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eggjen's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this book - more so than I even expected. It was really masterfully written in my opinion, unweaving more of each character's stories as you read - each character bringing a new dynamic and a new angle to the whole book. I truly just loved it.
tashaseegmiller's review
5.0
I didn't really look into this book much, it just kept showing up on the internet and so I had to give it a try. Yes, the cover played a role in this.
This book is incredible. It tells the story of four women in Ancient Israel and I loved each one. It is a story of Masada, based on historical events and told with such authenticity and incredible voice that I couldn't stop reading and I didn't want to stop reading. I didn't want the characters' stories to end.
This is a heavier book than I expected - not the standard summer reading selection - but I have to highly recommend it all the same.
This book is incredible. It tells the story of four women in Ancient Israel and I loved each one. It is a story of Masada, based on historical events and told with such authenticity and incredible voice that I couldn't stop reading and I didn't want to stop reading. I didn't want the characters' stories to end.
This is a heavier book than I expected - not the standard summer reading selection - but I have to highly recommend it all the same.
librarygurl's review
3.0
I have been to Masada. I have gone up and down on foot. I was raised Jewish. I grew up with the stories of what happened. I knew how this would end. I enjoy Alice Hoffman. I know not to judge her books on summaries and movies. This book was not my favorite. I listened to the audiobook.
The story itself was solid, but took quite a while to become interesting. A lot of time, as other reviewers have said, was spent describing things and places in intricate detail. Given the number of people who left reviews saying they knew nothing about Masada, I can forgive the depth of detail. I just didn't find myself engrossed with the story until the last half. Yael and Revkah were not engaging stories compared to Aziza and Shirah. I really wanted just to hear Shirah's story. Hoffman's magical realism didn't really come into play with anyone other than Shirah. It just felt it was much longer than it needed to be.
The audiobook had some good qualities and some bad ones. First, each narrator got her own voice. There were different readers- at least three. I wasn't able to identify which reader did 2 narrators. What I didn't enjoy was what often happens with audiobooks: the drone. I appreciate and understand that it is not easy to do audiobooks. I have heard some phenomenal audiobooks where readers use their voice to engage the listener. It is like they are telling you the story rather than just reading it. I have heard very few like this. Most readers begin to drone on with little variation in vocality. They read in the same tone most of the book. This book had the drone. I fell asleep more than once while listening. All of the narrators were guilty of this.
I gave this 3 stars because it was a solid book, just not for me.
The story itself was solid, but took quite a while to become interesting. A lot of time, as other reviewers have said, was spent describing things and places in intricate detail. Given the number of people who left reviews saying they knew nothing about Masada, I can forgive the depth of detail. I just didn't find myself engrossed with the story until the last half. Yael and Revkah were not engaging stories compared to Aziza and Shirah. I really wanted just to hear Shirah's story. Hoffman's magical realism didn't really come into play with anyone other than Shirah. It just felt it was much longer than it needed to be.
The audiobook had some good qualities and some bad ones. First, each narrator got her own voice. There were different readers- at least three. I wasn't able to identify which reader did 2 narrators. What I didn't enjoy was what often happens with audiobooks: the drone. I appreciate and understand that it is not easy to do audiobooks. I have heard some phenomenal audiobooks where readers use their voice to engage the listener. It is like they are telling you the story rather than just reading it. I have heard very few like this. Most readers begin to drone on with little variation in vocality. They read in the same tone most of the book. This book had the drone. I fell asleep more than once while listening. All of the narrators were guilty of this.
I gave this 3 stars because it was a solid book, just not for me.
vivelarevolution's review against another edition
Yael's age is not stated. I assumed that she was a young adult for most of this book. Her brother Amram is a year older than her. Aziza is sixteen when she is introduced and begins a secret romantic and sexual relationship with him. This means that either Yael was a teenager when she had an affair at the beginning of the book, or that Yael's brother Amram is an adult in a relationship with a sixteen year old.
I don't feel comfortable continuing to read the book with this information in mind as I feel the author presented both relationships as consensual and between peers. That cannot possibly be the case. I don't understand the widespread inclination in historical fiction to portray pedophilic relationships as acceptable and understandable just because of the time period, and I don't condone it.
I don't feel comfortable continuing to read the book with this information in mind as I feel the author presented both relationships as consensual and between peers. That cannot possibly be the case. I don't understand the widespread inclination in historical fiction to portray pedophilic relationships as acceptable and understandable just because of the time period, and I don't condone it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Genocide, Violence, Rape, Antisemitism, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Sexism, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Medical content, and Adult/minor relationship
The rape is depicted graphically on pages 184-185.mtzbookworm64's review
5.0
Once again, Alice Hoffman weaves a great story of 4 courageous women fighting against all odds. Each with their own story - but each life woven together in a time when women were to be seen and not heard. An excellent tale of how faith can take you far and how you must trust in your faith even when others disagree and are against you and test your faith.
sarahmaiolo's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
brn's review
5.0
This book is one of the best stories I have read. Alice Hoffman did a wonderful job of weaving the history and the story together in a wonderful masterpiece. There is so much detail that at times I had to re-read to ensure that I got everything. I am not a "feminist" but it left me feeling so honored to be a woman and amazed as the realization of what the women before us had gone through. I am currently taking a senior level history class on the History of Women in Asia. The coincidence of me reading this book as I have begun this class very fortunate.
eiramaniger's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mcdevimm's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Slavery, Animal death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail