The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman

A forbidden love story set on the tropical island of St. Thomas about the extraordinary woman who gave birth to painter Camille Pissarro—the Father of Impressionism.

Growing up on idyllic St. Thomas in the early 1800s, Rachel dreams of life in faraway Paris. Rachel’s mother, a pillar of their small refugee community of Jews who escaped the Inquisition, has never forgiven her daughter for being a difficult girl who refuses to live by the rules. Growing up, Rachel’s salvation is their maid Adelle’s belief in her strengths, and her deep, life-long friendship with Jestine, Adelle’s daughter. But Rachel’s life is not her own. She is married off to a widower with three children to save her father’s business. When her husband dies suddenly and his handsome, much younger nephew, Frédérick, arrives from France to settle the estate, Rachel seizes her own life story, beginning a defiant, passionate love affair that sparks a scandal that affects all of her family, including her favorite son, who will become one of the greatest artists of France.

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When I read the synopsis, I thought that this was going to be a simple love story. You know the one - boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, enter some sort of obstacle, but in the end, love conquers all. This novel is anything but a simple love story. It has many moving parts and explores many different facets of love. Yes, there is a passionate love story, but this novel also speaks to the love between a father and daughter, the love between a mother and daughter, the love between friends, the love of a mother for her son, the love between unequals, the love one feels towards their community, forbidden love, love versus companionship, and love for oneself. 

The story centers around the main character, Rachel, and chronicles much of her life from her early teens through her latter years. I found Rachel to be an incredibly complex character. She was defiant and strong-willed, yet at times obedient, but only to certain people. She refused to back down when her love affair caused a scandal, yet she refused to acknowledge her son's relationship when he went against her wishes. Like so many other great women, Rachel is a well of contradiction. Her life story, which is based on fact, is incredibly fascinating and compelling.

Although Rachel's story is the central story, there are several other "love" stories happening in and around her story that intersect with hers at different times throughout the novel. Alice Hoffman does an amazing job weaving together these various love stories, and even manages to throw in a surprise or two. She brings the cultures of St. Thomas and London alive beautifully and vividly, and this narrative is artfully written. This might be my favorite novel by Hoffman yet. Well worth the read.

2016 Reading Challenge: A book that takes places on an island

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

I originally picked up this novel because of its historical references to the content that I teach my 8th graders in World History I, and I was not disappointed by it. The Dovekeepers takes place in 70 C.E. after the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Second Temple. It tells the story of 900 Jews living in a stronghold of Masada, and their 4 year struggle to hold off the Romans. The story has some basis in history - the historian Josephus wrote an account of the Roman siege of Masada, in which he reported that two women and five children survived the massacre on the night when the Jews committed mass suicide rather than surrender to the Roman Legion.

The Dovekeepers weaves together the story of four women and the journeys that brought them to the stronghold in Masada. Yael - the Assassin's Daughter -  is a fiery redhead whose mother died giving birth to her. Her father, a famed assassin, never forgave her for that death. Revka - the Baker's Wife - comes to Masada with her two grandsons and son-in-law after witnessing the brutal murder of her daughter. Aziza - the Warrior - is a warrior’s daughter, raised as a boy, a fearless rider and expert marksman, who finds passion with another soldier. Shirah - the Witch of Moab -  is wise in the ways of ancient magic and medicine.

Alice Hoffman does a wonderful job telling the individual stories of each of these women and then weaving them together. I enjoyed the fact that I recognized many of the places referenced in the story. However, even if you don't know anything about the historical events surrounding the story, you will still enjoy the book. The characters are strong women and there stories intersected in interesting ways. I enjoyed Alice Hoffman's writing style and will probably check out some of her other books.