The Dovekeepers

                                                                     By Alice Hoffman

Romans defeated of the Jews at Masada in the year 70C.E., and this is the
story of some of the women who were there. Women who had come together to be
the Dove keepers. To care for the animals who were kept to provide eggs and fertilizer
for the crops raised within the walls, and to be spread around the trees. The doves
gave sustenance to all who lived there in one way or another.

Those who kept the Dover were Shirah and her daughters Aziza and Nahara. Shirah
had been born in Alexandria and was educated not only in reading and the knowledge
of languages, but of magic as had been her own mother. Her story, and that of the
birth of her daughters alone, is worth the price of this book.

There is Revka, a woman left to raise her two young grandsons, after the world
as they knew it was taken from them. To say that things were never to be the same
for them is an understatement of vast proportion. Again, their story alone deserves a book.

Yael was born of a woman who no longer had breath in her body and that moment of her birth
was to affect each choice she made and all the days of her life.

These women worked together to care for the doves who were the basis of life
or those who lived on the mountain. Who can say how it was that these women
were brought together, and how it was that they were perhaps the strongest of
all. They carried within them their own secrets, and in the end, it fell to some of them
to carry and then share the story of what happened when the Romans came finally to Masada
and scaled the mountain. Stronger than the warriors, the leaders and in the end, the conquerors.

The stories that were left behind that historic event are the basis of this
glorious novel. They say that there were seven who lived. Seven who survived
months of siege and then attack by the Romans of their people. The Jews who had already
torn from their homelands, and found refuge together on this great mountain. Seven
who refused to die either at the hands of the Romans or of their own people, and
who found a way to live.

Waiting For Columbus

This was an interesting read. Although it was a long and winding road, the journey
was a good one. Columbus. Who would have guessed that Christopher Columbus would ever
be a controversial figure. Columbus discovered America in 1492. Period.

Not so fast~ that may not be the way it happened. But although this book is called
Waiting for Columbus, it is not that Columbus. Or, is it? Well maybe. It might
be Christopher Columbus, pal of Queen Isabella and Captain of the la Callega. But wait,
isn't that the Santa Maria? Well yes it is! Confusing, isn't it?

Waiting for Columbus is a somewhat confusing book. The man who was gor many years honored
for discovering the Americas flipping channels on tv, and using a phone. How can that be?
Ask Zimmerman, whoever he is. What?

What indeed. Fifteenth century, twenty first century, one overlaid by the other.
Intriguing. Who is this Christopher Columbus anyway? That indeed is the question.
We do find out by the way. With the help of the most intriguing Emile, the earnest Dr Balderas,
and the beautiful Consuala who is a little bit in love with...someone.

I am glad I read this book. It is a mystery, a love story and has a form of time travel tossed in
for good measure. Mental time travel, but it is there, to be sure. It is worth getting through the
occasionally slow and redundant story to get to the answer. Most of the story drew me in and
the characters were likable and interesting.

So, Like I said.. three stars, I am glad I read it, and think you will be too.

The Doomsday Book

by Connie Willis

A historian by training, adventuress by nature. That describes Kivrin, the young woman whose dream is finally coming through as she is sent to study life in the year 1320. The middle ages is a time fraught with danger, especially for a woman alone. Kivrin shrugs this off as she prepares to be a part of something that she has dreamed of for years.

Nothing can go wrong. There are checks and cross checks and redundancies everywhere. The net has been used before and often. So often that Gilchrist, the arrogant, self serving unprepared and untrained man in temporary charge of the facility seems fine with foregoing some of the tests and checks.

Kivrin is all too willing to believe him, and to take the risk to live her dream. Nothing can go wrong.
She has made preparations down to the last detail of proper clothing, and language, She even made sure that her nails were worn and broken by volunteering at a local archeological dig before she leaves.

The archeological dig that was nearly the undoing of everyone for miles around.

Kivrin herself and Baldri the tech assisting at sending her to 1320 are both infected by a bacteria that has survived the tomb they helped to uncover.

Not only does Kiverin arrive at her destination infected, but something else has gone gravely wrong. People are dying in the time she left and the time where she is now living. Was it her? Did she bring this upon them?

I admit to an affinity for time travel stories. Who would not want to see what it was like when the Pyramids were being built? Who would turn down a chance to see a time before they were born, a simpler, happier time?

The characters in this story were realistic, complicated and human. People doing the best that they can to have the best that life can offer them. They lived and loved and worked together in communities 700 years apart, but not so different after all.

This is a story filled with dreams, with anguish and fear. But it is also a story of love and hope and strength. I was captivated by the characters and the tale. I couldn't put it down, until I finally learned how the story ended.