Hanna

I think the things the botanist said about Hanna are very true and describe her accurately so far. She can't be called loose, true, but in a way, she is cold and indifferent.
She dumped the botanist because he was getting serious about what he thought to be an actual relationship. Hanna took it lightly and it ended up falling apart. As Hanna admits, she only wants something light and fun, to fill extra time. I guess that also has to do with the work she does. She is so immersed in her work that nothing else really matters to her. I can't say I like that about her.
I can't really argue that she is not passionate enough to take life seriously, because she takes her work more seriously than most of the people I know. I guess it is safe to say that she is passionate only about certain things. Her relationship with her mother is also interesting. As if her mother is just another trifle matter in her life that she does not have time for, or does not want to deal with.
So far, I have not been able to relate to her directly, let’s see what happens.

Hanna

My favorite character is Hanna. I think her job is very interesting, and she is a very interesting person. She is very detached from her mother. Her mother wanted her to be a doctor like she is . But when Hanna took a different path the two of them really parted ways. Hanna is very good at what she does, and she travels all over the world. Hanna is a very practical person, and does not see a use for many things a woman her age would want. Hanna doesn't need a husband or doesn't even seem to want a family. She just wants to research and restore ancient texts. She has also gone to great lengths to learn about how books were made. I think Hanna is a little obsessive compulsive about her work. She likes to have things a certain way, and she is thrown off when just the littlest thing is off. Like when Hanna first went to look at the Haggadah and there was a lot of security guards around, she felt very uncomfortable.

Aimee- Week One: Character (Lola)

My favorite character so far in the book has been Lola. She is only fifteen yet has experienced so much in life. When her father, mother, sister, and aunt are taken from her, she escapes her own death and heads to the mountains. There she joins a rebel group. She is very courageous in doing so because if she were to get caught, she could be killed. She cares greatly for the boys and the little girl in her group. She puts her skills to use and treats the wounded, does the laundry to prevent disease, and makes sure the mule is taken care of. When the group is disband, she returns home, after witnessing the death of her friend and his little sister. She is greatly shaken up, yet finds peace in the home of a caring Muslim couple, where they teach her a lot she never knew. It eventually gets too dangerous for them to keep hiding her, so they move her to a farm house at the bottom of the mountain. Lola is a caring, responsible, mature, smart, and strong person because of her experiences during the war.

Week One!

Welcome to Week 1 of our Discussion. This discussion will last from Monday, February 23rd to Sunday, March 1.

This week's discussion is on Character. Please POST a 10 sentence comment on character. Don't forget to comment on 5 other posts on this blog. You have all week to complete this assignment, but don't wait until the last minute!!!

ARE YOU GOING TO READ THIS BOOK?

ARE YOU GOING TO READ THIS BOOK?

If so, please comment on this post with your name and hr and answer the following 2 questions by Monday, February 2nd.

1. Why do you want to read this?
2. How are you going to acquire the book?

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to 3rd quarter OR. The book being discussed on this blog is People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. Following is a brief description of the book.

Adult/High School -Hanna Heath, an Australian book conservationist, is thrilled to be chosen to work on the rare illuminated Haggadah created in Spain in the Middle Ages. The book had been protected in a museum in Sarajevo until 1994, when it was rescued from certain plunder during the Bosnian conflict and hidden in a bank vault by a Muslim librarian. Hanna is as eager to learn and preserve the mysterious history of the codex as she is to restore the manuscript. How did it come to be illustrated, a practice believed to have been forbidden by Jewish law? What is the meaning of the wine stain, the hair, the insect wing, and the salt crystals? The author uses these artifacts to weave a thrilling tale of the unusual creation of the Haggadah in Seville in 1480 and its dangerous journey to Tarragona, Venice, Vienna, and finally Sarajevo. It is a story of the Inquisition and wars, and the enlightenment or ignorance of the men and women who would save or destroy this brilliant treasure. Integrated into these compelling vignettes is Hanna's own story: her passion for her work, her unhappy relationship with her mother, and her bittersweet love affair. Sophisticated teens will appreciate Hanna's sarcastic, witty observations, which mask a vulnerable lack of confidence. The mystery of the codex and the forensic examinations are intriguing and will keep readers eagerly awaiting the next revelation. Inspired by the true story of the Sarajevo Haggadah, Brooks has imagined a thrilling mystery and a history that has deep ramifications in our own time.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/People-of-the-Book/Geraldine-Brooks/e/9780143115007/?itm=1