Protected By A Book

A common plot point in books and movies is an item that protects the hero from a bullet or knife. Often a book or Bible, the item serves as armor over the hero’s heart. One example is in Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps, where a hymn book in a coat pocket saves the protagonist’s life (Tony Helm, “Criterion Classics: Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘The 39 Steps’ (1935),” Filmspeak, November 26, 2020, https://filmspeak.net/features/2020/11/25/criterion-classics-the-39-steps-1935).