Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman (2011)

Whew! One of the toughest books I have read recently. History provides such rich stories, often more harrowing than any author could imagine. I had a hard time starting this book, as the introductory paragraphs already felt heavy. I remember starting the introduction five times, because my mind could not grasp that it was talking about the first century or 70 CE to be precise. Again I am filling in a few threads of understanding in my weave of human history. This time about Israel, the sacking of Jerusalem by the Roman Empire and Masada, one of the last strongholds of the Jews. I have always admired the Jews for their tenacity and ability to survive and thrive through amazing adversity.

This story is told by four amazing women. Yael is the daughter of an assassin and her brother is one of the warriors of Masada. She has amazing strength an courage and a way with animals. She has faced down a lion and birds will come to her. Revka, the wife of a baker, who is raising her two mute grandsons after her daughter is killed, is bitter, but strong and also finds joy. Aziza is the daughter or a warrior and raised as a boy. Shira, her mother knows the ways of magic and old medicine. All of them have their secrets, intense relationships with men - fathers, brothers, lovers. The only really sympathetic male in the story is a large light skinned blond slave from the land of the ice, that claimed that women in his land had red hair like Yael. I kept wondering if this was meant to be Ireland, Scotland or some other northern European country.

I learned quite a bit about the historical time and the Jewish beliefs, rituals, rules, celebrations. I realize that I have a very minimal understanding of the Roman Empire, other than it was huge and powerful. Supply lines for armies interest me. Maybe there is a good novel giving an overview of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire I can read some day.

The dessert was another fascinating aspect of this book. I just can't imagine living in the dessert and surviving, finding or growing food in that arid climate, waiting for seasonal rains that may not come. I thought it was ingenious how the people of Masada did manage to provide for themselves for so long, and what an important role was played by the doves, which provided eggs, fertilizer, and a bit of meat.

Highly recommend, if you have the stomach for tough history.