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. Nov 04, 2011 the difficulty with the dovekeepers is that these moments of hope are too few and far between. 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. 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. The dovekeepers is alice hoffmans most ambitious and mesmerizing novel.
According to the ancient historian josephus, two women and five children survived. 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. 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. Our reading guide for the dovekeepers by alice hoffman includes book club. Thomas is a seventeenyearold who doesnt want to grow up and has. A letter from alice hoffman once in a lifetime a book may come to a writer as an unexpected gift. In that moment, the dovekeepers came to life as well.
The dovekeepers ebook fraser valley regional library. By the author of the oprah book club selection, here on. The dove keepers is a story about four heroic women, all different from each other, one is a warrior, one is a. The novel is alice hoffmans latest book, the dovekeepers, which attempts to retell the story of the jewish resistance during the roman siege of. 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. Continuing with a theme of reading historical fiction the book group.
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. The dovekeepers book ottawa public library bibliocommons. By alice hoffman scribner publishing 2011 the dovekeepers is a book of historical fiction set during the first jewishroman war. 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. 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, 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. 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 is alice hoffman s most ambitious and mesmerizing novel. A novel by alice hoffman is one of the most powerful books i have read in a very long time. This is a book that is both compelling and thought provoking. 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. Continuing with a theme of reading historical fiction the book group read the dovekeepers by alice hoffman.
This novel is a sprawling tale based on another event in history. Facing a frightening roman army, 900 jews held their own for months. The dovekeepers the dovekeepers audiobook, by alice hoffman. I received a warm welcome as the newcomer in a well established book club. 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. 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 book club kit hennepin county library. 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. It features the siege of masada by troops of the roman empire towards the end of the first jewishroman war. The dove keepers masada from the back side ben witherington.
All my best, alice hoffman book club talking points. 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 audiobook by alice hoffman, heather lind. The dovekeepers large print johnson county library. But in the end, only two women and five children survived the culminating battle. Our book club page for the dovekeepers by alice hoffman includes book club. 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.
Perhaps this is a testament to hoffmans storytelling. All are dovekeepers, and all are also keeping secretsabout who. Apr 01, 2015 the dove keepers is a horse of a different color. Based on this tragic and iconic event, this is a tale of four extraordinarily bold, resourceful, and sensuous women, each of whom has.
It was our largest book to date at 500 pages but almost every member managed to finish it in time for our meeting. The jewish people are on the run from the roman army that has invaded and is now destroying the nation. The dovekeepers book club kit vancouver island regional. The story of the last zealot stronghold in judea is told from the point of view of four fictional women in the.
Based on this tragic and iconic event, this is a tale of four extraordinarily bold, resourceful, and sensuous. I live in a retirement community so you wouldnt think a finding a book club would. The dovekeepers book by alice hoffman official publisher. 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 dovekeepers is a good choice for book clubs as long as your group is up to reading a 500 page novel. The novel, is a awesome book to discuss with book clubs, especially women. Dove keepers by alice hoffman is one terrific adventure story based on historical accounts during ancient times in old isreal. 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 book club kit saint paul public library. Alice hoffman chronicles the harrowing siege at masada in 70 c. The dovekeepers by alice hoffman book club discussion. Jun 29, 2012 dovekeepers, is biblical historical fiction.
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. The dovekeepers is a novel set during and after the fall of jerusalem 70 c. The lives of these four complex and fiercely independent women intersect in desperate days. Do you feel the lives of the women in the dovekeepers echo the lives of. Appearing throughout the bible, the dove was also regarded as oracular, a means by which the divine could communicate with man. 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 hebrew word for dove is yonah 2, coming from the root meaning of a moaning sound, i moan like a dove is 38. Jun 27, 20 continuing with a theme of reading historical fiction the book group read the dovekeepers by alice hoffman. The dovekeepers book charlotte mecklenburg library. An ambitious and mesmerizing novel from the bestselling author of rules of magic. Hoffman grounds her expansive, intricately woven, and deepest new novel in biblical history, with a devotion and seriousness of purpose entertainment weekly. 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. Practical magic, the rules of magic, the oprahs book club selection here on earth,the red garden, the dovekeepers,the museum of extraordinary things.
This is a feminist tale, a story of strong, intelligent women wedded to destiny by love and sacrifice. She was rightthis was an absolutely stunning novel. 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 novel is much too long and, for most of its 500 pages, its four protagonists suffer relentlessly. 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. The dovekeepers audiobook cd the seattle public library. I read a wonderful book, one that i never would have chosen myself. The dovekeepers book club kit chapel hill public library. 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 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. This would explain the call of many species of doves. The dovekeepers alice hoffman, 2011 scribner 512 pp. All are dovekeepers, and all are also keeping secretsabout who they are, where they come from, who. Oh that i had wings of a dove to fly away and be at rest psalm 55. Over five years in the writing, the dovekeepers is alice hoffmans most ambitious and. 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. According to the ancient historian josephus, two women. Nearly two thousand years ago, nine hundred jews held out for. Nearly two thousand years ago, nine hundred jews held out for months against armies of romans on masada, a mountain in the judean desert. The dovekeepers book hennepin county library bibliocommons. It is the tale of masada from a womans point of view, indeed several women, including the lover of.
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