The Dovekeepers

The Dovekeepers (#188) by Alice Hoffman has just come out in paperback, which is how I acquired my free First Reads copy from GoodReads.  Although this book has been out since 2011, and was prominently displayed on our library's "Most Wanted" shelf, I have a confession to make: I hate the cover.  So much so that I didn't even want to pick up a copy of the book to see what it was about.  So it wasn't until I read a tiny blurb about it on GoodReads that said "It's about Masada." that I even decided to enter the giveaway contest.  Fortunately for me, I was one of the winners.

The Dovekeepers does take place on the fortress of Masada as the Jewish Zealots or Sicarii withdraw there after the Temple in Jerusalem is torn down by the Romans and the fortress itself is eventually beseiged by the Romans under Silva. When the Romans break through the fortress's defenses, it is to find that the men, women and children on Masada have committed mass suicide.  According to the contemporary historian Josephus, only two women and five children lived to tell him the tale of what happened here. 

In Ms. Hoffman's novel, she tells this story through the four voices of the women assigned to care for the dovecotes on Masada.  The role the doves themselves play in the health and well-being of the defenders is a vital one, though not nearly as picturesque as portrayed on the book's cover.  All of these women are damaged in their own way before they arrive at Masada, but together they manage to forge strong bonds that allow them to meet and embrace their destinies.  This is a book that isn't always easy to read, but is enthralling, none the less.

Of course, being the type of person I am, I had to Google Masada so that I could have an accurate mental picture of where the action in the book took place.  As I read through the material on a number of different Masada sites, I began to appreciate how Ms. Hoffman has woven the known archaelogical findings into her stories.  I have included one link here because it contains pictures of the dovecotes on Masada, a place where the characters would have spent a great deal of time:  Masada images & dovecote . 

A highly recommended read, especially for fans of historical fiction.  My book club has already decided to put The Dovekeepers on our fall reading schedule.