This novel is a story of four fictional women based off an event in history, The Battle of Masada. Quick history lesson in case anyone has forgotten or doesn't know of The Battle of Masada. The Battle took place from 73 to 74 A.D in a hilltop fortress occupied by Jewish rebels (also known as Sicarri) who have fled from Jerusalem after the Roman invasion. Eventually the Romans catch up with the Sicarri and plan on how to reach the mountain top and invade. The Sicarri fought until the bitter end but with only 960 Jews to thousands of Romans there was little chance. When the leader of the Sicarri knew all hope was lost instead of surrender or fight til the death he convinced his people to lie down their lives and die with dignity. He appointed one man to kill every member of the Sicarri and then commit suicide. All perished that day except for two women and five children and that leads to the story Alice Hoffman presents to us.
The Dovekeepers is written diary style in four sections plus an aftermath of the survivors. The four sections are for the four main women of the story.
First there is Yael, the Assassin's Daughter. She is young, maybe sixteen, with flame red hair and freckles. She is a beautiful oddity in Jerusalem. Yael is forsaken by her father. He blames her for the death of her mother who died during childbirth. After the attack on their city, Yael and her father find themselves trekking over the harsh desert lead by another assassin with his wife and children. Their goal is to meet up with Yael's brother (also an assassin) in Masada. Along the way Yael finds herself falling in love with their married leader.
Second is Revka, the Baker's Wife. A grandmother to two sweet young boys. Her city is attacked and her quiet, sweet husband is murdered. Revka flees the city with her daughter, son-in-law and the two boys. Her son-in-law is a scholar, a man of education, not violence and blood shed. All of that changes one day on their voyage to Masada. The son-in-law leaves the women and children while he goes off to pray. While he is gone his wife is raped and murdered. The children whom Revka sent to hide under a waterfall before the men reached their camp have suddenly lost their voices. None of them will ever be the same.
Third is Aziza, the Warrior's Beloved. Probably my favorite part of the book. Aziza's tale is not written in an autobiographical style but rather as if she is writing to her sister, Nahara. Aziza assisted her mother in the birth of Nahara. The baby would have died without her help and because of this Aziza always felt Nahara belonged to her. She is very much upset now that her thirteen-year-old sister has fallen in love and chosen to leave her family and join the Essene people (an ultra-religious group whom do not believe in fighting and that the End of Days is here). Aziza grew up close to her sister's father and trained in the ways of his people (nomads from the hills of Moab) like a warrior. Now as an adult she is not happy living a typical woman's life.
Last there is Shirah, the Witch of the Moab. Shirah was trained by her mother, a revered woman, in the art of witchcraft. However by the time Shirah was twelve the practice was outlawed and those once revered were seen as sinners and put to shame. Shirah is sent alone by her mother to Jerusalem for her own safety. Once there she falls in love and soon she finds herself with a newborn and put on trail for adultery. She is cast out of the city as punishment. Left to die Shirah and her daughter, Aziza, are picked up by a nomad. Soon they are married and go on to have two children; Nahara and a boy named Adri. But feeling the call of her destiny, and her true love, Shirah takes her children and in the cover of night leaves the nomad people for the fortress of Masada.
Once in Masada the four women are joined together in the task of taking care of the doves for the village. Although at times I felt the book was a little slow or boring, the stories were quite interesting. Once again I have to say Alice Hoffman has a knack for storytelling. She really makes the scene come alive in a very beautiful way. The characters are well thought out and have a lot of dept. If you like stories that have a historic feel or setting then this might be a good book for you.
Quotes:
“We had been found and brought to this place so near to the sky we could hear the voice of the King of Creation. The Lord had saved us and delivered us, as the Torah vowed he would. I would have been willing to do anything for the glory of God as I walked through the gate, except forgive him for what I had lost.”
“The voice that arises out of the silence is something no one can imagine until it is heard. It roars when it speaks, it lies to you and convinces you, it steals from you and leaves you without a single word of comfort.”
“Being human means losing everything we love best in the world," she murmured as she released me. "But would you ask to be anything else?”
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