This novel is told from the perspective of four women who were present during the siege of Masada by the Romans in 73 CE. The siege was one of the final events in the First JewishâRoman War, occurring on and around a large plateau in current-day Israel. Masada was a fortress originally built by King Herod as a palace in 37 BCE. The siege was chronicled by Josephus and was said to result in the mass suicide of Jewish rebels and families at Masada.
The four women narrators of the novel are the titular dovekeepers who work in the dovecoats at the Masada fortress. They tend to the doves there mainly to collect their waste for use as fertilizer for the orchards on the plateau. Each of the four narrates a portion of the novel which gives the background on each woman and how they ended up at Masada. Each woman has a unique story to tell and they all seem to go against some of the laws of the Jewish faith. The first woman, Yael, has an adulterous affair with a married warrior before going to Masada resulting in the birth of her son. She also cuts herself which is also against Jewish law, to keep track of her time in the desert. One of the women, Shirah, was considered "The Witch of Moab" for using spells and potions and she also had an adulterous affair with the leader of the rebels at Masada. In addition she had tattoos which were also taboo.
Although the events of this novel played out against the background of a very compelling event, to me, most of the narrative became somewhat tedious. I also thought the voices of the four women were indistinguishable and their stories kept going on and on making me wish the novel would come to an end. I would, however, like to read more about Masada and the Roman-Jewish wars -- a piece of history that I really know nothing about. I have also read some other Hoffman novels that I generally enjoyed, but for me, this one was just too long and fell a little flat.
The four women narrators of the novel are the titular dovekeepers who work in the dovecoats at the Masada fortress. They tend to the doves there mainly to collect their waste for use as fertilizer for the orchards on the plateau. Each of the four narrates a portion of the novel which gives the background on each woman and how they ended up at Masada. Each woman has a unique story to tell and they all seem to go against some of the laws of the Jewish faith. The first woman, Yael, has an adulterous affair with a married warrior before going to Masada resulting in the birth of her son. She also cuts herself which is also against Jewish law, to keep track of her time in the desert. One of the women, Shirah, was considered "The Witch of Moab" for using spells and potions and she also had an adulterous affair with the leader of the rebels at Masada. In addition she had tattoos which were also taboo.
Although the events of this novel played out against the background of a very compelling event, to me, most of the narrative became somewhat tedious. I also thought the voices of the four women were indistinguishable and their stories kept going on and on making me wish the novel would come to an end. I would, however, like to read more about Masada and the Roman-Jewish wars -- a piece of history that I really know nothing about. I have also read some other Hoffman novels that I generally enjoyed, but for me, this one was just too long and fell a little flat.
