A tattered old copy of Joseph Roth’s
Rebellion showcases its own history from 1930s Germany, to the story itself about a barrel organ player, and all the way to modern day New York. Hamilton’s (
Disguise) story weaves between readers of that particular first edition to a mystery involving one of the book’s first owners. The current owner of Rebellion, Lena Knecht, knows from her father that this edition was saved from a book burning in Germany during the Nazi era, and it is one of her prized possessions. She is determined to discover where the map, drawn by hand at the back of the book, leads, but she misplaces the book. She finds her way back to it via an unlikely ally. Nicholas Guy Smith brilliantly narrates and delights in bringing a myriad of accents to life.
VERDICT At times the narrative appears to get in its own way, but it is a unique book about a book that bibliophiles will delight in.
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