The Bookbinder

Peggy Jones works in the bindery of Oxford University Press during the First World War, spending her days folding printed sheets for books she is not permitted to read. While her twin sister Maude finds contentment in the repetitive manual labor, Peggy secretly nurtures ambitions to study at Somerville College. As injured Belgian refugees arrive in Oxford and men leave for the front, the traditional divide between the scholars upstairs and the female laborers downstairs begins to shift. Peggy faces the physical reality of the war through her volunteer work, all while navigating the social barriers that keep working-class women from academic life.

This historical novel serves readers interested in the labor history of book production and the evolution of women's access to higher education. It appeals to those who value technical details about traditional bookbinding and the logistical impact of global conflict on domestic life. Readers finish the book with a clear understanding of the class structures in early twentieth-century England and the specific obstacles faced by women seeking intellectual autonomy during a period of intense social upheaval.