Comment

Jul 20, 2014DanglingConversations rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
The plot is strung together like a series of short stories, and as with that format, often there is an implication of complexity that is not spelled out. The short stories which tell how the found evidence, butterfly wing, hair, etc, always felt incomplete to me. There was no link to how the book might have travelled around Europe through the milenia. This is an interesting look into the science of book binding and preservation of old manuscripts but the protagonist and her conflicted relationship with her mother detract from the gravity of the subject and the tragedy of racism throughout the ages. Not an engaging read, but worth a quick browse because of its technical background.