We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book. 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. The dovekeepers book club kit vancouver island regional. Select one of alice hoffmans other works, such as the museum of extraordinary things or the dovekeepers, for your next book club meeting.
The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. In telling their story of loss and love, ive told my own story as well. A trip through her enormous body of work for adults and young people is a. Our book club page for the dovekeepers by alice hoffman includes book club discussion questions, author website, book summary.
I got totally caught up in the stories of the women of masada. The dovekeepers book club kit saint paul public library. 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. The dovekeepers audiobook by alice hoffman, heather lind. This miniseries was just a historically inaccurate soap opera. This study guide consists of approximately 1 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the dovekeepers. Over five years in the writing, the dovekeepers is alice hoffman. Ive never read alice hoffman before and with close to 600 pages. Lots of research went into this book, but it reads like really good fiction. Nearly two thousand years ago, nine hundred jews held out for. All are dovekeepers, and all are keepers of secrets about who. We travel, we eat, we hike, we bike, we read, we write and we have grand adventures in our fabulous fifties. Hoffman weaves a spellbinding tale of four extraordinary, bold, resourceful, and sensuous women, each of whom has come to masada by a different path. 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.
History often leaves these stories by the wayside, and what alice hoffman has done is a gift to all people living now. The dovekeepers i didnt know what i was getting into with alice hoffmans the dovekeepers, but i had been told by a friend that this was her book clubs favorite. 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. Perhaps this is a testament to hoffmans storytelling. According to the ancient historian josephus, two women and five children survived. The dovekeepers is a novel set during and after the fall of jerusalem 70 c. The love for my book club is quite strong because i read every page of this terrible book. It makes the book times more engaging for me to know that it really happened. Nearly two thousand years ago, nine hundred jews held out for months. The dovekeepers book club kit chapel hill public library. The book ties in with the history of the jerusalem revolt, and the last stand of the jewish people before 900 people were killed by their own hands, by suicide. It was our largest book to date at 500 pages but almost every member managed to finish it in time for our meeting.
Are there paintings that remind you of scenes in the novel. The author of such iconic bestsellers as illumination night, practical magic, fortunes daughter, and oprahs book club selection. The marriage of opposites by alice hoffman book club. A tale inspired by the tragic firstcentury massacre of hundreds of jewish people at masada presents the stories of a hated daughter, a bakers wife, a girl disguised as a warrior, and a medicine woman who keep doves and secrets while roman soldiers draw near. 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. The novel is much too long and, for most of its 500 pages, its four protagonists suffer relentlessly. The dovekeepers is a book of historical fiction set during the first jewishroman war. The story of the last zealot stronghold in judea is told from the point of view of four fictional women in the. It features the siege of masada by troops of the roman empire towards the end of the first jewishroman war. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you.
Ive never read alice hoffman before and with close to 600 pages, i feared i may not make it to the end. Hoffman grounds her expansive, intricately woven, and. The dovekeepers book club kit hennepin county library. A letter from alice hoffman once in a lifetime a book may come to a writer as an unexpected gift. How are these works similar or dissimilar to the marriage of opposites. Four strong women are brought together at the mountain of masada and fight for their lives against the romans. 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. The dovekeepers by alice hoffman book club discussion questions and research published december 11, 2011 by rf416rf. Continuing with a theme of reading historical fiction the book group read the dovekeepers by alice hoffman.
Yet i found the reading to be more of an exercise in frustration and perseverance. The dovekeeper by alice hoffman reading guidebook club. This novel is a sprawling tale based on another event in history. The dovekeepers tells the story of nine hundred jews living on masada in the desert, under siege by the romans.
The dovekeepers on its surface sounds like it has the potential to be incredibly moving, and i had high hopes. Hoffman grounds her expansive, intricately woven, and deepest new novel in biblical history, with a devotion and seriousness of purpose entertainment weekly. Alice hoffmans dovekeepers builds on lives of jewish heroines. Click download or read online button to get the dovekeepers book now. Is the marriage of opposites characteristic of pissarros style. Womens knowledge in the dovekeepers is handed down from mother to daughter, sister to sister, friend to friend.
Based on this tragic and iconic event, this is a tale of four extraordinarily bold, resourceful, and sensuous women, each of whom has. The dovekeepers book by alice hoffman official publisher. The dovekeepers reading group choices book club recommendations. A tale inspired by the tragic first century massacre of hundreds of jewish people. The novel, is a awesome book to discuss with book clubs, especially women. Nearly two thousand years ago, nine hundred jews held out for months against armies of romans on masada, a mountain in the judean desert. Molokai the dovekeepers those who save us orphan train the guest room the tea girl of hummingbird lane.
The lives of these four complex and fiercely independent women intersect in desperate days. The lives of these four complex and fiercely independent women intersect in the desperate days of the siege. This novel is a testament to the human spirit and to love rising from the ashes of war. The dovekeepers is strikinghoffman grounds her expansive, intricately woven, and deepest new novel in biblical history, with a devotion and seriousness of purpose entertainment weekly. The characters endure tremendous hardships, but the books tone is one of hope. The dovekeepers was the book selection for the month. The dovekeepers is a good choice for book clubs as long as your group is up to reading a 500 page novel. 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 dovekeepers an ambitious and mesmerizing novel from the bestselling author of rules of magic.
Download the dovekeepers by alice hoffman in pdf epub ebook. Alice hoffman may be the most uneven writer in america. Nov 04, 2011 the difficulty with the dovekeepers is that these moments of hope are too few and far between. The dovekeepers alice hoffman, 2011 scribner 512 pp. Over five years in the writing, alice hoffmans most ambitious and mesmerizing work ever, a triumph of imagination and research set in ancient israel.
The dovekeepers download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. But most of all, this novel is one that will never be forgotten by a reader. The book begins during the destruction of jerusalem and the temple in ad 70 and follows the journey of four women who end up together in the last jewish holdout, a mountaintop stronghold called masada. 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. The henna artist opens a door into a world that is at. The characters endure tremendous hardships, but the book s tone is one of hope. Jun 27, 20 continuing with a theme of reading historical fiction the book group read the dovekeepers by alice hoffman. All are dovekeepers, and all are also keeping secretsabout who they are, where they come from, who fathered them, and whom they lov e. May 04, 20 i didnt know what i was getting into with alice hoffmans the dovekeepers, but i had been told by a friend that this was her book clubs favorite. She was rightthis was an absolutely stunning novel. Ron charles ron charles writes about books for the washington post. Oct 23, 2011 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. Water for elephants book club discussion questions and answers. The book was a beautiful piece of historical fiction that told the story of strong, devout jewish women and the things they did to survive the times and the conditions and the roman siege.
A remarkable tale of biblical history and four powerful women. The dovekeepers lives are punctuated by prayers, curses and omens. Their decisions are directed by prophecies and by dreams, their faith sustained by. The dovekeepers by alice hoffman book club discussion. The frustration is largely the result of the books lack of development, which might sound weird to. This reading group guide for the dovekeepers includes discussion questions and a letter from author, alice hoffman. An ambitious and mesmerizing novel from the bestselling author of rules of magic. Dec 11, 2011 how does knowing that the novel is based on history and archeological findings affect your reading of the book. All are dovekeepers, and all are also keeping secretsabout who they are, where they come from, who.
A novel by alice hoffman for this weeks reading wednesday. Beautifully told story of jews in exile from jerusalem thousands of years ago. Once in a lifetime a book may come to a writer as an unexpected gift. I only read the last 180 pages because i was hoping everything would come together. The dovekeepers alice hoffman, best historical fiction. All are dovekeepers, and all are also keeping secretsabout who they are, where they come from. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. I am still reeling from the dovekeepers from the history alice hoffman illuminates, from the language she uses to bring these women to life.
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