**An Audiofile Earphones Award-winning production**
For fans of The Hours and Fates and Furies, a bold, kaleidoscopic novel intertwining the lives of three women across three centuries as their stories of sex, power, and desire finally converge in the present day.
Lily is a mother and a daughter. And a second wife. And a writer, maybe? Or she was going to be, before she had children. Now, in her rented Brooklyn apartment she's grappling with her sexual and intellectual desires, while also trying to manage her roles as a mother and a wife in 2016.
Vivian Barr seems to be the perfect political wife, dedicated to helping her charismatic and ambitious husband find success in Watergate-era Washington D.C. But one night he demands a humiliating favor, and her refusal to obey changes the course of her life—along with the lives of others.
Esther is a fiercely independent young woman in ancient Persia, where she and her uncle's tribe live a tenuous existence outside the palace walls. When an innocent mistake results in devastating consequences for her people, she is offered up as a sacrifice to please the King, in the hopes that she will save them all.
In Anna Solomon's The Book of V., these three characters' riveting stories overlap and ultimately collide, illuminating how women's lives have and have not changed over thousands of years.
A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company
-
Creators
-
Publisher
-
Release date
May 5, 2020 -
Formats
-
OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781250754998
- File size: 263297 KB
- Duration: 09:08:32
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Reviews
-
Publisher's Weekly
Starred review from March 23, 2020
Solomon (Leaving Lucy Pear) models this clever, heartfelt triptych on The Hours, weaving a retelling of the biblical story of Esther with the linked stories of a senator’s wife and a Brooklyn mom. In the ancient Persian town of Susa, new king Ahasuerus banishes his wife, Vashti, after she refuses to strip for Ahasuerus’s friends. At a house party in 1970s Washington, D.C., Vee Kent’s husband, Sen. Alexander Kent, makes the same lewd request Ahasuerus made to Vashti. Vee refuses, and is sent packing by Alexander’s chief of staff. Vee takes refuge with her best friend, Rosemary, who’s converting to Judaism in solidarity with her husband. In 2016 Brooklyn, Lily is getting her kids ready for Purim when she learns that her mother, Ruth, has been diagnosed with cancer. Later, Lily connects with one of Ruth’s old friends, who shares surprising details about her mother’s identity and past experience. Solomon connects these stories in a way that’s fresh and tantalizing, with fascinating intergenerational discussions about desire, duty, family, and feminism, as well as a surprising, completely believable twist. This frank, revisionist romp through a Bible tale is a winner. -
AudioFile Magazine
Listeners seeking a break from today's challenges should download this thoughtful historical audiobook performed by three talented narrators. The story involves three women who lived in three different centuries. Eva Kaminsky adeptly conveys the ambiguities and hesitations of Lily, a second wife who declines an academic post to stay at home with her young children in contemporary Brooklyn. Vivian, a political wife in 1970s Washington, DC, whose husband's vile demand severely damages her sense of self, is wonderfully portrayed by Gabra Zackman in a slightly detached yet compelling tone. Dara Rosenberg's depiction of the intelligence and emotions of Persian Queen Esther, as well as the intrigues of many supporting male and female characters, is truly astonishing. While there are clear transitions between storylines, listeners will not sense any abrupt shifts in tone or pace. M.J. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
-
Loading
Why is availability limited?
×Availability can change throughout the month based on the library's budget. You can still place a hold on the title, and your hold will be automatically filled as soon as the title is available again.
The Kindle Book format for this title is not supported on:
×Read-along ebook
×The OverDrive Read format of this ebook has professional narration that plays while you read in your browser. Learn more here.