ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pip Williams is an Australian author and social researcher. She’s best known for her breakout novels, The Dictionary of Lost Words (2020) and The Bookbinder of Jericho (2023). Born in London, she moved to Sydney at age three. Williams later studied science, psychology, and sociology before earning a PhD in public health from the University of Adelaide.
Before turning to fiction, she co-authored Time Bomb: Work, Rest and Play in Australia Today. Her writing draws on deep historical research. She’s celebrated for reviving forgotten voices and exploring emotional themes with grace.
THE BOOKBINDER OF JERICHO – SYNOPSIS
Set during World War I, The Bookbinder of Jericho is a moving book about ambition, sisterhood, and the power of stories. The novel follows twin sisters, Peggy and Maude, who work in the bindery at Oxford University Press. Their job is to fold printed sheets that will become books. But Peggy wants more from life.
The sisters live on a canal boat named Calliope, which belonged to their mother. Peggy hoards discarded pages and reads in secret. She dreams of studying at Oxford, even though society, money, and her duty to Maude stand in the way. Maude has a mild intellectual disability and echolalia, and Peggy feels responsible for her.
As the war unfolds, Oxford fills with refugees. Peggy befriends Lotte, a former librarian, and Bastiaan, a wounded soldier. These new friendships inspire her to take action. Gwen, a privileged Oxford student, encourages her to apply to Somerville College, one of the few colleges open to women.
The novel explores Peggy’s internal struggle. She wants to pursue education but worries about abandoning Maude. The arrival of Tilda, a suffragist family friend, adds to the tension. Letters from the front and the spread of the Spanish flu raise the stakes. In the end, Peggy must decide what kind of future she wants—and what she’s willing to give up to get there.
WHAT MAKES THE BOOKBINDER OF JERICHO STAND OUT
What makes The Bookbinder of Jericho one of the best books to read this year is its honest look at ambition and quiet resistance. Pip Williams draws a vivid picture of Oxford—not its famous university halls, but its folding rooms and forgotten workers.
The metaphor at the heart of the book is powerful. Women like Peggy bind stories they’re not allowed to own. They stay invisible while shaping the very books that shape minds. Peggy’s quiet rebellion against this system is deeply moving.
Peggy and Maude’s bond is one of the book’s greatest strengths. Williams writes about Maude’s neurodivergence with warmth and dignity. Their relationship feels real—loving, complicated, and full of tension.
Fans of The Dictionary of Lost Words will find familiar themes here: the importance of language, the fight for women’s rights, and the lives history forgets. This bookbinder book feels like a companion piece, but it stands on its own.
The novel also examines caregiving. Peggy’s dilemma—should she chase her dreams or stay loyal to Maude?—will resonate with many readers. Her struggle feels personal and authentic.
Reading becomes Peggy’s quiet form of rebellion. In a world that wants her to stay small, books give her power. The story shows how language and learning can offer freedom, even when the odds are stacked against you.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER ABOUT THE BOOKBINDER OF JERICHO
The book’s slow pace might test some readers. At times, it lingers too long on setting or small details. Those expecting big plot twists may feel let down.
Some side characters—like Bastiaan, Gwen, and Lotte—don’t get as much development as Peggy. Their stories add texture but could have had more impact with deeper backstories.
The ending is gentle and thoughtful, but it leaves a few questions unanswered. Readers who like neat conclusions may want more clarity.
Still, the slow rhythm matches the setting. The world of the bindery moves at its own pace. Change happens slowly, and that feels true to the story’s time and place.
QUOTES
She understood, I think, that most of what people said was meaningless. That people spoke to fill the silence or pass the time; that, despite our mastery of words and our ability to put them together in infinitely varied ways, most of us struggled to say what we really meant.
Your stitching is what will hold the story together.
Poetry is how we endure the unendurable. Sometimes it has to be a lie.
Your job is to bind the books, not read them…
CONCLUSION
Thoughtful and deeply human, The Bookbinder of Jericho is one of the best books to read for those who love quiet, character-driven stories. It’s a bookbinder book that honors invisible labor and the inner lives of women.
Pip Williams once again brings forgotten voices to the forefront. The novel explores sisterhood, sacrifice, and self-discovery. It doesn’t shout—but it speaks volumes. And in that silence, it finds its strength.
A reverential admirer of words, Madhu loves watching them weave their bewitching magic on cozy afternoons.