I have a feeling that this book is a bit of a let down, that in some ways it should be better or more likable than it is. Than I have to wonder if it is because in some ways it is too accurate; it is the fall of Masada after all. That’s not going to end well. And yet, it still fee...
Thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was great to finally read a book classified by others as "literary" and finally enjoy it. Most "literary" books are hard to read and require me to take frequent breaks to read lighter fare. For e.g. On Chesil Beach, it took me 6 weeks to make my way through this, re...
This is a first Alice Hoffman read for me. It was one of the top picks at my local bookstore when it first came out. I don't normally gravitate towards this kind of fiction but something about the cover and the synopsis called out to me, and I'm glad I followed thru.I don't know anything about this ...
Set in 70CE concerning the Roman destruction of the Temple. As much as I enjoy the magical aspect of the story, Yael's memory of her birth was a bit much for me, and the unrelenting anguish of her early life made it hard for me to connect.Library copy.
Great read! Wonderfully written, I can't say which character was my favorite, since I saw apart of myself in each one. The story is violent, bloody and doomed and yet there is love, friendship and a will to survive. My only complaint is that it did seem to drag on a bit and for that reason I'm givin...
In 70 C.E a group of about 900 Jewish rebels fled Jerusalem and settled in Masada, an ancient fortress high in the desert mountains and considered to be indestructible. There, they held out for months against armies of Romans.Read about four strong-willed and fiercely independent women. Learn their ...
I was very disappointed in this book. I love the idea of an historical novel about the siege of Masada, but this novel's anachronisms and heavy-handed feminism just don't cut it for me. If you want to learn about 1st century Judaism while reading a good novel, this isn't the book for you. But if you...
This book took me almost a week to get through, which is a long time for me. It started off very slow, but got easier to read after the first narrator, Yael, gets to Masada. The whole thing was well-written, the characters are sympathetic - to an extent - and it was, uh, interesting.But here's the t...
I was a bit intimidated by this doorstop of a book in the beginning, but it sure didn't take me long to get into the story. Once I got 'hooked', I didn't want to stop reading.I really liked the way Ms Hoffman was so descriptive with her writing. I could almost smell the smells, feel the desert air...
The first 50 pages of this book are amazing. Cliché as it sounds, I felt transported to the land of Judea in 70 C.E., brought vividly to life from the streets of Jerusalem to the harsh desert (reflecting the harshness of the narrator’s life). And it was fascinating to see how much history had alread...
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