The follow-up to The Dictionary of Lost Words, The Bookbinder of Jericho sticks to similar themes and to the world of books and words.

“The words used to describe us define our value to society and determine our capacity to contribute. They also” – and again she poked at the translation – ” tell others how to feel about us, how to judge us.”

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Set during the run up to and during WW1, twins Maude and Peggy work in the bindery where they put books together for Oxford University Press. They fold the pages and sometimes stitch the books together but never venture over to the mens’ side where the printing, covering and decorating of books takes place. Peggy reads snippets of the pages she is folding and often takes home those pages and books which are not good enough to pass inspection. In fact the barge where they live is full to the brim with books. But what Peggy really wants to do is become a student of Oxford University, Somerville, near where they live.

Maude is unique, gifted at folding and at life although she has difficulties articulating this. Peggy feels the weight of looking after her and the limitations this poses on her life but as we move through the story it becomes obvious that Peggy is hiding behind Maude and that Maude is much more capable than Peggy wants to admit.

Belgian refugees are brought to Oxford and two become very important to the twins – Bastiaan who was severely injured and Lotte who lost everything including her son. Both struggle to live with what they have witnessed and to find hope but Lotte has an affinity with Maude and teaches her how to cook, how to catalogue the books on the barge and to sing nursery rhymes in french.

The characters are warm and the small community they live in tolerant and so there is a slightly romantic edge to the hardships that people must have suffered during those times. Peggy rails about being born Town rather than Gown but it doesn’t feel heartfelt or passionate. It is quite sad that she had to make the decision about whether to get married or to study but I am sure that is true. You couldn’t have it all in 1919/20.

The book is structured around five important books that Peggy worked on and that was fascinating. The books related to the section that they headed, for example ‘A Book of German Verse’ which originally started off as ‘The Oxford Book of German Verse’ was very controversial at the time and the word Oxford was removed from the title when it was published. It heads the section where there was turbulence, people started to wonder if they were being told the truth about the war and Peggy believes that she couldn’t ever get ino the university. This is a really interesting way to structure a book and I enjoyed that.

Love, loss, learning and loyalty all play their part in this story and I did devour it in two sittings but it didn’t have the pull of the first book for me with its fantastic word play and humour.

I think this book is going to be one that some people love and others find isn’t quite as deep and meaningful as it could be. Not unlike Lessons in Chemistry in our book club.