As meticulously researched as all of Brooks' previous work, People of the Book is a gripping and moving novel about war, art, love and survival.

Shortlisted for Barbara Jefferis Award 2009.

This is a gripping story of identity, connection with our past, and the power of words to create or devastate. Like no other novel yet written, it illuminates an era when bold internationalism gave way to a post-war landscape of narrowly defined �Americanism�. Crossing two decades, from the vibrant revolutionary murals of Mexico City to the halls of a Congress bent on eradicating the colour red, The Lacuna is as deep and rich as the New World itself.