A book conservator is trying to find the human story behind a very rare haggadah as she is restoring it physically.

There really is a Sarajevo haggadah, and it really was saved during the bombing of Sarajevo in the 90s.

As someone who loves books, any books, and who appreciates the rare artistry and history of ancient books, I found the story to be very interesting.

I like how Brooks wove the history of the haggadah into the modern plot, going further and further back in time with each chapter.

Something I realized as I was reading--and I knew this already; I don't know why I forget it--is that the persecution of Jews always repeats itself. I mean, they suffered in every century, at the hands of various religious and ethnic groups. This is a people that has been through hell, and yet through it all, they keep the faith. Amazing!

The book's journey from country to country, person to person, was far more interesting than the contemporary plot, in which the main character fights with her mother, gets involved in an on/off relationship with a guy, and has a stupid mystery to solve at the very end.