The Bookbinder of Jericho

By: Pip Williams

Narrated by: Pippa Bennett-Warner

Brought to you by Penguin.

What is lost when knowledge is withheld?

Oxford, 1914. When the the young men are drawn away to fight, it is the women who must keep going. Twin sisters Peggy and Maude work in the bindery at Oxford University Press in Jericho. Peggy is intelligent, ambitious and dreams of studying - but is often reminded that her job is to bind the books, not read them. Maude, meanwhile, is extraordinary and vulnerable. She wants nothing more than what she has, and Peggy must watch over her.

When refugees arrive from devastated Belgium, it sends ripples through the community and through the sisters' lives. Peggy begins to see the possibility of another future: one where she can use her intellect and not just her hands. But as war and illness reshape her world, it is love, and the responsibility that comes with it, that threaten to hold her back . . .

Evocative, subversive and rich with unforgettable characters, The Bookbinder of Jericho is a story about women and knowledge: who gets to make it, who gets to use it, and what is lost when it is withheld . . .

©2023 Pip Williams(P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

A compelling story, beautifully told and full of vibrant characters. It's such a vivid and moving account of how the war brought not only horror and deprivation, but for some - especially women - new freedoms and opportunities which they were reluctant to give up once the fighting had ended. I absolutely loved it!

What a charming, original and beautifully researched historical novel. It nails the problems facing female ambition in a man's world a century ago in such a vivid way that it speaks to us still

'A wonderful book, whose vividly-drawn characters tell the story of a pivotal period in women's history as they work behind the scenes in the bindery of the Oxford University Press. I could almost smell the ink and hear the whisper of the pages being folded, as the novel followed their traumas and their triumphs against the harrowing backdrop of the First World War.'

An immersive and compelling tale ... Williams is a fresh, exciting new voice in historical fiction. I can't wait to see what she does next

A compelling, beautifully written homage to the transformational power of books, set against the tragic backdrop of the First World War.

Confident and considered ... Williams fully inhabits the world of the bindery and it shows - there's hardly a page out of place

Vibrant, socially astute historical fiction, it's laden with details sure to enthral bibliophiles

[An] enjoyable, richly detailed novel

This is the kind of book you want to savour... A gorgeous read

Spellbinding

Very interesting story beautifully told.

Very interesting story about the war and the role of women in the process of making books at that time. Loved it.

Amazing story, Stunning performance

An absolute joy to listen to in all aspects. A book I will listen to again…and again.