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In the spirit of her previous books, Geraldine Brooks explores the roots of cross-cultural convergence and divergence. Richly imagined but based on fact, People of the Book covers details from the most terrible times of religious intolerance, from the Inquisition to the Nazis, while revealing an enduring humanity. Interweaving Hanna's story with flashbacks, Brooks builds drama and suspense. While critics praised the compelling plot, many disagreed about the narrative structure. Some thought that

In the spirit of her previous books, Geraldine Brooks explores the roots of cross-cultural convergence and divergence. Richly imagined but based on fact, People of the Book covers details from the most terrible times of religious intolerance, from the Inquisition to the Nazis, while revealing an enduring humanity. Interweaving Hanna's story with flashbacks, Brooks builds drama and suspense. While critics praised the compelling plot, many disagreed about the narrative structure. Some thought that Brooks seamlessly tied together the Haggadah's and Hanna's stories (including her romantic entanglement), while others considered the young woman's story too contrived. Despite this tidy structure, the stories Brooks tells "passionately affirm the enduring values of tolerance, compassion, inclusion and diversity" (Chicago Tribune)