The Dovekeepers in Willmar Public Library Reads

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Dec 27, 2014 Kristel rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, f2f-bookclub-books, jewish

Review: It is hard to rate the first book of the year. This rating could be higher or even lower. I had many mixed feelings reading this story but essentially it is a story of relationships. Women's relationships with each other. The story is set in 70 CE and is a retelling of the Jewish hold-out against the armies of Romans on Masada. According to history, two women and five children survived to tell the story. This is that story. I like Alice Hoffman as an author but this story seemed differen Review: It is hard to rate the first book of the year. This rating could be higher or even lower. I had many mixed feelings reading this story but essentially it is a story of relationships. Women's relationships with each other. The story is set in 70 CE and is a retelling of the Jewish hold-out against the armies of Romans on Masada. According to history, two women and five children survived to tell the story. This is that story. I like Alice Hoffman as an author but this story seemed different than any other I've read by the author. It is a mixture of Jewish belief woven through with magic and ancient medicine and worship of the goddess of Ashtoreth. There was something in the story that reminded me of The Red Tent. This is our January f2f bookclub read and it will be interesting to discuss it. Medicine was a very interesting topic in this book and more so probably because I am a nurse. Medicine was initially woman's area and was only taken over later by men (from my studies of Medical Sociology). This book really explores woman's role in medicine. Ms Hoffman often incorporates magic in her writing but in this one, there is less magical realism and more a sense that what the women believed were spells and magic was really the beginnings of healing arts. I think the book does a fair representation of Judaism. I think even the weaving in of the goddess Ashtoreth and the overlap of mystical and religious lements probably is accurate though those were the areas I found troublesome.

First Sentence: We had been wondering for so long I forgot what it was like to live within walls or sleep through the night.

Quotes: Every man engaged in war tells himself he can alter what has been written, that it is he, not God, who is the maker of destiny, free to change what is meant to be. pg 62.

Our rest is formed by our waking life and our waking life by our sorrows. pg 251

"...men who refused to surrender and women who were ruled by devotion" pg 478

Last words: This is the reason we are here, to give thanks to our mothers, who are watching over us in the place where we will join them one day, in the World-to-Come.

Read: 2015-January

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Jul 20, 2013 Barb rated it liked it

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Dec 17, 2012 Haana Vander Vorst marked it as to-read

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