindery during WWI.

Thanks Ballantine Books and NetGalleyfor this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Readers of the Lost Dictionary of Words will enjoy this companion novel. Based during WWI, this story is about friends, loss and relationships during wartime. The bookbinding details are quite interesting. Peggy and Maude are a treat to get to know.

Pip Williams loves history I can tell because The Bookbinder is full of historical references but I also feel that Williams causes the book to become dry with bland characters and a lacking story.

I was provided a free advanced copy of this book from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I read Pip William's first novel, The Dictionary of Lost Words, and while this one isn't a sequel the stories do overlap. It isn't necessary to have read the other first, although there is a spoiler for that one in this one.
This was a story about sisters, responsibilities, growing, and spreading your wings! It was a slower story, with the main focus being the characters themselves. Peggy is struggling after the death of her mother, and being stuck in the only job she knows while taking care of her twin sister. But as WWI starts, and new opportunities arise, Peggy has to learn to let go, accept help, and trust herself.
I struggled some with the pace of this, and honestly, the likability of Peggy. It was definitely a different time, and she was under so much stress and pressure, but it was a struggle at times to like her. I did appreciate her growth and liked her more at the end than the beginning. Ultimately the growth of all the characters, made this an enjoyable story! If it sounds like something you'd enjoy it is set to be published on Tuesday, 1 Aug.
#TheBookbinder #NetGalley

I had not read [b:The Dictionary of Lost Words|54531937], nor did I realize [b:The Bookbinder|63946934] was a companion to it when I requested it from Netgalley or even when I started reading it. So while I don’t <i>think</i> I’m missing anything by having only read the latter, I can’t be sure. (I am aware that a brief scene in the latter involves the titular Dictionary of woman’s words from the former, and its author is the main character from the former.)

[b:The Bookbinder|63946934] is the story of Peggy, a young woman who works at the bindery at the Oxford University Press, and dreams of someday attending the school instead. But she feels obligated to care for her twin sister Maude, who is a little strange and can’t be trusted to be left on her own. Things change for the bindery girls when the Great War breaks out and Britain’s men go off to fight a war on the continent, not least the influx of Belgian refugees and injured soldiers that are brought to Oxford. Among them Lotte, a quiet librarian who takes a liking to Maude, and Bastiaan, a badly injured soldier who Peggy meets when she volunteers to read to recuperating soldiers.

What follows is a tale of people learning to build bridges across class, gender, language and nationality. It can be quite difficult at times – though we barely see the war, except through letters from a family friend who is serving as a volunteer nurse in France – the war is very much present in Oxford through the brutal descriptions of the soldiers’ injuries, the shell shocked neighbor’s boy when he returns home to visit, the absolute horror the Belgian refugees carry with them every day. And later, the senseless devastation of a flu that killed indiscriminately. But there are opportunities, too – for women to fill in for some of the men’s roles at the press, for Peggy to get to meet Bastiaan.

I deeply enjoyed the detailed, loving descriptions of the process of making books in a time before automated printing. The precision of the folds, careful stitching, and delicate gilding of the soft leather cover. In a time when more and more people read on a screen (guilty!), it’s a love letter to the art of bookmaking - imagination made solid. Even so, I found the beginning a little slow, and it was only once the refugees and the plot began to pick up that I found myself getting pulled in.

[b:The Bookbinder|63946934] by [a:Pip Williams|15290215]
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
📖📚 I deeply felt Peggy’s compulsion to live surrounded by books
⛵️I would read a whole story about the boatmen and women
👩‍🎓 I feel like the fact that Oxford’s women didn’t actually earn degrees was in my brain somewhere, but it shocked me nonetheless
👭Maude’s condition is never entirely explained, but Williams does so much with it.

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

4.5 out of 5 stars! A beautiful sibling to The Dictionary of Lost Words.

The Bookbinder gives a different view of the WWI chapters of The Dictionary of Lost Words. Sisters Peggy and Maud work in the book bindery in Oxford. While identical in appearance, Peggy is sharp and desires more from life while Maude's mind is locked in its childhood. As the war progresses, Peggy is able to improve herself, taking jobs normally reserved for men. The struggle of chasing your own dreams and letting opportunities pass to care for your family is something very close to my heart. It was wonderful watching it play out in literature.

Familiar characters such as Esme, Gareth, and Tilda crop up, looping us into the world of The Dictionary of Lost Words. I love watching the separate views touched on in The Dictionary, the suffragette movement, the Spanish Flu, and the position of women during the 19-teens.

I love Pip Williams's work, and how she utilizes words and phrasing to distinguish individuals' positions in the world. Also her research into the city building and professions of the time. The immersive effect is wonderful. The one complaint I have with Pip Williams's book is that the pacing is questionable. We spend a lot of time during one moment and then skip weeks for no explainable reason.

Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the e-arc of The Bookbinder in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I didn't realize when I saw this book it was the Companion book to Dictionary of Lost Words. I did read that book and enjoyed it. But I have to say I this one I lost interest. Probably because I am definately not a Historical Fiction reader. I tried to over look and found the author researched the history very well.
The characters and discription of things were relatable and if you enjoy historical fiction than definately give this one a try.

There are so many level of goodness that Pip Williams reaches in these pages.

Twins Peggy and Maude are working as bookbinders during the beginning of WWI.
Peggy is struggling with the responsibility she feels towards her sister and her dream of wanting more for herself, at least that’s what she is telling herself.

With a cast of side characters that could each be main characters we see Peggy discovering her true obstacle.

I fell in love with these characters. They are so well fleshed out and made a huge impact on my feelings for this book.

This book is a gift to book lovers, historical fiction fans and reviewers who scream “show me don’t tell me.”

This book was incredibly well written. It really made me sit back and reflect on intelligence and the chances handed to those who are of the "higher class" and the harsh lack of those chances given to those of the "lower class". In this book the author refers to them as the "gowns" and the "towns". The gowns refers to those able to enroll in higher learning.

The two main characters are twin girls, Peggy and Maude. They work at a book bindery where Peggy reads much of the books that she is binding. Maude may look just like Peggy, but she is "special". Peggy gave up schooling many years ago to stay with and take care of Maude. Now she regrets it and possibly resents it. She is given the chance to attend the women's college, but the result could separate her from all she is familiar with.

The book deals with those sentiments while taking us deeply into the happenings on the home front at England during WWI. There really are emotions and probing questions throughout the book. There are also insights into the thoughts and feelings of the war refugees who have arrived in England after watching the invasion and decimation of their homelands. Not only are the characters dealing with the war, but also the breakout of the Spanish Flu.

The Bookbinder woke up my brain at the same time it stirred my heart. A fantastic read!

Thanks to Random House Publishing--Ballantine and NetGalley for the gifted copy.

Courtesy of Random House and Netgalley, I received the ARC of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams. This WWI historical novel is set in Oxford, where the main characters work in bookbinding, live on a canal boat, and typically do not mix with the scholars of the university. In taking in Belgian refugees and wounded soldiers, their lives are changed and broadened. By giving a voice to the women of this era and emphasizing their knowledge of the value of literature, the author personalizes their journeys and changes. Beautifully written, highly recommend!

Another delicious book from Pip Williams! If you enjoyed The Dictionary of Lost Words, you'll want to read her latest. This is not a sequel, but a few friends from the previous book are mentioned.

Peggy and her twin sister Maude work as bookbinders. Peggy, however, would much rather be reading. The houseboat she lives on with Maude is full of rejects from the bindery. Her head is full of lines from books and she longs to attend the local university. Society and her need to care for her sister prevent her from believing in her dream.

The advent of World War I bring changes to her community and the bindery. New friends, romance with a Belgian soldier recovering from war wounds, and the chance to fulfill her dream brings hope as well as challenges for her future.

Though there is a romantic element in this book, female friendships play a major role. Also evident is the class system that hindered Peggy in obtaining the longed-for education. There is plenty of interesting history about WWI, which I find fascinating.

This is one of my favorite reads this year. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.