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The Book of V.
Anna Solomon's kaleidoscopic novel intertwines the lives of a Brooklyn mother in 2016, a senator’s wife in 1970s Washington, D.C., and the Bible’s Queen Esther, whose stories of sex, power and desire overlap and ultimately converge—showing how women’s roles have and have not changed over thousands of years.
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.
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.
Following in the tradition of The Hours and The Red Tent, The Book of V. is a bold and contemporary investigation into the enduring expectations and restraints placed on women’s lives.
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.
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.
Following in the tradition of The Hours and The Red Tent, The Book of V. is a bold and contemporary investigation into the enduring expectations and restraints placed on women’s lives.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published May 5, 2020
1424 people are currently reading
20199 people want to read
About the author
Anna Solomon
13 books294 followersAnna Solomon is the author of The Book of V., forthcoming from Henry Holt on May 5, 2020, Leaving Lucy Pear, and The Little Bride, a two-time winner of the Pushcart Prize, and the curator of @unkempt_real_life on Instagram. Her short fiction and essays have appeared in publications including The New York Times Magazine, The Boston Globe, One Story, Ploughshares, and Slate. Solomon is co-editor with Eleanor Henderson of Labor Day: True Birth Stories by Today's Best Women Writers. Previously, she worked as a radio journalist. Anna was born and raised in Gloucester, Massachusetts and lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 794 reviews
July 16, 2020
Unfortunately, this is not at all what I expected. It's me though, because I'm really not a fan of Biblical historical figure retellings with a modern spin. It's a popular technique today, to spin a woman from the Bible as a modern-day feminist, and this book tries to do that with Esther. It's something I actually dislike immensely. Call me old-fashioned, but some things should just remain holy. Queen Esther is not a modern-day feminist, she lived within a specific time period with particular expectations and values, according to her culture, race, and religion. Painting her with a modern flair just strips her of the values she would have held in her real life.
June 16, 2020
Ebook/sync...Audiobook.... narrated by Dara Rosenberg, Eva Kaminsky, and Gabra Zackman
The story begins in Brooklyn: 2016.
Lily is reading a book
about Esther to her two little daughters......
“Close the book now. Close it. Look. The story’s simple. Persia, once upon a time. King banishes queen. Queen refuses to come to his party and parade in front of his friends—naked, is what most people think you wanted! —and he sends her away, or has her killed. No one knows. She’s gone. Vashti, this is. Her name is Vashti. You know this! And then the king gets sad and wants another wife so he calls for all the maidens to come and win his affections. A maiden? A maiden is a girl. Or a woman. A woman who isn’t married. Kind of. Right. And the maidens come and put on lots of make up and smelly oils. But when it’s time for the beauty pageant, the king chooses the maiden who doesn’t try to hard, the one with just a dab of lipstick, or whatever they used. Esther. She also happens to be Jewish, though she doesn’t mention that. She’s very pretty, yes. No, she’s not a princess. She’s an orphan, with an uncle who looks out for her, but then this uncle also winds up getting her into trouble because he refuses to bow down to the king’s minister, and the minister gets mad, really mad, and decides it’s time to kill all Jews. And then things get kind of messy, but the details aren’t that important and most of them contradict each other anyway, which is why I’m tired of reading you this book and why we are going to put it away for a while. I know you like it, but I need a break”.
“Lily tosses the book out of the girls bedroom, into the hallway. It’s a children’s book, the biblical story dumbed down, but still it’s convoluted, full of plot holes and inconsistencies”.
The only thing the children need to remember anyway, is that the second queen, Esther, is the hero.
However.....
Lily wants to shove the book deep into the kitchen trash.
We’ll learn why Lily is - (ha) - bitter..... as the author, Anna Solomon, reaches across centuries to tell the story of three different women— who were governed by men.
Lily’s husband is deputy director of programs for Rwanda at the major humanitarian aid organization. She is his second wife.
Lily is a mother, daughter, and second wife. She is grappling with her sexual and intellectual desires, and her role as mommy to two daughters.
We meet Vee, (born Vivian Barr), in Washington DC.
She was the daughter of the late Senator Barr of Massachusetts and granddaughter to Governor Fitch of Connecticut.
Vee, ‘seems’ like the perfect paper-doll-cut-out-political wife— dedicated to supporting her successful-charismatic-ambitious husband during the Watergate-era in Washington DC.
Her story captivates and challenges every aspect of life.
Esther, is the fiercely independent heroine in ancient Persia.
She lives with her uncle outside the palace walls. When a mistake happens one night—there are horrific consequences and she is offered up as a sacrifice to the king..... to ‘save’ the people!
This book is absolutely deliciously engaging!!!
Smart, sexy, tantalizing, and flamboyantly powerful.
Womanhood is explored; battles with men examined intimately.
Stories interweave and collide. I didn’t want to part too long with this story.
I started with the audiobook while hiking...(audiobook bliss)....
but I was dying to get back to the characters, their trials and tribulations, so I read the second half during much of the late evening into early hours of the morning.
The writing is often right up in our face. It gave me a kinda - reading ‘high’.
“She should have resisted. She should have known what to expect. She should have made a speech. She should have spit in his face, should have danced naked, shouldn’t have drunk so much, should have buttoned her collar. She keeps thinking back to the Jefferson Airplane concert where she was dancing with her friends when three boys moved on them, treading arms between their legs and up there skirts trying to......
“No one paid attention to the girls’ shouts; they had to flee, run back to the motel, lock the door. They kept laughing, until one of them cried. They should have worn jeans, not skirts”.
Or...
“You had to understand it couldn’t be prevented. She is eighteen, ripe as a rabbit. Her stomach sits on her lap. Her feet are being rubbed. The midwife doing the rubbing discreetly avoids the bulging knuckles on Esther’s big toes, remnants of her beastly transformation, but that does not mean she— or any of the midwives—trusts her”.
However....
“They will never go back to pink, just as her ears and skin and toes will never return to their original forms. You had to know she didn’t escape.
Smart girl, very brave, became a beast”.
It’s a wonderful book… especially for women. Although I think men will equally enjoy this novel.
The supporting characters add thought-provoking fascination as well as the main characters.
...Anna Solomon gives us historical perspectives -
...Judaism perspectives-
...A new way to look at the biblical story of Esther’-
...Political perspectives-
...Domestic and liberation perspectives.-
I put the book down a few times to reflect on my younger self as a maiden, memories of being employed with a prestigious high powered company in my 20’s, my role and responsibilities as a Jew, early marriage days, and
the complexity of motherhood, wife, and independent woman.
I’m left looking at women’s shame, susceptibility, worship, family, silence, loneliness, community, and self expression.
*....Shhhh.. a little tidbit:
My Hebrew birth name is Esther.
The biblical meaning, symbolically, means hidden, or secret.
*....Esther, the beautiful Jewish wife of the Persian king Ahasuerus, and her cousin Mordecai, persuaded the king to retract an order for the general annihilation of Jews throughout the empire.
Esther was viewed as an independent heroine in feminist interpretations of the Purim story. ( a time when Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination by the courage of a young Jewish woman named Esther)
*....Purim is a Jewish -festive holiday which commemorates the saving of Jewish people from Haman, the adviser to the Persian king.
The story begins in Brooklyn: 2016.
Lily is reading a book
about Esther to her two little daughters......
“Close the book now. Close it. Look. The story’s simple. Persia, once upon a time. King banishes queen. Queen refuses to come to his party and parade in front of his friends—naked, is what most people think you wanted! —and he sends her away, or has her killed. No one knows. She’s gone. Vashti, this is. Her name is Vashti. You know this! And then the king gets sad and wants another wife so he calls for all the maidens to come and win his affections. A maiden? A maiden is a girl. Or a woman. A woman who isn’t married. Kind of. Right. And the maidens come and put on lots of make up and smelly oils. But when it’s time for the beauty pageant, the king chooses the maiden who doesn’t try to hard, the one with just a dab of lipstick, or whatever they used. Esther. She also happens to be Jewish, though she doesn’t mention that. She’s very pretty, yes. No, she’s not a princess. She’s an orphan, with an uncle who looks out for her, but then this uncle also winds up getting her into trouble because he refuses to bow down to the king’s minister, and the minister gets mad, really mad, and decides it’s time to kill all Jews. And then things get kind of messy, but the details aren’t that important and most of them contradict each other anyway, which is why I’m tired of reading you this book and why we are going to put it away for a while. I know you like it, but I need a break”.
“Lily tosses the book out of the girls bedroom, into the hallway. It’s a children’s book, the biblical story dumbed down, but still it’s convoluted, full of plot holes and inconsistencies”.
The only thing the children need to remember anyway, is that the second queen, Esther, is the hero.
However.....
Lily wants to shove the book deep into the kitchen trash.
We’ll learn why Lily is - (ha) - bitter..... as the author, Anna Solomon, reaches across centuries to tell the story of three different women— who were governed by men.
Lily’s husband is deputy director of programs for Rwanda at the major humanitarian aid organization. She is his second wife.
Lily is a mother, daughter, and second wife. She is grappling with her sexual and intellectual desires, and her role as mommy to two daughters.
We meet Vee, (born Vivian Barr), in Washington DC.
She was the daughter of the late Senator Barr of Massachusetts and granddaughter to Governor Fitch of Connecticut.
Vee, ‘seems’ like the perfect paper-doll-cut-out-political wife— dedicated to supporting her successful-charismatic-ambitious husband during the Watergate-era in Washington DC.
Her story captivates and challenges every aspect of life.
Esther, is the fiercely independent heroine in ancient Persia.
She lives with her uncle outside the palace walls. When a mistake happens one night—there are horrific consequences and she is offered up as a sacrifice to the king..... to ‘save’ the people!
This book is absolutely deliciously engaging!!!
Smart, sexy, tantalizing, and flamboyantly powerful.
Womanhood is explored; battles with men examined intimately.
Stories interweave and collide. I didn’t want to part too long with this story.
I started with the audiobook while hiking...(audiobook bliss)....
but I was dying to get back to the characters, their trials and tribulations, so I read the second half during much of the late evening into early hours of the morning.
The writing is often right up in our face. It gave me a kinda - reading ‘high’.
“She should have resisted. She should have known what to expect. She should have made a speech. She should have spit in his face, should have danced naked, shouldn’t have drunk so much, should have buttoned her collar. She keeps thinking back to the Jefferson Airplane concert where she was dancing with her friends when three boys moved on them, treading arms between their legs and up there skirts trying to......
“No one paid attention to the girls’ shouts; they had to flee, run back to the motel, lock the door. They kept laughing, until one of them cried. They should have worn jeans, not skirts”.
Or...
“You had to understand it couldn’t be prevented. She is eighteen, ripe as a rabbit. Her stomach sits on her lap. Her feet are being rubbed. The midwife doing the rubbing discreetly avoids the bulging knuckles on Esther’s big toes, remnants of her beastly transformation, but that does not mean she— or any of the midwives—trusts her”.
However....
“They will never go back to pink, just as her ears and skin and toes will never return to their original forms. You had to know she didn’t escape.
Smart girl, very brave, became a beast”.
It’s a wonderful book… especially for women. Although I think men will equally enjoy this novel.
The supporting characters add thought-provoking fascination as well as the main characters.
...Anna Solomon gives us historical perspectives -
...Judaism perspectives-
...A new way to look at the biblical story of Esther’-
...Political perspectives-
...Domestic and liberation perspectives.-
I put the book down a few times to reflect on my younger self as a maiden, memories of being employed with a prestigious high powered company in my 20’s, my role and responsibilities as a Jew, early marriage days, and
the complexity of motherhood, wife, and independent woman.
I’m left looking at women’s shame, susceptibility, worship, family, silence, loneliness, community, and self expression.
*....Shhhh.. a little tidbit:
My Hebrew birth name is Esther.
The biblical meaning, symbolically, means hidden, or secret.
*....Esther, the beautiful Jewish wife of the Persian king Ahasuerus, and her cousin Mordecai, persuaded the king to retract an order for the general annihilation of Jews throughout the empire.
Esther was viewed as an independent heroine in feminist interpretations of the Purim story. ( a time when Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination by the courage of a young Jewish woman named Esther)
*....Purim is a Jewish -festive holiday which commemorates the saving of Jewish people from Haman, the adviser to the Persian king.
May 19, 2020
I listened to the Audible production of “The Book of V” by Anna Solomon, narrated by Dara Rosenberg, Eva Kaminsky, and Gabra Zackman. The narrators are brilliant. After I finished the audio, I immediately started it again, as I wanted to rehear. There are so many nuances and layers to the story. In a way, I wished I would have purchased the novel so I could go back and read. For me, this is a reading book more than one to listen because of the prose of author Anna Solomon. For me, this is an incredibly moving novel.
Solomon explores women’s struggles through the ages, beginning with the biblical story of Esther of ancient Persia. I am not a bible scholar, so this is my introduction to Esther and Vashti. Solomon caused me to google the story, of which biblical scholars have differing views. I like Solomon’s view. Esther becomes queen when Vashti doesn’t produce an heir and refuses her husband’s demand of a degrading act. Esther doesn’t want to be queen, is forced into the fray by her Uncle. So, Esther is the only woman who parades in front to the King for his choice in a new Queen. Esther choses to be without any makeup or adornment, attempting to look plain because she doesn’t want to be selected. The King picks her because he likes that she was “natural”. Esther is not pleased, but it provides her an opportunity to save her people.
Meanwhile, in another century is Vee Kent whose husband is a Rhode Island Senator in 1973. Vee is on the cusp of the woman’s right movement. Her ideals of her place in society clashes with the old boy network. Although Vee has a generational pedigree, making her the perfect politician wife, she is banished when she refuses to do something her husband demands. This is part of the story that I found enraging. Vee decamps to an old friend’s (Rosemary) home where she tries to find her equilibrium.
Lily is a contemporary mother living in 2016 Brooklyn. She struggles with her role as a mother and woman. Her mother, Ruth, uses innuendo to ridicule Lily for wanting to be nothing but a mother. Ruth is perplexed as to why Lily isn’t becoming a full-time feminist. Lily questions herself as being relevant and worthy, for not becoming what she was meant to become.
These three main characters have their specific chapters, and Solomon weaves a story that provides illumination that women are fighting the same fights through the centuries. Vee’s story is humbling in her strength to find independence. Lily learns about the complexities of her mother after her mother dies.
This is a feminist tale that provides insight of the same yet changing women struggles for independence and self-worth. Male debasement may be less, but the fight for self-realization continues.
Solomon explores women’s struggles through the ages, beginning with the biblical story of Esther of ancient Persia. I am not a bible scholar, so this is my introduction to Esther and Vashti. Solomon caused me to google the story, of which biblical scholars have differing views. I like Solomon’s view. Esther becomes queen when Vashti doesn’t produce an heir and refuses her husband’s demand of a degrading act. Esther doesn’t want to be queen, is forced into the fray by her Uncle. So, Esther is the only woman who parades in front to the King for his choice in a new Queen. Esther choses to be without any makeup or adornment, attempting to look plain because she doesn’t want to be selected. The King picks her because he likes that she was “natural”. Esther is not pleased, but it provides her an opportunity to save her people.
Meanwhile, in another century is Vee Kent whose husband is a Rhode Island Senator in 1973. Vee is on the cusp of the woman’s right movement. Her ideals of her place in society clashes with the old boy network. Although Vee has a generational pedigree, making her the perfect politician wife, she is banished when she refuses to do something her husband demands. This is part of the story that I found enraging. Vee decamps to an old friend’s (Rosemary) home where she tries to find her equilibrium.
Lily is a contemporary mother living in 2016 Brooklyn. She struggles with her role as a mother and woman. Her mother, Ruth, uses innuendo to ridicule Lily for wanting to be nothing but a mother. Ruth is perplexed as to why Lily isn’t becoming a full-time feminist. Lily questions herself as being relevant and worthy, for not becoming what she was meant to become.
These three main characters have their specific chapters, and Solomon weaves a story that provides illumination that women are fighting the same fights through the centuries. Vee’s story is humbling in her strength to find independence. Lily learns about the complexities of her mother after her mother dies.
This is a feminist tale that provides insight of the same yet changing women struggles for independence and self-worth. Male debasement may be less, but the fight for self-realization continues.
August 4, 2025
What would the king want with a little Hebrew girl? The biblical heroine Esther was brought to life on the pages. Three separate story lines are followed, two in present day, and Esther's perspective from a child. I found her story more compelling than the other 2 story lines, but I loved the framing and how the modern day family reads the story of Esther and allowing the kids to ask questions. Esther imagines herself as turned into a monster like Medusa because of her abuse and lack of agency. This may work for fans of Stone Blind or Circe.
May 13, 2020
I enjoyed this book about the transcending role of women over three time frames, beginning with Lily from Brooklyn in 2016 as a mother and a second wife; Vivian a wife of an ambitious politician in the 1970’s who fights against misogyny; and the biblical Queen Esther using her beauty as power to save her people from the Persian King.
This is a beautifully written book that creatively weaves the illustrious stories from biblical to contemporary, giving that feminist voice that explores sexuality, family, and marriage, and freedom that women through the ages have fought to earn.
This is a book that will have you searingly examine your role as a woman now in this day and age, and a story that will stay with you for some time.
This is a beautifully written book that creatively weaves the illustrious stories from biblical to contemporary, giving that feminist voice that explores sexuality, family, and marriage, and freedom that women through the ages have fought to earn.
This is a book that will have you searingly examine your role as a woman now in this day and age, and a story that will stay with you for some time.
August 3, 2020
It sounded like it should have been good, instead it is a hot mess.
May 18, 2020
I was very excited about the press this book was getting and couldn't wait to read it! I have to admit, I didn't like it at first. I had some issues with the "Esther" story - it may just be a matter of personal taste, but I don't like reading about the supernatural. In my mind, it wasn't necessary. The "Vivian" story and the "Lily" story were more engaging, especially towards the third part of the book. I did like the ending very much for all three stories. Overall a good read and one of the best I've read of the modern day Esther adaptations.
January 27, 2020
The story of three women, one of whom is Esther, the Persian Jewish woman chosen to be the wife of Xerxes in ancient stories. The stories intermesh, but I found it unsatisfying for reasons I can't explain.
April 17, 2020
Bold, elegant, blisteringly raw and delicately complex reimaginin of the biblical Queen Esther, interwoven with contemporary characters, about being a strong, passionate woman in a male-dominated world.
I just finished THE BOOK OF V (Henry Holt, May 2020) by Anna Solomon, and this book...oh this book! I cannot rave about it enough. I scrambled to order everything else she has ever written and am anxiously awaiting their arrival. This book made me think, it made me talk, it made me write.
THE BOOK OF V is highly immersive. I was immediately struck by the richness of the lives created in these characters. There's Lily Rubenstein, a Brooklyn mom of two daughters in 2016 Brooklyn; she's a 'second wife,' an 'older mom,' and struggling to find the balance between mothering and her career ambitions. Vivian Kent (Vee), a senator's wife in 1974, and the Bible's Queen Esther. All of these lives are so viscerally told, so complex, bold, and ambitiously drawn, that I was in awe--of both Solomon's breadth of knowledge, her concise, compassionate writing, her obvious research, and the elegant structure of these narratives, which parallel beautifully, through subtle metaphor and shared experiences.
THE BOOK OF V is one of those books I could easily have devoured in 24 hours, but I wanted to savor it, so I read slower, studying the structure, the set-up, and these narrative arcs that shimmered in authentic detail. You might wonder how these women's lives are going to connect--and they do--in surprising, emotional, and gratifying measures. Each of the women's lives--Lily, Vee, and Esther--radiate and yet pull-in, heightening their individual stories into a tighter, more cohesive whole.
This is one of those books that will be lauded for years to come. It will be discussed at book clubs and with mothers and daughters and grandmothers, too. It will be spotlighted in feminist circles and publications. It's just that good.
I found some similarities between THE BOOK OF V and THE RED TENT (Anna Diamont), and Chloe Benjamin's THE IMMORTALISTS, but also the work of J. Courtney Sullivan, especially in the structure in her book, THE ENGAGEMENTS meets NAAMAH (Sarah Blake); parts of THE BOOK OF V also reminded me of Jennifer Wiener's MRS. EVERYTHING, especially the 1970s aspect; and perhaps also the writing style of Caroline Leavitt.
For all my reviews, including author interviews, please see: www.leslielindsay.com|Always with a Book.
Special thanks to Henry Holt for this review copy. All thoughts are my own.
I just finished THE BOOK OF V (Henry Holt, May 2020) by Anna Solomon, and this book...oh this book! I cannot rave about it enough. I scrambled to order everything else she has ever written and am anxiously awaiting their arrival. This book made me think, it made me talk, it made me write.
THE BOOK OF V is highly immersive. I was immediately struck by the richness of the lives created in these characters. There's Lily Rubenstein, a Brooklyn mom of two daughters in 2016 Brooklyn; she's a 'second wife,' an 'older mom,' and struggling to find the balance between mothering and her career ambitions. Vivian Kent (Vee), a senator's wife in 1974, and the Bible's Queen Esther. All of these lives are so viscerally told, so complex, bold, and ambitiously drawn, that I was in awe--of both Solomon's breadth of knowledge, her concise, compassionate writing, her obvious research, and the elegant structure of these narratives, which parallel beautifully, through subtle metaphor and shared experiences.
THE BOOK OF V is one of those books I could easily have devoured in 24 hours, but I wanted to savor it, so I read slower, studying the structure, the set-up, and these narrative arcs that shimmered in authentic detail. You might wonder how these women's lives are going to connect--and they do--in surprising, emotional, and gratifying measures. Each of the women's lives--Lily, Vee, and Esther--radiate and yet pull-in, heightening their individual stories into a tighter, more cohesive whole.
This is one of those books that will be lauded for years to come. It will be discussed at book clubs and with mothers and daughters and grandmothers, too. It will be spotlighted in feminist circles and publications. It's just that good.
I found some similarities between THE BOOK OF V and THE RED TENT (Anna Diamont), and Chloe Benjamin's THE IMMORTALISTS, but also the work of J. Courtney Sullivan, especially in the structure in her book, THE ENGAGEMENTS meets NAAMAH (Sarah Blake); parts of THE BOOK OF V also reminded me of Jennifer Wiener's MRS. EVERYTHING, especially the 1970s aspect; and perhaps also the writing style of Caroline Leavitt.
For all my reviews, including author interviews, please see: www.leslielindsay.com|Always with a Book.
Special thanks to Henry Holt for this review copy. All thoughts are my own.
May 15, 2020
“The type of woman you imagine yourself becoming is not exist.”
The Book of V. is nothing if not ambitious. The integration of the biblical Esther of ancient Persia story with the stories of Vee—a senator’s wife in Watergate Washington—and Lily, a modern-day woman with a somewhat retro lifestyle is imaginatively and cleverly achieved.
It helps to know the Purim story: Esther is a beautiful Jewess who has been chosen to marry the King of Persia after his first life, Vashti, is banished, and eventually saves her people from an horrific fate. Reduced to its elements, it’s about a pure and beautiful queen and a malleable king and his evil advisor Haman. Mysterious Vashti is delegated to the sidelines and serves more of a metaphorical function.
Lily—who has chosen motherhood and homemaking---is preparing her young daughters for a play that will recreate the story of Esther. It takes time for the reader to understand how Vee, who is humiliated by a real sleazebag of a husband, fits in—but fit in she does in an unexpected way. All three women are initially powerless in their choices and gradually accept their own power to craft a life of greater authenticity or meaning.
The book is unabashedly feminist writing and that’s where it both succeeds and fails for me. On one hand, it’s intelligently written with a very welcome revisionist take on the story of Esther (which, throughout the book, is the strongest of the three intertwining tales). And certainly, the focus on the parallelisms among women of vastly different time periods makes the solid point that patriarchal norms have long been established and even embraced.
But as a woman who was parented by a mother and father who instilled in me that the sky was the limit and who reached adulthood in the shadow of Watergate, the narrow focus on the archetypes of women couldn’t help but chafe. Despite myself, I felt that the women were placeholder metaphors rather than fully fleshed out characters. While I admired the cleverness of Ms. Solomon’s vision and the beauty of her prose, I still yearned for a little more nuance.
May 19, 2020
I had such high hopes for this book! The idea of three stories from three different generations discussing feminism really appealed to me, but unfortunately, the execution was not all there for me. In fact, I felt like I was reading three separate short stories, each more confusing than the last. The way the author wrote made me feel like the story was bogged down with unnecessary details, plot lines, and character developments that went nowhere. Nothing seemed to make sense and there was barely any flow. It was so very hard to follow the story/stories, and I felt that the magic element with Esther was unnecessary, out of touch, and was plain confusing. Overall, I am incredibly disappointed.
Thank you to Henry Holt for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Henry Holt for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2020
The format of this book threw me a bit at first. Just as I would get immersed in one heroine’s story, it would abruptly switch. Once I got used to that though, I really enjoyed it. Though I would agree that some parts drag a bit, the writing is solid throughout. I enjoyed the last few chapters particularly, and unlike a lot of books, the ending was satisfying without being overly decisive.
May 5, 2020
Terrific. My full review:
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July 23, 2020The Book of V juxtaposes four women, two living in modern times and two living in ancient times.
Lily is a mother of two, whose mother is dying. Although she feels she is independent of her mother, Ruth, she realizes her vast dependency on her in the face of her loss. Vee is the exiled wife of a senator who chose to compromise Vee, who did not go along with the plan. Taken in by Rosemary, her childhood friend, her acute sense of homelessness is accentuated by the comfortable domestic atmosphere she is surrounded by.
Many living in ancient Persia speculate that Vashti, the first wife of Ahasuerus, is dead, having defied the king. Although taken in by her uncle after her parent's deaths, Esther has no real place in her community. When opportunity in the form of a beauty pageant arises, she is entered against her will. She is still just a girl. Have women's roles changed over thousands of years?
This book does not form hard and fast conclusions, but meanders through the lives of four women, living in different times and circumstances. Each one is forced into a crucible of choice; each one has regrets. Yet each also forges her own path, into the wilderness of a life she did not imagine. Female readers may see themselves in one of the given archetypes or find themselves in all four. – Tiffany J.
Lily is a mother of two, whose mother is dying. Although she feels she is independent of her mother, Ruth, she realizes her vast dependency on her in the face of her loss. Vee is the exiled wife of a senator who chose to compromise Vee, who did not go along with the plan. Taken in by Rosemary, her childhood friend, her acute sense of homelessness is accentuated by the comfortable domestic atmosphere she is surrounded by.
Many living in ancient Persia speculate that Vashti, the first wife of Ahasuerus, is dead, having defied the king. Although taken in by her uncle after her parent's deaths, Esther has no real place in her community. When opportunity in the form of a beauty pageant arises, she is entered against her will. She is still just a girl. Have women's roles changed over thousands of years?
This book does not form hard and fast conclusions, but meanders through the lives of four women, living in different times and circumstances. Each one is forced into a crucible of choice; each one has regrets. Yet each also forges her own path, into the wilderness of a life she did not imagine. Female readers may see themselves in one of the given archetypes or find themselves in all four. – Tiffany J.
November 22, 2019
**ARC provided by the publisher**
This book left me with complicated, though not unwelcome, feelings about my place in the world as a second wife and as a woman and a mother. Rightfully compared to The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, this story parallels the lives of Esther and Queen Vashti with a woman in modern day and a woman in the 60s. Each woman is in the process of realizing her wants and needs and the power she has in the world. Recommended for readers of historical fiction and biblical fiction who prefer a feminist lens.
This book left me with complicated, though not unwelcome, feelings about my place in the world as a second wife and as a woman and a mother. Rightfully compared to The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, this story parallels the lives of Esther and Queen Vashti with a woman in modern day and a woman in the 60s. Each woman is in the process of realizing her wants and needs and the power she has in the world. Recommended for readers of historical fiction and biblical fiction who prefer a feminist lens.
April 24, 2020
Some novels satisfy one particular ache or need. Others open up worlds of wound and want and somehow feel expansive and universal. THE BOOK OF V. certainly falls into the latter category. This story of women struggling to navigate societal, structural, and sexual norms in three deftly-woven timelines was deeply satisfying. And the writing is so smart and at times so wry! What a gift Solomon has for voice and tone and insight.
I wasn’t familiar with the story of Vashti and Esther and loved how the writer used that frame to explore these women’s lives—their desires for success, companionship, sexual freedom, motherhood, respect, love, friendship, control, what they stand to gain and lose when they’re at crossroads. I expect this book will appeal to a huge swath of readers, especially women longing to see and be seen. Can’t wait to hand sell this beauty when the world returns. (Staff pick at Belmont Books for May 2020)
I wasn’t familiar with the story of Vashti and Esther and loved how the writer used that frame to explore these women’s lives—their desires for success, companionship, sexual freedom, motherhood, respect, love, friendship, control, what they stand to gain and lose when they’re at crossroads. I expect this book will appeal to a huge swath of readers, especially women longing to see and be seen. Can’t wait to hand sell this beauty when the world returns. (Staff pick at Belmont Books for May 2020)
January 27, 2020
Loved loved loved this book! It's a powerful mix of history and exploration of women's power and lives. Three braided stories from Biblical times, the 1970s, and contemporary culture; three women negotiating love, sex, children, friendship, and work. The Book of V. is beautifully written, cleverly constructed, and full of both humor and depth. Highly recommend.
May 25, 2020
I found it interesting, but not great. I didn't care for the trick the author played with a character's name to obscure an important fact, so that was annoying. This did cause me to pull out my Bible and read the story of Esther, so that was interesting.
I liked the three timelines and the interplay, but felt cheated by the obfuscation. Overall interesting.
I liked the three timelines and the interplay, but felt cheated by the obfuscation. Overall interesting.
May 6, 2020
In a beautiful challah-twist of three stories - the sacrificed teenager who became the Bible’s Queen Esther, a 1970s political wife who rebels against misogyny, and a contemporary Brooklyn mom conflicted about her own desires - Anna Solomon has created a riveting novel about women, power, desire, marriage, motherhood, and how the stories we are raised on can be damagingly far from the truth. This was a 24-hour gulp of a read for me, but I will be thinking about this ingenious and bold novel for quite some time
January 18, 2021
Sincerest form of flattery, lack of creativity, or straight up rip-off? Anna Solomon acknowledges The Hours’ “structure” as inspiring her book; apparently structure encompasses themes, plot devices, symbolism, even turns of phrase. It would have been clever if it came first, but The Book of V is dull and unoriginal (and also a disappointment in it’s attempt to be feminist) in the shadow of Michael Cunningham’s work.
April 14, 2020
Disclosure: I've been a fan of Anna Solomon's work since I discovered that her first novel was scheduled for release, and she and I have developed a friendship over the years (enriched when we took a class together); I'm mentioned in the book's acknowledgments. All of that aside, however, this is a beautiful, brilliant novel. And a very Jewish one.
January 21, 2020
4.5 overall - really well done and written. I loved each of the female characters and their stories and the author did a fantastic job of making them all cohesive.
May 1, 2020
Thank you to the Jewish Council for advanced copy of the book.
November 11, 2020
I won a copy of this book in a goodreads giveaway.
The Book of V is the story of 3 women: an overwhelmed mother in current day Brooklyn, a politician's wife in the 1970's and Queen Esther from the Bible. The chapters alternate through their stories showing how each of them face challenges being female. Theirs are stories of how sex and power influence their lives. Their stories weave through each other and eventually unite.
This is a feminist tale that reminded me of The Book of Longings, The Red Tent and The Hours. All stories told of how women's lives can be controlled and restrained by men an how these women push back.
The Book of V is the story of 3 women: an overwhelmed mother in current day Brooklyn, a politician's wife in the 1970's and Queen Esther from the Bible. The chapters alternate through their stories showing how each of them face challenges being female. Theirs are stories of how sex and power influence their lives. Their stories weave through each other and eventually unite.
This is a feminist tale that reminded me of The Book of Longings, The Red Tent and The Hours. All stories told of how women's lives can be controlled and restrained by men an how these women push back.
March 29, 2020
This didn't go where I expected it to go but I ultimately enjoyed where it took me. Loved the concept, and the reimagining – even deconstruction – of the Esther story. Some parts felt weaker and duller than others: the modern POV, Lily, was the dullest by far, and Esther is more of a plot device than a character, but Vee became increasingly compelling over the course of her narrative, and the role eventually played by Vashti herself is brilliant.
October 8, 2020
This is one of those three independent characters life's stories woven into one narrative. Kinda like the movie The Hours only the Hebrew version. It doesn't really come together until the end and even then the big reveal is lackluster. It did make me want to learn more about the biblical stories of Esther and Ruth. So, I guess that's something lol
July 7, 2020
I’m thinking a 4.5. Maybe I’m being nitpicky, but sometimes the storylines fit too neatly together, even though that’s kinda the point! :P Either way, I’d say this is a contender re: my nomination for the GoodReads Choice Awards (now that we’re in the second half of the year, I might be referring to this prize constantly. :P)
This book is so inspired by THE HOURS by Michael Cunningham that Solomon goes ahead and thanks him, first thing, in the acknowledgments (well, right after a thumbs up to Megilat Esther, or the Book of Esther. :P) This biblical story, much like Virginia Woolf writing her most famous novel in THE HOURS, is the proto-text. Two more modern storylines play out the themes of said proto-text, and ultimately intersect with each other. For Solomon, she is following a “Vashti” character in the 1970s and an “Esther” character in 2016.
To be more specific: Esther, a Hebrew girl in Biblical times, is chosen to be the second wife of the ruler of Persia, after his first wife, Vashti, is disgraced. Vee, a senator’s wife in 1970s Washington, finds herself trapped by the same conundrum Vashti was—she is ordered to strip in front of her husband’s colleagues. Finally, in 2016 Esther is a second wife, living in Brooklyn, feeling at odds with her choice to be a stay-at-home mother, plus a late-blooming plot with her own mother, and also grappling with Megilat Esther. Cos wuddaya know, Purim is coming up and her daughters want to take part in the festivities.
One could argue that the main crux of Megilat Esther is about how the ancient Jews save themselves from a genocidal vizier. A significant attribute of the story is that Gd never makes an appearance. Also—this happens in other biblical texts, too, but relatively rarely—a woman takes center stage. …well, kinda center stage. In fact, her uncle (or cousin) Mordechai does a lot of rabble rousing from the sidelines, in a way that could feel shoehorned in (Solomon certainly seems to think so!) But it’s Esther who ultimately asks the king to save her people.
But this doesn’t really capture Solomon’s interest, at least in the novel. She’s interested in the treatment and society of women. She builds up three worlds. The Biblical one is more mythological than realist, though that’s perhaps to be expected, even without Gd. There’s magic and harems, secret chambers and women communing with animals, of a sort, to gain their freedom. Then there’s early 1970s Washington—a strange double world for women with powerful husbands. Society still sees most feminists as “radicals” for wanting to take off their girdles and define their own desires; sexual scandals, as perpetrated by men, aren’t really that scandalous; and yet the wives of powerful men sort of set themselves up as kingmakers. So long as they play by the rules. And finally, in 2016 Brooklyn, being a stay-at-home mother is seen as a step backwards; Trump’s presidential run plays like a farce rather than a threat; and Purim is attacked for the simplicity of the female characters.
The novel is internal, slanting towards (wry, descriptive) stream of consciousness. It took me a little while to get invested in the characters and then I was all in. The Biblical ones were fantastical, but compelling in their shifts between alien and familiar, if you’re into that sort of magical thinking. I put not one but two lengthy quotes on my Facebook page, both from Vee’s perspective. The first was about the power of Senator Wives in 1970s, though soon thereafter Vee lost her place by not giving into her husband’s lewd whims. The second, much later, was about her trying to assess her life after all was said and done—her complicity in nebulous feminism and various sexual liaisons, the contradictions in what the world demands from women. It’s Lily, in our most “enlightened” modern day, after grappling with anxiety, frustration and grief, who ultimately realizes “The type of woman you imagine yourself becoming does not exist.” Though perhaps I was most taken by Rosemary/Ruth—a secondary character who transcended the two contemporary stories, and changed a lot along the way. A reminder that nothing is static, and people so rarely understand the fullness of someone else’s human experience.
I was thrilled by the Judaism, too. One of those middle takes—between Haredi/ultra-Orthodox and whatever you remember from Seinfeld. :P Attending the Purim shpiel was like a blast from the past (one of my last public events before coronavirus quarantine!) I loved all of the Jewish women’s libber groups talking about their brand of social activism, and the female rabbi going over Esther interpretations with Lily.
One thing Solomon did by significantly changing the Biblical account in her narrative was that she excised the most controversial part—the brutal revenge plot. It was refreshing, perhaps, to challenge myself on the basis of feminism instead, that there’s more to this story than goriness covered by a carnival air. Still, made me wonder if I should look for other retellings that grapple with the violence. Or, you know, the rabbinic responsa that do so. :P Solomon ultimately offers a unique take on well-trod ground.
This book is so inspired by THE HOURS by Michael Cunningham that Solomon goes ahead and thanks him, first thing, in the acknowledgments (well, right after a thumbs up to Megilat Esther, or the Book of Esther. :P) This biblical story, much like Virginia Woolf writing her most famous novel in THE HOURS, is the proto-text. Two more modern storylines play out the themes of said proto-text, and ultimately intersect with each other. For Solomon, she is following a “Vashti” character in the 1970s and an “Esther” character in 2016.
To be more specific: Esther, a Hebrew girl in Biblical times, is chosen to be the second wife of the ruler of Persia, after his first wife, Vashti, is disgraced. Vee, a senator’s wife in 1970s Washington, finds herself trapped by the same conundrum Vashti was—she is ordered to strip in front of her husband’s colleagues. Finally, in 2016 Esther is a second wife, living in Brooklyn, feeling at odds with her choice to be a stay-at-home mother, plus a late-blooming plot with her own mother, and also grappling with Megilat Esther. Cos wuddaya know, Purim is coming up and her daughters want to take part in the festivities.
One could argue that the main crux of Megilat Esther is about how the ancient Jews save themselves from a genocidal vizier. A significant attribute of the story is that Gd never makes an appearance. Also—this happens in other biblical texts, too, but relatively rarely—a woman takes center stage. …well, kinda center stage. In fact, her uncle (or cousin) Mordechai does a lot of rabble rousing from the sidelines, in a way that could feel shoehorned in (Solomon certainly seems to think so!) But it’s Esther who ultimately asks the king to save her people.
But this doesn’t really capture Solomon’s interest, at least in the novel. She’s interested in the treatment and society of women. She builds up three worlds. The Biblical one is more mythological than realist, though that’s perhaps to be expected, even without Gd. There’s magic and harems, secret chambers and women communing with animals, of a sort, to gain their freedom. Then there’s early 1970s Washington—a strange double world for women with powerful husbands. Society still sees most feminists as “radicals” for wanting to take off their girdles and define their own desires; sexual scandals, as perpetrated by men, aren’t really that scandalous; and yet the wives of powerful men sort of set themselves up as kingmakers. So long as they play by the rules. And finally, in 2016 Brooklyn, being a stay-at-home mother is seen as a step backwards; Trump’s presidential run plays like a farce rather than a threat; and Purim is attacked for the simplicity of the female characters.
The novel is internal, slanting towards (wry, descriptive) stream of consciousness. It took me a little while to get invested in the characters and then I was all in. The Biblical ones were fantastical, but compelling in their shifts between alien and familiar, if you’re into that sort of magical thinking. I put not one but two lengthy quotes on my Facebook page, both from Vee’s perspective. The first was about the power of Senator Wives in 1970s, though soon thereafter Vee lost her place by not giving into her husband’s lewd whims. The second, much later, was about her trying to assess her life after all was said and done—her complicity in nebulous feminism and various sexual liaisons, the contradictions in what the world demands from women. It’s Lily, in our most “enlightened” modern day, after grappling with anxiety, frustration and grief, who ultimately realizes “The type of woman you imagine yourself becoming does not exist.” Though perhaps I was most taken by Rosemary/Ruth—a secondary character who transcended the two contemporary stories, and changed a lot along the way. A reminder that nothing is static, and people so rarely understand the fullness of someone else’s human experience.
I was thrilled by the Judaism, too. One of those middle takes—between Haredi/ultra-Orthodox and whatever you remember from Seinfeld. :P Attending the Purim shpiel was like a blast from the past (one of my last public events before coronavirus quarantine!) I loved all of the Jewish women’s libber groups talking about their brand of social activism, and the female rabbi going over Esther interpretations with Lily.
One thing Solomon did by significantly changing the Biblical account in her narrative was that she excised the most controversial part—the brutal revenge plot. It was refreshing, perhaps, to challenge myself on the basis of feminism instead, that there’s more to this story than goriness covered by a carnival air. Still, made me wonder if I should look for other retellings that grapple with the violence. Or, you know, the rabbinic responsa that do so. :P Solomon ultimately offers a unique take on well-trod ground.
September 18, 2025
DNF at 18%. The explicit descriptions of girls' bodies and the sex stuff was making me queasy. The eunuchs r*ping and defiling young girls was the last straw for me. Can't someone can write a feminist novel without this crap? It's lazy and gross versus shocking or empowering. Yes, we know the past was rough, but if you can't tell a meaningful story without *excessive* sex, r*pe, and abuse, you're a crappy writer. Hard pass.
June 28, 2020
3,5 stars
This book tells the story of four women, separated by history. There are Vashti and Esther, two queens from the times long forgotten, V., wife of a senator in fifties and Lilly, living in a present. They are all completely different, and yet, they fight with and live through the same things. The book talks about womanhood and how being a woman changed and yet didn't through the times.
I liked the book and its characters and I connected with some of them more, some of them less. I enjoyed reading about V.'s and Lilly's life the most, maybe because I could relate to them more than to the life of a queen. Even though Esther's story was rich and interesting, the author added some magical elements that on one hand made the story more interesting, but on the other, felt a bit weird and disconnected.
The story was a very well done character study of these women. It covered the crossroads of their lives, where they had to decide what kind of woman they want to be. It was very interesting to read, but when the ending of the book came, I felt somehow unsatisfied, something was missing. I cannot describe it, because the stories of these women were closed, I just wish there was more, I don't know.
This book tells the story of four women, separated by history. There are Vashti and Esther, two queens from the times long forgotten, V., wife of a senator in fifties and Lilly, living in a present. They are all completely different, and yet, they fight with and live through the same things. The book talks about womanhood and how being a woman changed and yet didn't through the times.
I liked the book and its characters and I connected with some of them more, some of them less. I enjoyed reading about V.'s and Lilly's life the most, maybe because I could relate to them more than to the life of a queen. Even though Esther's story was rich and interesting, the author added some magical elements that on one hand made the story more interesting, but on the other, felt a bit weird and disconnected.
The story was a very well done character study of these women. It covered the crossroads of their lives, where they had to decide what kind of woman they want to be. It was very interesting to read, but when the ending of the book came, I felt somehow unsatisfied, something was missing. I cannot describe it, because the stories of these women were closed, I just wish there was more, I don't know.
May 26, 2020
3.5 started out terrific for me, but the flitting around became cumbersome and frankly all the sex talk grated on me... Bottom line, I lost my enthusiasm quickly.
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