The Dovekeepers

‘A major contribution to twenty-first-century literature’ Toni Morrison, Nobel Laureate and author of Beloved
 
In the year 70 CE, nine hundred Jews held out for months against the Roman army in ancient Israel. Only two women and five children survived.
 
Based on this tragic event, Alice Hoffman weaves a spellbinding story about the lives of four bold and remarkable women during desperate days of the siege of Masada, when supplies are dwindling and the Romans are drawing near.
 
Yael is the assassin’s daughter, Revka’s life has been torn apart by the Romans, Aziza has been raised as a warrior and Shirah is wise in the ways of ancient magic. All are dovekeepers, and all are keepers of secrets – about who they are, where they come from, who fathered them, and whom they love.

The Dovekeepers is Alice Hoffman’s masterpiece.

Praise for The Dovekeepers

‘Hoffman is a writer of great perception and she captures with precision the complexity of the relationships between the women, their fear and guilt, their courage, their hunger for consolation and companionship’ Guardian
 
‘Fascinating . . . Hoffman’s grasp of her subject compels respect’ Helen Dunmore, The Times
 
 ‘A book as monumental as its subject, magical, moving, quite beautifully written and probably Hoffman’s best. A genuine masterpiece’ Daily Mail
 
‘I would share the incredible creative power and intense imagination of Alice Hoffman, whose novel The Dovekeepersshows just how far and deep historical fiction can go’ Observer, ‘What Will Be Under Your Tree This Christmas’
 

“'What is it that makes American authors excel at depicting marriage? Alice Hoffman's The Marriage of Opposites is one of the best novels on the subject . . . not least because the opposites of its title embrace not just gender but race, class and religion . . . Hoffman's sensuous prose is ideally suited to describing the landscape . . . As intoxicating as the finest island rum'”

‘What is it that makes American authors excel at depicting marriage? Alice Hoffman’s The Marriage of Opposites is one of the best novels on the subject . . . not least because the opposites of its title embrace not just gender but race, class and religion . . . Hoffman’s sensuous prose is ideally suited to describing the landscape . . . As intoxicating as the finest island rum’  Independent on The Marriage of Opposites
‘Hoffman is a master of evocatively described places . . . This captivating novel transports the reader to a sensual world of lush tropical landscapes, colonial opulence and conflicted passions’  The Lady on The Marriage of Opposites
‘Alice Hoffman’s fictionalised biography of Rachel Pizzarro’s life is an evocative, sensitive and historically rich portrayal of a woman living ahead of her time’ The Observer on The Marriage of Opposites

Alice Hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including The Book of Magic, Magic Lessons, The World That We Knew, Practical Magic, The Rules of Magic (a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick), the Oprah’s Book Club Selection Here on Earth, The Red Garden, The Dovekeepers, The Museum of Extraordinary Things, The Marriage of Opposites, and Faithful. She lives near Boston.

'A book as monumental as its subject, magical, moving, quite beautifully written ... A genuine masterpiece' Daily Mail In 70 AD, nine hundred Jews held out for months against armies of Romans on a mountain outside the Judean desert, Masada. Two women and five children survived. Based on this tragic event, The Dovekeepers is a spellbinding tale of four extraordinary women in the desperate days of the siege. Each has come to Masada by a different path: Yael's mother died in childbirth, and her father, an expert assassin, never forgave her for that death. Revka, a baker's wife, watched the brutal murder of her daughter; her young grandsons are rendered mute by what they have witnessed. Aziza is a warrior's daughter, a fearless rider and marksman who finds passion with a fellow soldier. Shirah is wise in the ways of ancient magic, a woman with uncanny insight and power and as loyal as she is dangerous. All are dovekeepers, and all are keeping secrets - about who they are, where they come from, their families, and their loves. 'Fascinating ... Hoffman's grasp of her subject compels respect' Helen Dunmore, The Times 'A real tour de force' Independent on Sunday 'This novel is one that will never be forgotten by the reader' Jodi Picoult

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