Helpful Score: 6
I have a really difficult time saying that I simply liked this book, because it was actually quite difficult to read. Hoffman is describing abuses and atrocities, and though she does it tastefull and not gratuitously, there were moments that were very heavy for me (especially as a mother). In fact, I read the book as part of a book group; several members mentioned that they were not able to "stomach" the book. That said, it was emotionally poignant, historically accurate and informative, and beautifully and descriptively written. I recommend it highly, with the warning that it's a violent book...sort of.
Helpful Score: 5
One of the best books I have read in a while! The story of these remarkable characters just made me want to keep on reading. I actually missed them when the book was finished!
Helpful Score: 5
I just loved this book. It's the story of Masada told through the lives of four women.Each is a totally different personality and has a different plac e in the story. The characters are so well developed that the reader really feels some emotion about each one. What brought each woman to the mountain? How did she and others survive for the time they were there? Although I knew a lot of the history, There was still much to learn about the times and thr skills they developed to live from day to day.
The writing is beautiful. It helps one to enter this terrifying time. I strongly recommend it.
The writing is beautiful. It helps one to enter this terrifying time. I strongly recommend it.
Helpful Score: 4
This book is a beautifully written, very descriptive and dramatic account of the times, people and situation but it is a very heavy read and sometimes tedious.
Helpful Score: 2
I read this book in two days having to stop to go to work. Masada has always fascinated me and I totally enjoyed it from the view of women. Alice Hoffman's best.
Helpful Score: 1
This book is compelling, historically detailed (and seemingly accurate) and engrossing. That said, it's not an easy read. There is violence against women and children, which is hard to stomach but unfortunately pretty accurate and while Hoffman brings the violence to life, none of it is gratuitous. From the beginning, you do not expect a happy ending for any of the characters.
I fell in love with some characters, waited for the deaths of others, and cheered & cried internally at certain plot twists. While this book IS pretty dense, to me it was definitely worth the investment of time and emotion.
I fell in love with some characters, waited for the deaths of others, and cheered & cried internally at certain plot twists. While this book IS pretty dense, to me it was definitely worth the investment of time and emotion.
Helpful Score: 1
A gorgeously-written fictional account of the iconic story of Masada, told from the vantage point of four different women. I was totally riveted.
I like Alice Hoffman's style of writing and the story most certainly held my interest but the brutality and magical realism was hard to stomach. Still it is one of her better books and worth the read, if you are interested in reading about biblical times, when the Romans have conquered all by the last holdout of the Jews, at King Herod's palace. Her historical research seems to be good.
I just loved this book. I felt connected to the characters and the stories they had to tell. I really enjoyed how you were able to get four different points of view from the same events.
Beautifully written. Poetic, smart, witty. A long journey through a book that should be recommended to many.
Alice Hoffman has long been one of my very favorite authors. This book was a bit of a departure from her other stories. It's the story of several women, told from several perspectives, during the time of the siege of Masada by troops of the Roman Empire towards the end of the First JewishRoman War. The Jewish rebels and their families hiding there had a really rough time and the story ends very badly. One of the best things that Hoffman brings to this well-known historical event is that the story is told, for once, by the women, rather than from a military perspective. Masada (Matzada in Hebrew) is an ancient fortress in the Judaean desert built around 37 BCE by Herod the Great. It's on top of a tall flat-topped rock plateau, overlooking the Dead Sea. The fortress included palaces, storerooms, orchards, and food fortifications. It's still there, although in ruins, but it's an amazing place to visit. I really enjoyed the book, my last of 2013. Possibly it could have been a little shorter, but that's my only criticism. As always, Hoffman's prose and portrayal of the strength of women is exceptional.
Good book. Very compelling characters.
The author's books always hold my interest, but the subject matter can be very difficult to read, as in this book. The violence is horrifying. The author has done her research and does well in bringing this epic too life, but I found it harder to read than the stories of the holocaust survivors, though I have read many of them.
I had a hard time getting through this one. By the end of the book I was just skimming so I could finish it.
Having never read a historical fiction book about this particular era and one that includes Masada in it, I thought I'd try this out. I did enjoy the book, but not as much as I had hoped I would. It was a little dark throughout. Understandable considering the subject matter.
I started to read this book, then the mini series came on TV, so I'm learning the story that way. It's pretty good, but not what I expected.
Liked this a lot. Knew about Masada and the siege but not in any detail. I know this is fiction, but the historical aspects of it were very good and I did like the strong character of the women. Would recommend it.
I was captivated by the book and writing. I could not put it down. I would recommended it highly.
This novel is told from the perspective of four women who were present during the siege of Masada by the Romans in 73 CE. The siege was one of the final events in the First JewishâRoman War, occurring on and around a large plateau in current-day Israel. Masada was a fortress originally built by King Herod as a palace in 37 BCE. The siege was chronicled by Josephus and was said to result in the mass suicide of Jewish rebels and families at Masada.
The four women narrators of the novel are the titular dovekeepers who work in the dovecoats at the Masada fortress. They tend to the doves there mainly to collect their waste for use as fertilizer for the orchards on the plateau. Each of the four narrates a portion of the novel which gives the background on each woman and how they ended up at Masada. Each woman has a unique story to tell and they all seem to go against some of the laws of the Jewish faith. The first woman, Yael, has an adulterous affair with a married warrior before going to Masada resulting in the birth of her son. She also cuts herself which is also against Jewish law, to keep track of her time in the desert. One of the women, Shirah, was considered "The Witch of Moab" for using spells and potions and she also had an adulterous affair with the leader of the rebels at Masada. In addition she had tattoos which were also taboo.
Although the events of this novel played out against the background of a very compelling event, to me, most of the narrative became somewhat tedious. I also thought the voices of the four women were indistinguishable and their stories kept going on and on making me wish the novel would come to an end. I would, however, like to read more about Masada and the Roman-Jewish wars -- a piece of history that I really know nothing about. I have also read some other Hoffman novels that I generally enjoyed, but for me, this one was just too long and fell a little flat.
The four women narrators of the novel are the titular dovekeepers who work in the dovecoats at the Masada fortress. They tend to the doves there mainly to collect their waste for use as fertilizer for the orchards on the plateau. Each of the four narrates a portion of the novel which gives the background on each woman and how they ended up at Masada. Each woman has a unique story to tell and they all seem to go against some of the laws of the Jewish faith. The first woman, Yael, has an adulterous affair with a married warrior before going to Masada resulting in the birth of her son. She also cuts herself which is also against Jewish law, to keep track of her time in the desert. One of the women, Shirah, was considered "The Witch of Moab" for using spells and potions and she also had an adulterous affair with the leader of the rebels at Masada. In addition she had tattoos which were also taboo.
Although the events of this novel played out against the background of a very compelling event, to me, most of the narrative became somewhat tedious. I also thought the voices of the four women were indistinguishable and their stories kept going on and on making me wish the novel would come to an end. I would, however, like to read more about Masada and the Roman-Jewish wars -- a piece of history that I really know nothing about. I have also read some other Hoffman novels that I generally enjoyed, but for me, this one was just too long and fell a little flat.
