BookLife Review: The Dovekeepers, by Alice Hoffman
Masada, Jewish history and legend, Roman army, Josephus, dovekeepers
Alice Hoffman (@ahoffmanwriter) once again awes. She creates a vivid and palpable sense of place and daily life underpinning the legend of the Masada as related and recorded by Josephus, the plateau community of exiled #Sicarii people inhabiting the abandoned palace fortresses and grounds constructed by Herod. Legend tells of a siege by the Roman army in the years 73-74 Before Christ, when Romans built an earthen ramp to reach the fortified plateau only to find a mass suicide of the inhabitants. The suicide was orchestrated, the legend goes, to avoid enslavement by the Romans. Hoffman's re-creation tells the story of the people who endured extraordinary hardship to arrive and remain alive there. Hoffman brings ancient history to life by richly envisioning daily life of that era and making it come alive through deeply rendered portraits and voices of four strong women of the Masada. A worthy read. #israel #judaism #historicalfiction #dovekeeper