Book Review of "The Dovekeepers"

Well I finally finished it--Alice Hoffman's amazing book The Dovekeepers. And I've probably accrued $10.00 in library fines in the process (it's been a busy summer!). In my defense the novel was a whopping 504 pages from cover to cover and not an easy read (not a horrible one either!).

The book takes place in ancient Israel, 70 C.E. It is broken up into sections by four women narrators who are the protagonists of the book. The novel is in first person narration according to the individual narrator. There's Yael, the assassin's daughter whose mother died in Yael's childbirth. Revka is the baker's wife and she witnessed the brutal death of her daughter at the hands of Roman soldiers. Azizza is a warrior's daughter who becomes a soldier in the novel. Last, but not least is Shirah, my favorite character of the book. She is the witch of Moab, a woman who uses ancient medicine and magic to heal people. She is a woman with much power and insight. All four women are dovekeepers and work at the dovecoat gathering eggs for human food and manure for plant nourishment. All four women harbor secrets: lovers, their backgrounds and their knowledge.

All four of these woman are fierce, loyal and independent. Their lives intersect when they all come together at Masada, a mountain village in the Judean desert. The conflict and climax of the story is their holdout against the armies of Roman soldiers who are trying to conquer the village.

I truly enjoyed the book. I feel I learned about the times of the brutal Romans, ancient herbs and medicines and also that there were fierce woman during this time frame who endured. Hoffman was able to clearly and beautifully establish place, time and feel of 70 C.E. As I read the novel I could easily SEE it. I loved all four women characters. Each one had her own voice and story, incredibly written so that I rooted for each one and each tale.

The Dovekeepers was not a fluffy, easy read. But this was okay. It was complex and intriguing and unique. Historical and relevant at the same time. The Hebrew names were different and sometimes difficult to keep straight but with a little work it all was manageable. I feel like I walked away from having read The Dovekeepers with a broad understanding of ancient Israel and for that I'm grateful and just a little smarter.