By alice hoffman scribner publishing 2011 the dovekeepers is a book of historical fiction set during the first jewishroman war. The dovekeepers takes place during the early 70s ad in ancient judea. It was a gift from my greatgreat grandmothers, the women of ancient israel who first spoke to me when i visited the mountain fortress of masada. It was our largest book to date at 500 pages but almost every member managed to finish it in time for our meeting. The dove keepers is a story about four heroic women, all different from each other, one is a warrior, one is a. The jewish people are on the run from the roman army that has invaded and is now destroying the nation. The dove keepers is a story about four heroic women, all different from each other, one is a warrior, one is a healer, one is a mystic, and one is leader. The dovekeepers is strikinghoffman grounds her expansive, intricately woven, and deepest new novel in biblical history, with a devotion and seriousness of purpose entertainment weekly. The setting is ancient roman times and its based on the true story of how 900 jews held out against these warriors in what is now known as the siege of masada. The dovekeepers large print johnson county library. The dovekeepers audiobook cd the seattle public library. The dovekeepers is alice hoffman s most ambitious and mesmerizing novel.
The dovekeepers the dovekeepers audiobook, by alice hoffman. This is a feminist tale, a story of strong, intelligent women wedded to destiny by love and sacrifice. Hoffman grounds her expansive, intricately woven, and deepest new novel in biblical history, with a devotion and seriousness of purpose entertainment weekly. Do you feel the lives of the women in the dovekeepers echo the lives of. I read a wonderful book, one that i never would have chosen myself. All are dovekeepers, and all are also keeping secretsabout who. This would explain the call of many species of doves. The dovekeepers audiobook by alice hoffman, heather lind. Continuing with a theme of reading historical fiction the book group. The book ties in with the history of the jerusalem revolt, and the last stand of the jewish people before 900 people were killed by their own hands, by suicide. The discussion was lively and made me think about events in the story in a different light, one that i wouldnt have thought of on my own.
Oh that i had wings of a dove to fly away and be at rest psalm 55. The dovekeepers is a twopart television adaptation based on the book of the same name by alice hoffman from executive producers roma downey and mark burnett. According to the ancient historian josephus, two women. All my best, alice hoffman book club talking points. The book begins during the destruction of jerusalem and the temple in ad 70 and follows the journey of four women who end up together in the last jewish holdout, a mountaintop stronghold called masada.
The dovekeepers book by alice hoffman official publisher. The dovekeepers book hennepin county library bibliocommons. The dovekeepers by alice hoffman book club discussion. This novel is a sprawling tale based on another event in history. The novel, is a awesome book to discuss with book clubs, especially women. Now, in the dovekeepers, hoffman delivers her most masterful work yet one that draws on her passion for mythology, magic, and archaeology and her inimitable understanding of women. Over five years in the writing, the dovekeepers is alice hoffmans most ambitious and. Apr 01, 2015 the dove keepers is a horse of a different color. The story of life in this last stronghold in the war between the jews and the romans is told in the novel the dovekeepers by alice hoffman.
The hebrew word for dove is yonah 2, coming from the root meaning of a moaning sound, i moan like a dove is 38. The novel is much too long and, for most of its 500 pages, its four protagonists suffer relentlessly. I live in a retirement community so you wouldnt think a finding a book club would. Oct 23, 2011 the novel is alice hoffmans latest book, the dovekeepers, which attempts to retell the story of the jewish resistance during the roman siege of masada in the first century. Our book club page for the dovekeepers by alice hoffman includes book club. The dovekeepers is an enormously ambitious, multipart story, richly decorated with the details of life 2,000 years ago hoffman doesnt ignore the largerthanlife leaders and their deadly clash, but her creative path into masada is from the ground up. Dec 11, 2011 oh that i had wings of a dove to fly away and be at rest psalm 55. It is the tale of masada from a womans point of view, indeed several women, including the lover of eliezar the great rebel leader at masada. The dovekeepers book club kit hennepin county library. The dovekeepers is the story of four remarkable women who come to masada, the judean desert where 900 jews held out for many months against roman armies in 70 ce. Alice hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including the world that we knew, practical magic, the rules of magic, the oprahs book club selection here on earth,the red garden, the dovekeepers,the museum of extraordinary things, the marriage of opposites, and faithful.
The dovekeepers book club kit vancouver island regional. Based on this tragic and iconic event, this is a tale of four extraordinarily bold, resourceful, and sensuous. Oct 04, 2011 at 500 pages, the dovekeepers is a relatively long novel, and the need to start again with each new narrator, with her own exposition, taxes the storys momentum until the various threads. The dovekeepers ebook fraser valley regional library. Dove keepers by alice hoffman is one terrific adventure story based on historical accounts during ancient times in old isreal. By the author of the oprah book club selection, here on. The turtle dove tor in hebrew 3 is by far the most common of the dove species. The lives of these four complex and fiercely independent women intersect in desperate days. Appearing throughout the bible, the dove was also regarded as oracular, a means by which the divine could communicate with man.
Practical magic, the rules of magic, the oprahs book club selection here on earth,the red garden, the dovekeepers,the museum of extraordinary things. Perhaps this is a testament to hoffmans storytelling. Facing a frightening roman army, 900 jews held their own for months. The story of the last zealot stronghold in judea is told from the point of view of four fictional women in the. A letter from alice hoffman once in a lifetime a book may come to a writer as an unexpected gift. The dovekeepers book charlotte mecklenburg library. Alice hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including the world that we knew, the rules of magic, the marriage of opposites, practical magic, the red garden, the oprahs book club selection here on earth, the museum of. At 500 pages, the dovekeepers is a relatively long novel, and the need to start again with each new narrator, with her own exposition, taxes the storys momentum until the various threads. When the dove returned holding an olive branch in its beak, noah knew it was safe to leave the ark a sign from god that penance had been served. Continuing with a theme of reading historical fiction the book group read the dovekeepers by alice hoffman.
Rather than surrender to or be captured by roman forces the sicarii, a group of religious zealots who took refuge at masada in first century judea, chose to sacrifice themselves. The dovekeepers alice hoffman, 2011 scribner 512 pp. Nov 04, 2011 the difficulty with the dovekeepers is that these moments of hope are too few and far between. I didnt know what i was getting into with alice hoffmans the dovekeepers, but i had been told by a friend that this was her book clubs favorite. In that moment, the dovekeepers came to life as well. It features the siege of masada by troops of the roman empire towards the end of the first jewishroman war. Nearly two thousand years ago, nine hundred jews held out for. Jun 27, 20 continuing with a theme of reading historical fiction the book group read the dovekeepers by alice hoffman.
The dovekeepers is a good choice for book clubs as long as your group is up to reading a 500 page novel. According to the ancient historian josephus, two women and five children survived. The dovekeepers book ottawa public library bibliocommons. I received a warm welcome as the newcomer in a well established book club.
The dovekeepers audiobook cd charlotte mecklenburg. This study guide consists of approximately 1 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the dovekeepers. The dovekeepers book club kit saint paul public library. Based on this tragic and iconic event, this is a tale of four extraordinarily bold, resourceful, and sensuous women, each of whom has. A tale inspired by the tragic firstcentury massacre of hundreds of jewish people at masada presents the stories of a hated daughter, a bakers wife, a girl disguised as a warrior, and a medicine woman who keep doves and secrets while roman soldiers draw near. An ambitious and mesmerizing novel from the bestselling author of rules of magic. She was rightthis was an absolutely stunning novel.
The difficulty with the dovekeepers is that these moments of hope are too few and far between. Alice hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including the world that we knew, the rules of magic, the marriage of opposites, practical magic, the red garden, the oprahs book club selection here on earth, the museum of extraordinary things, and the dovekeepers. Hoffman weaves a spellbinding tale of four extraordinary, bold, resourceful, and sensuous women, each of whom has come to masada by a different path. The novel is alice hoffmans latest book, the dovekeepers, which attempts to retell the story of the jewish resistance during the roman siege of. The dovekeepers book club kit chapel hill public library. Alice hoffman chronicles the harrowing siege at masada in 70 c.
I actually know very little about the history of israel, jerusalem and the legend of masada the last stronghold of the jews during the roman siege in 73 ad. It is the tale of masada from a womans point of view, indeed several women, including the lover of. A novel by alice hoffman is one of the most powerful books i have read in a very long time. The book covers a period of four years as the romans waged war against the jewish stronghold of masada, claimed by a group 900 rebels and their families. Thomas is a seventeenyearold who doesnt want to grow up and has. The dove keepers masada from the back side ben witherington. Nearly two thousand years ago, nine hundred jews held out for months against armies of romans on masada, a mountain in the judean desert. But in the end, only two women and five children survived the culminating battle. All are dovekeepers, and all are also keeping secretsabout who they are, where they come from, who. Jun 29, 2012 dovekeepers, is biblical historical fiction. The dovekeepers is a novel set during and after the fall of jerusalem 70 c. The dovekeepers is alice hoffmans most ambitious and mesmerizing novel. This is a book that is both compelling and thought provoking. Our reading guide for the dovekeepers by alice hoffman includes book club.
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