This novel is set in contemporary Viet Nam, but the protagonist - Old Man Hung, has lived through decades of political upheaval. As he remembers friends and family we get a glimpse into life in Viet Nam when it was occupied by the French, then with Ho Chi Minh and the communist revolution, followed by war against (or with) the Americans.
"Food is the cornerstone of our social life and can spur conversations about the deepest and most fundamental issues." Just how Gibb has used this connection to make an itinerant pho chef the central character in this work, and used "pho" to give us the history of Viet Nam is so original.
I really liked this book and the characters in it, especially Hung. As he survives the decades by learning new ways to feed his neighbours the noodle laden broth - pho, commonly eaten for breakfast, his interaction with his "family" gives us a wonderful over view of Hanoi. We meet Maggie Ly, born in Viet Nam but raised in the USA, whose goal is to locate someone who knew her father. Tu, who sees Hung as a grandfather, Lan, Hung's neighbour in the shanty town where he lives, Binh, Tu's father and a host of other characters create a tapestry of Hanoi and Vietnam.
Food, politics, religion and love are at the centre of this novel, but food comes and goes, political systems change, love is lost and gained or missed. Poetry and art add to the humanity of the characters as they try to help their fellow human beings.
This is a sensitive, beautifully written book with lots of history and well-rounded characters. My favourite kind of read!
The Dovekeepers - Alice Hoffman
In 70 C.E. nine hundred Jews held out for over four years against armies of Romans, on Masada, a mountain in the Judean dessert. This fortress had been built by Herod, had beautiful inlaid floors in the palace, orchards, vineyards and huge storehouses - all full of wine, oil and olives. It had many cisterns - for bathing, for laundry, for watering livestock and for drinking. The largest cistern was as wide as fifty men with outstretched arms. Amazing!
Hoffman spent five years researching and writing this novel and it shows. It felt like living history. We all know the end of the story - over 900 Jewish defenders committed mass suicide rather than submit to the Romans. But what makes this book a "story" is the way the author describes life and events at Masada from the point of view of five very different women - during the seige of the Sicarri.
These women tend the dovecotes on Masada - especially mindful of the droppings used to fertilize the fields and orchards. Each woman arrives from a different place and carries her losses and secrets with her. This sisterhood of women spans several decades, age-wise. Each has endured incredible hardship - the loss of loved ones, homes, brutality, starvation - yet at Masada they develop a complex relationship. Each woman has an affinity for an element - fire, air, metal or water and I found how their personality and their development linked to their element utterly fascinating.
This book is rich in detail - down to the food, clothing, amulets and spells, names, armour, childbirth, "pharmaka" or herbal remedies. It is a long book and not easy reading, but is certainly rich in culture and history.
- Practical Magic
- The Ice Queen
Who Knew?
Masada became important to the British during the 'Mandate' era during WWII. The plan was to man defensive positions in order to stop Erwin Rommels expected drive through the region in 1942. The plan was abandoned following Rommels defeat at El Alamein.
A 2000 year old seed was discovered here in the 1960s and has successfully germinated to become a date plant, the oldest known germination.
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