"The Dovekeepers" by Alice Hoffman
Published 2011 by Scribner
I was excited to read this book. I expected to like it. And I did.
It's inevitable that the comparisons to Diamant's "The Red Tent" are going to come up. I am guilty of using it when I recommend "The Dovekeepers" to others. It's true, if you enjoyed "The Red Tent" you will most likely enjoy this. Strong female characters, ancient Israel and a bit of magic work well in both books. But I think I liked Hoffman's better.
Hoffman's characters are more exciting. The trials they suffer through, the strength they demonstrate, the self doubt, the bonding between them, literally makes them come alive. These are characters that are going to stay with you. And I enjoyed the way Hoffman dealt with the women's feminine mystic. She describes magic and spells, incantations and tokens but between the lines she lets you see how it was the women's faith that made the magic work. Someone who is a complete non-believer in magic or witchcraft, or who simply dislikes books of that ilk, can still read this book. It is essentially the story of the women's faith not only in their God but in themselves and each other.
OK, Hoffman may not be the greatest writer out there. I've read criticisms of the book that I have to agree with. Her metaphors can seem a bit trite at times. But if you aren't a literary critic and you are willing to "go with the flow", I guarantee you'll be entertained. Personally, that means alot to me. I do read for pleasure.
I would also suggest picking up this book sooner rather than later. Some of the enjoyment comes from finding out the history it's based on and the longer you wait to pick this one up, the more talk you are going to hear about it. Good and bad.
