In 1914 Oxford, twin sisters Peggy and Maude bind books by day and live quietly on a narrow boat by night. Maude is content with the rhythm of their world, but Peggy dreams of more—of knowledge, of libraries, of crossing the street to Somerville College where women read what she only binds.
As war tears through Europe and refugees arrive in Oxford, Peggy’s life begins to shift. Her bond with a wounded Belgian soldier sparks both love and new responsibility, just as she glimpses the future she’s always longed for.
From New York Times bestselling author Pip Williams comes The Bookbinder—a moving portrait of women’s intellect, ambition, and resilience in a world reshaped by war. For fans of The Paris Library and The Dictionary of Lost Words.
