Wow, she can write! I’ve enjoyed Brooks’ other two novels – March and Year of Wonders, so I expected to like this – and I was hooked as soon as I met Hanna. She’s a much more likable character than the pious Mr. March, really, even if Geraldine Brooks does render him sympathetically.

The device of using artifacts – in this case items found in the Hagaddah – works well here. The big question is, “will the characters know what we know?” Or maybe it’s, “do they need to?” Either way, it’s fun to follow the whole set of journeys. And, unlike so many books with a Jewish historical theme, this one isn’t terribly depressing. That’s a definite plus for me.