Ann Chamberlin

A work of historical fiction based on the Biblical Tamar, daughter of King David. This work doesn't really align too well with the Biblical characters so I sometimes became confused. For example, the Biblical Amnon rapes Tamar but in this book, his cousin, Jonadab rapes Tamar and Amnon is the kind, loving step-brother. Since I was familiar with the story from 2 Samuel 13 (where Tamar is only named twice and the incident is only about 6 verses) I was confused when the characters were changed around. Not sure why an author would do this. The author does create quite a story for Tamar as the "Snake Sleeper" who controls snakes for her ceremonies and is immune to their bite. 468 pages… (plus d'informations)

A strong four. I thoroughly enjoyed this journey to the beginnings of Islam and the tribal Days of the Arabs beforehand. In my past I’ve read Ibn Ishaq’s Life of Muhammad that’s a wonderful picture of a culture, and the novel captured that atmosphere for me. Even history on these times can grip you like a novel – fantastic material – so to have authentic-feel fiction was a treat.

It’s named after Khalid and he does get half the space. He’s a sympathetic main, unconverted until late in the book, but a peacemaker, at first, as the new religion divides Mecca. I loved his sincerity – not just his; but for instance, he goes through an ordeal-oath to patch a hostility, and people’s commitment to this oath is written of without cynicism. Why do I remark on that? I do find that a modern cynicism intrudes into historical fiction – one of the nastier sorts of anachronism if you ask me.

The other half of the space is the women – daughter, mother, grandmother – and these are identified with the old pagan ways, when Mecca’s sacred precincts housed 360 gods, with the god(esses if you must) of moon and sun... and how fiercely is the sun-divinity described, as fitting in the climate. I was always most fascinated by these pagan days, and came up against the fact there isn’t enough known or left – so I was enthralled by the reconstruction here. This novel is strongly women-focused. But when you have women such as Khadijah -- here as hard as she might have been in life – and “that fearsome lady Hind” whom I’ll never forget from Ibn Ishaq... you can only say, the novel does them justice.

In spite of myself I liked the narrative technique: two people remember the past. With the drawback that Khalid’s memories are in italics – that’s a huge swathe of the book, and I know I’m not the only one who tires at italics. Often I find a loss of immediacy with stories told as memories, but here the stories themselves kept me keen and I didn’t care. It’s true I never worked up much interest in the present, centred on a 12-year-old girl, but she mostly functions as a listener.

I read the second without the first but was never confused (except, to be honest, by the daughter/mother/grandmother, but I’m bad at families and don’t try). --And I did that because I was given a free copy of this one.… (plus d'informations)

This disappointing book explores the Adam/Eve/Lilith myth. Chamberlin tries to apply anthropology and create a real-world situation in which the Biblical/pre-Biblical tale of Lilith and Adam could have conceivably happened. However, Chamberlin only uses anthropology to fiddle with the character's ages and the story drifts between realism and fantasy poorly, as Lilith and her daughter (who is also the narrator) become omniscient, immortal folk while Adam and Eve are mere humans who rape the earth and invent a religion. I'm not a Christian myself and didn't find the story very offensive but some might. Disinteresting characterization, slow plot development, and boring narrative.… (plus d'informations)