Alice Hoffman and 'The Dovekeepers'

Alice Hoffman’s glorious new novel, THE DOVEKEEPERS, took her five years to research and write, and in addition to being her most ambitious it may well be her masterpiece.

Set in ancient Israel, THE DOVEKEEPERS is based on the true events of Masada. The Romans’ siege of Masada in 70 CE is one of the most significant events in Jewish history. Nine hundred Jews held out against the Romans for months on a mountain about 60 miles from Jerusalem. All but two women and five children were massacred.

Hoffman retells this story from the point of view of four extraordinary women, each of whom comes to Masada independently, and each of whom has secrets to keep. Yael is the daughter of a master assassin whose mother died in childbirth and whose father can’t forgive her. Revka witnesses unspeakable horror on her flight to Masada, and will go to any length to protect the only family she has left – her precious grandsons. Aziza is a warrior, more at home on the battlefield than in the dovecote. Shirah, her mother, is a woman with other-worldly powers, all of which she needs to protect her own secret, perhaps the most dangerous of them all.

THE DOVEKEEPERS gives voice to Hoffman’s passion for mythology, magic, and archaeology, her inimitable understanding of women and her Jewish roots.  Hoffman makes ancient history feel immediate and compelling; her huge tale is spellbinding, gripping, and unforgettable.

Alice Hoffman was born in New York City in 1952 and grew up on Long Island. Hoffman wrote her first novel, Property Of, at the age of 21. She has published 28 works of fiction. Her novel Here on Earth was an Oprah Book Club choice. Practical Magic was made into a film starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. Hoffman's work has been published in more than 20 translations and more than 100 foreign editions.

Hoffman is a visiting research scholar at the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University. She lives in Boston.