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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
The Masada massacre is the novel's climactic event; violence against civilians, including women and children, is depicted throughout
Language
Barely any
Minimal profanity; Hoffman's prose is lyrical and formal
Sexual Content
Some
Sexual content including the aftermath of rape; handled with Hoffman's literary sensitivity but present
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The psychological experience of women facing impossible choices in the face of genocidal violence is the novel's emotional core
What this book is about
Alice Hoffman's sweeping historical novel follows four women — a warrior's daughter, a witch, an assassin's lover, and a warrior — who converge at the fortress of Masada before the Roman siege of 73 CE. Hoffman weaves the women's stories with her characteristic attention to mysticism, female solidarity, and survival. The violence is significant — the massacre of Masada is central to the novel — and the novel deals with rape, loss, and the cost of war to civilian women. Emotionally demanding and beautifully written.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Massacre of Masada depicted
Sexual violence against women as part of historical record
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