I think the mark of a good book is that when you finish reading it, you can't get it out of your mind. The People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks definitely is a good book, and more. It's a haunting, mesmerizing and beautifully written story about the Sarajevo Haggadah.A haggadah is a book of Jewish rites and the Sarajevo Haggadah was written in Spain before the exile of Jews from there in 1492. One of the things that makes this particular haggadah so unique is that it is richly illustrated, which was against Jewish beliefs of the time. Also, the fact that it survived at all is no small miracle. It is known that the haggadah went from Spain to Venice, and then to Vienna before landing in Sarajevo. Twice, it was rescued by Muslim librarians--once during World War II and again during the Bosnian War. Brooks fills in the gaps with an incredible tale that combines historical fact, customs of the day, and her moving fictional characters.People of the Book opens in 1996 when Australian rare book conservator, Dr. Hanna Heath, is tapped by the UN to conserve and restore the famous Haggadah. The things she discovers (an insect wing, a salt stain, a red blotch, a priest's signature, and a hair fragment) will allow Brooks to travel back in history to relate the story of how they came about. Throughout history, the book survives as a witness to the "Inquisition, Nazis, extremist Serb nationalists." Heath is also forced to evaluate and restore her personal life, as she assess the things that are truly important to her and then makes choices that support these values. The combination of Heath's professional and personal revelations provides us with a surprising and heart-warming ending.I especially enjoyed the history associated with People of the Book. I didn't realize how many times in history, Christians, Jews and Muslims lived in relative peace. When Spain expelled the Jews, Venice and Bosnia gave them a home. The Sarajevo Haggadah is a book that transcends all three religions. The Muslim librarian who saved the book during the Bosnian War tells Heath "the haggadah came to Sarajevo for a reason. It was here to test us, to see if there were people who could see that what united us was more than what divides us. That to be a human being matters more than to be a Jew or a Muslim, Catholic or Orthodox."I became a big fan of Geraldine Brooks when I first read Year of Wonders, and then March. Now, People of the Book just reaffirms Brooks' talents as a writer of historic fiction.