Alice Hoffman has long been one of my very favorite authors. This book was a bit of a departure from her other stories. It's the story of several women, told from several perspectives, during the time of the siege of Masada by troops of the Roman Empire towards the end of the First JewishRoman War. The Jewish rebels and their families hiding there had a really rough time and the story ends very badly. One of the best things that Hoffman brings to this well-known historical event is that the story is told, for once, by the women, rather than from a military perspective. Masada (Matzada in Hebrew) is an ancient fortress in the Judaean desert built around 37 BCE by Herod the Great. It's on top of a tall flat-topped rock plateau, overlooking the Dead Sea. The fortress included palaces, storerooms, orchards, and food fortifications. It's still there, although in ruins, but it's an amazing place to visit. I really enjoyed the book, my last of 2013. Possibly it could have been a little shorter, but that's my only criticism. As always, Hoffman's prose and portrayal of the strength of women is exceptional.
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