The author Alice Hoffman says she was inspired by a visit to Masada and used the historian Josephus’ account of the siege as inspiration for her story of these four very different and remarkable women.

Perhaps they thought I was ready to take flight and considered me a sacrifice.” THE MUSEUM OF EXTRAORDINARY THINGS by Alice Hoffman - A spellbinding novel from the author of THE DOVEKEEPERS about an electric and impassioned love affair. I wore the white garments of a dovekeeper. These Dovekeepers are fascinating women – “There were seven hawks circling above me, echoing the seven sister, stars that gather in the sky. some of the character in the book are real and even items mentioned in the stories such as artifacts are now actually displayed in museum in and around the country. The novel is Alice Hoffman’s latest book, The Dovekeepers, which attempts to retell the story of the Jewish resistance during the Roman siege of Masada in the first century. The author states that many events in the book are real and the overriding story is one of historical truth. In the town, jewish rebels are holding out against the encroaching romans and each one in turn narrates a part of the overall story as well as their own. These women as the title of the book refers to are dovekeepers as they are the ones to look after the birds that are kept in the fortress overlooking the town. The Masada massacre and the historical significance of this is the amazing backdrop to this story of four very different women who come to the town of Masada and become involved with the events which follow.

Author of the dovekeepers