The Dovekeepers
Alice Hoffman
eBook
(Simon & Schuster UK, Oct. 13, 2011)
âA major contribution to twenty-first-century literatureâ Toni Morrison, Nobel Laureate and author of Beloved In the year 70 CE, nine hundred Jews held out for months against the Roman army in ancient Israel. Only two women and five children survived. Based on this tragic event, Alice Hoffman weaves a spellbinding story about the lives of four bold and remarkable women during desperate days of the siege of Masada, when supplies are dwindling and the Romans are drawing near. Yael is the assassinâs daughter, Revkaâs life has been torn apart by the Romans, Aziza has been raised as a warrior and Shirah is wise in the ways of ancient magic. All are dovekeepers, and all are keepers of secrets â about who they are, where they come from, who fathered them, and whom they love.The Dovekeepers is Alice Hoffmanâs masterpiece. Praise for The Dovekeepers âHoffman is a writer of great perception and she captures with precision the complexity of the relationships between the women, their fear and guilt, their courage, their hunger for consolation and companionshipâ Guardian âFascinating . . . Hoffmanâs grasp of her subject compels respectâ Helen Dunmore, The Times âA book as monumental as its subject, magical, moving, quite beautifully written and probably Hoffmanâs best. A genuine masterpieceâ Daily Mail âI would share the incredible creative power and intense imagination of Alice Hoffman, whose novel The Dovekeepersshows just how far and deep historical fiction can goâ Observer, âWhat Will Be Under Your Tree This Christmasâ