Alice hoffman s the dovekeepers shows us a world where doves, in addition to serving daytoday purposes, represent so much more. But instead of the safe suburbs of new england, we have been transported back to. The book covers a period of four years as the romans waged war against the jewish stronghold of masada, claimed by a group 900 rebels and their families. Based on this tragic and iconic event, hoffmans novel is a spellbinding tale of four extraordinarily bold, resourceful, and sensuous women, each of whom has. Miniseries based on alice hoffmans the dovekeepers airs. Alice hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including the world that we knew, the rules of magic, the marriage of opposites, practical magic, the red garden, the oprahs book club selection here on earth, the museum of extraordinary things, and the dovekeepers. This is a feminist tale, a story of strong, intelligent women wedded to destiny by love and sacrifice. 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. The dovekeepers alice hoffman, 2011 scribner 512 pp. It was our largest book to date at 500 pages but almost every member managed to finish it in time for our meeting. This novel is a sprawling tale based on another event in history. Nearly two thousand years ago, nine hundred jews held out for months against armies of romans on masada, a mountain in the judean desert.
A letter from alice hoffman once in a lifetime a book may come to a writer as an unexpected gift. And while theyre often thought of as bright white birds, with over 300 species, they actually come in all shapes and sizes. Alice hoffmans the dovekeepers is a splendid entertainment, a harrowing, thrilling, feminist historical novel fueled to fever pitch by a rich imagination. Alice hoffmans judean rebels head for their desert fortress. Received a ba from adelphi university and ma in creative writing from stanford university. Novelist alice hoffmans beautiful, harrowing the dovekeepers is based on the siege of masada, where a band of jews made a last stand after fleeing. I actually know very little about the history of israel, jerusalem and the legend of masada the last stronghold of the jews during the roman siege in 73 ad. The dovekeepers is a stunningly crafted work about a tragic and heroic time. Her novel here on earth was an oprah book club pick. The dovekeepers, and many alice hoffman books, offers unheard stories and perspectives from women. The novel is alice hoffmans latest book, the dovekeepers, which attempts to retell the story of the jewish resistance during the roman siege of masada in the first century. Her notable novels included practical magic 1995, the dovekeepers 2011, and the world that we knew 2019. The novel is alice hoffman s latest book, the dovekeepers, which attempts to retell the story of the jewish resistance during the roman siege of masada in the first century. Alice hoffman, american novelist whose books about women in search of their identities mix realism and the supernatural.
Alice hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including the world that we knew, practical magic, the rules of magic, the oprahs book club selection here on earth,the red garden, the dovekeepers,the museum of extraordinary things, the marriage of. A novel by alice hoffman is one of the most powerful books i have read in a very long time. The dovekeepers is alice hoffman s most ambitious and mesmerizing novel. Perhaps this is a testament to hoffmans storytelling. Along with their close cousin, the pigeon, doves make up the bird family columbidae. Hoffman stays true to her characters in dovekeepers. Hoffman grounds her expansive, intricately woven, and deepest new novel in biblical history, with a devotion and seriousness of purpose entertainment weekly. The dovekeepers book by alice hoffman official publisher page. Alice hoffmans the dovekeepers has been turned into a miniseries, which will air march 31 and april 1 on cbs. The dovekeepers is a novel set during and after the fall of jerusalem 70 c. It features the siege of masada by troops of the roman empire towards the end of the first jewishroman war. Pdf the dovekeepers book by alice hoffman free download.
Alice hoffman, aya cash, tovah feldshuh, jessica hecht, heather lind, bolinda publishing pty ltd. Hoffman s fiction is always compelling, but the history within the dovekeepers makes this novel. Alice hoffmans the dovekeepers shows us a world where doves, in addition to serving daytoday purposes, represent so much more. Now, in the dovekeepers, hoffman delivers her most masterful work yet one that draws on her passion for mythology, magic, and archaeology and her inimitable understanding of women. Perhaps the dovekeepers is the masterpiece she has been working toward all along. Hoffmans fiction is always compelling, but the history within the dovekeepers makes this novel. A novel paperback april 3 2012 by alice hoffman author 4. The dovekeepers by alice hoffman book club discussion. The lives of four sensuous, bold and remarkable women intersect in the year ad 70, in the desperate days of the siege of masada, when supplies are dwindling and the romans are drawing near. The main characters of this historical, historical fiction story are aziza, yael. It was a gift from my greatgreat grandmothers, the women of ancient israel who first spoke to me when i visited the mountain fortress of masada. She will be at the howard county library east columbia branch on thursday at 7 p. Told in four parts, the first comes from yael, daughter of yosef bar elhanan, a sicarii zealot assassin, rejected by her father because of her.
According to the ancient historian josephus, two women and five children survived. The program premiered in the united states on march 31, 2015 on cbs. The dovekeepers by alice hoffman 2011, hardcover for. The cbs twopart miniseries the dovekeepers, which begins tuesday, is so bad it is virtually impossible to believe it exists in the current landscape of american television. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the dovekeepers. Her debut novel, property of, was published by farrar straus and giroux when hoffman was 21 years old. Alice hoffmans novel reimagines the firstcentury siege, through the eyes of women. Free download or read online the dovekeepers pdf epub book. The dovekeepers audiobook by alice hoffman, heather lind. Based in alice hoffmans historical novel about the siege of masada, the miniseries focuses on four extraordinary women whose lives intersect in a fight for survival at the siege of masada. The dovekeepers is a twopart television adaptation based on the book of the same name by alice hoffman from executive producers roma downey and mark burnett. A trip through her enormous body of work for adults and young people is a. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 504 pages and is available in hardcover format.
The first edition of the novel was published in october 4th 2011, and was written by alice hoffman. Hoffman grounds her expansive, intricately woven, and deepest new. Its clear from the outset of the dovekeepers that we are firmly in alice hoffman territory. Continuing with a theme of reading historical fiction the book group read the dovekeepers by alice hoffman. It also showcases hoffmans immense gift for telling stories about women, magic and. The dovekeepers is alice hoffmans most ambitious and mesmerizing novel. The dovekeepers by alice hoffman and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Designed to play as a moving adaptation of alice hoffmans bestseller, the dovekeepers is more of a wounded duck. The seattle times alice hoffman weaves fiction and fact in the dovekeepers, a thrilling, passionate sagathe book pulses toward its stunning climax. Published 30 works of fiction, including literary, childrens, and ya. Alice hoffman is the author of thirty works of fiction, including practical magic, the red garden, the dovekeepers and, most recently,the museum of extraordinary things. Alice hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including the world that we knew, practical magic, the rules of magic, the oprahs book club selection here on earth,the red garden, the dovekeepers,the museum of extraordinary things, the marriage of opposites, and faithful.
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