Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co for gifting me an ARC of Anna Solomon’s newest novel. In exchange I offer my unbiased review.

I was really excited to read a reimagining of the Queen Esther Biblical story, especially told through a feminist lens. I was hoping for The Red Tent meets The DoveKeepers but unfortunately I found a poorly connected telenovela. The Book of V introduces us to three women, from three different backgrounds in three different eras. Esther, an unrecognizable Persian Queen, Vivian; a senator’s wife who’s been scandalized like Queen Vashti and Lily, a modern day Jewish mother who like Esther is a second wife, much beloved by her husband but feels unfulfilled.

The premise is fantastic but the execution was terrible. Lily’s story was boring, overwrought and so unimaginative. A total cliche of a 2016 Brooklyn mom. Vee, the senator’s wife circa 1972 was cartoonish and overly sexualized. I couldn’t relate to her storyline. And Queen Esther, my favorite Biblical heroine was so altered that this wasn’t a reimagining but more like a redrawing. I almost never bail on review books, but I gave up at the 60% mark. I couldn’t read any further.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. Sadly it was a terrible let down.

I enjoy parallel stories immensely. Especially when there is a theme to be discovered between the three. Add in that one of the character is a Biblical character and I will most likely find the book fascinating. I love Biblical characters imagined and Solomon did a wonderful job of telling the story of Esther.

The other two women each had lives that led me to the age old conclusion of misogamy that women are conduits of men - often left unfufilled. That push and pull was the heart of the novel with each character discovering herself at different moments.

This book is unique and if you are looking for a story about how women can create new and different lives for themselves, you will find this book fascinating.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a gifted copy of the eBook in exchange for my unbiased review.

I want to thank NetGalley, Henry Holt & Company, and author Anna Solomon for providing me with an ARC of this novel!

The thought, effort, love and time that went into this novel is just phenomenal. This is one of the titles included in our Booksparks summer camp, and I was excited to be able to get it. I love when authors do this style of writing, and I so appreciate the genius it takes to make it happen.

This novel intertwines the lives of three women across three centuries to bring you The Book of V. Lily is a mother and a daughter, a second wife, and possibly a writer. The year is 2016 and she’s struggling with her sexual and intellectual desires, all while trying to manage her roles as a wife and a mother. Vivian is a political wife, determined to help her husband find success during the Watergate-era. Esther is an independent woman living in ancient Persia who makes an innocent mistake and finds herself dealing with the devastating consequences.

I loved the three POV’s and how all three of the women’s stories ended up being woven together. I also LOVE that this was based upon the book of Esther; that is one of my favorite Bible stories and I was just so thrilled to read this sort of re-imagining. Superbly written and a beautiful concept!

Thank you to those named above for allowing me to read and review this novel!

Of the recent flood of white feminist reads, this is probably my favorite. (Compared to titles like Come with Me and The Female Persuasion) Solomon has a lot of things I love here, including a recent realization that I love books where an omniscient narrator knowingly addresses the audience. These women are all solidly built, and I love the shift and interplay of the stories. I love that even within a timeline the focus shifts and flows. I thought Lily's "revelation" at the end was poignant and important, and I love how Solomon plays with storytelling to give us a new lens on a classic story. (In the vein of Naamah)

But, at the end of it all, this is still a white feminist story; moreover, it's a white feminist story with a perspective and thoughts that have been rehashed a lot recently. If this had been my first book in this vein, I'd probably have ended up at a resounding 5 stars, but I'm just ready for some fresher takes.

All that aside, I really do recommend this slim, quick read on how a woman defines herself and how that can be different from how others expect her to be defined.

I enjoyed this book, especially because it was cool how it was about women!!! Not that I'm a feminist or anything but I liked how it was three different stories of three different women over different time periods. Three totally different stories but also the same in the ways women have been treated and the similar and dissimilar ways that they were treated over time by men and how it all came together in the end.

This book really made me think as a woman, but I think it's a book for women and I think men should read it especially to gain insight on how women are treated through different time periods. I didn't like the biblical story as much as the other two but it's important for the books message to get across all the same. Bravo to Anna Soloman, the author. I would give this book A 4 star rating but I think it reads slow so for me it's a 3.


Special thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Company for my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I appreciated that the historical fiction of Book of V was different than anything else I have read.

I seem to be on kick to read about women fighting against oppressive men. Or maybe it's a sign. Anywho this is still a fascinating and well written book. Highly recommend. Taunt and riveting. Happy reading!

"She will tell her daughters the truth, Lily thinks. Not yet, but sooner than her mother told her. Not the details, but the gist. She will tell them: the type of woman you imagine yourself becoming does not exist."

"The Book of V" tells the stories of three women in three different times who struggle to resolve the conflict between the women they imagine themselves becoming and the women they are meant to be. The book is told through their three POVs - Esther, a Jewish orphan in Biblical times who becomes Queen; Vivian/Vee, a well-bred Senator's wife in the Nixon era; and Lily, a wife, and mother living in Brooklyn in 2016. The three have connections that are revealed throughout the novel but their journey of self-discovery and of balancing the expectations of women in their times with their own needs is what truly ties them together. Each of the women grapples with their sexuality, their feelings about marriage and motherhood, and their own take on feminism. In a lot of ways, "The Book of V" reminded me of Lisa Taddeo's "Three Women" in its exploration of women's needs and desires on emotional, physical, and intellectual levels.

Anna Solomon's writing is beautiful in its minimalism. Her sentences are short and to the point and there's no need for flowery language or descriptions - her well-chosen paint the pictures perfectly. I really enjoyed the aspects of the story that touched on Jewish history and identity and found the Biblical story of Esther and Vashti especially interesting - I can't wait to read more about them and the different perspectives on them. This is the perfect book club selection because there is so much to deconstruct. I cannot wait to discuss it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Co. and the author for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Perfect for fans of "The Red Tent," "The Book of V" explores womanhood, wife-hood, and Jewish identity through the perspectives of Esther, biblical wife of Ahasuerus; Vivian Barr, a senator’s wife in the '70s on the cusp of the Equal Rights act; and Lily, a modern-day mother doing her best in a time when people still believed Hillary might be president. The Book of V will have readers congratulating the strides towards freedom that women have made so far while also realizing how history tends to repeat itself in (often) unfortunate ways.

The ways in which these stories intertwine is engaging and unexpected, though clearly well-calculated. And despite the difficult nature of many of the discussed topics, this book is a quick read thanks to tension-filled chapters fueled by cliff-hanger endings and well-timed switches in perspectives. It helps that each narrative is as interesting as the next, even though the characters often seem as unlikeable as they are relatable and realistic.  

The writing somehow accents each of these women and their eras extremely well, although, at times, the story can get somewhat carried away with inner monologues and overly detailed descriptions, which may confuse readers and distract from the setting and actions taking place. There were other moments, however, where the narration had its own interesting bite of darkly sarcastic commentary, which was as enjoyable as it was impactful, and (thankfully) not overdone.

I rated "The Book of V" 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy! I loved each of the women’s stories and their interconnectedness, although I could’ve read a whole book about Vee’s life. The book definitely dragged in the middle and was slow moving throughout. I really enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about classic Jewish stories and individuals and think it was a unique and interesting perspective.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐕 𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐧 Thanks to @netgalley @henryholtbooks for the e-ARC. Reading as part of the #src2020 lineup ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣⁣
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This story follows three women: biblical Esther who is taken as the king’s wife despite being Hebrew, 1970’s political wife Vivian who refuses an embarrassing request of her husband, and housewife Lily with a career husband and two girls obsessed with Esther’s story in preparing for Purim.⁣⁣
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This book is something special. The writing style is unique and a style that I adore; long and winding narrative, little dialogue. It was like reading an inner monologue and felt so personal. I was a bit hesitant about three story lines because it’s not usually my favorite, but it worked well here. The three stories connected well towards the middle and it all came together wonderfully at the end. This book really has a lot to it, even a bit of magical realism, which was a pleasant surprise. Red Tent fans will love Esther’s portion. Highly recommend this book. The Book of V comes out 5/5. ⁣⁣
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“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘺𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘳, 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘯 𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘺 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘵, 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 and 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦, 𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥.” ⁣
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This book had me intrigued right from the beginning. I think it's a challenge to take on 3 different stories and 3 different times/timelines and weave them together seamlessly. I think of this book as a braid. You start with 3 different batches of hair (stories and timelines) and you put one on top of each other, alternating evenly and before you know it, you stand back and wonder how it looks so well done. How was this even possible? That's the beauty of this book.
The book of Esther is the basis for this novel. The characters and the story from the original timeline and a couple of other timelines come together and help us recognize the age old adage that "history repeats itself". These stories repeat themselves. But how? And how is it all connected? I started off wondering about the connection and as I got into the stories, I forgot about the connections as much and when they did connect, it was wonderful and pleasant. My heart was broken and fixed again through the book and the three stories. Through love and through connection.
This is a woman's novel and it addresses patriarchy, feminism and sexism. I also love the underlying theme of friendships and need.

When I saw this book on NetGalley, I immediately requested it because first of all, who doesn't love how Esther shakes things up in the Bible and secondly, it just sounded completely unique and different. After reading over this for 3 days (and I never, ever take 3 days to read a book), I have mixed feelings. 


The Book of V. is told from the POVs of Esther during the biblical times, Vivian (vee), a Senator's wife during the Nixon era, and Lily, a wife and mother living in Brooklyn in 2016. The basic premise is 3 different women from 3 different times, struggling to come to terms with their lives and their roles as women. Their individual stories do eventually start to intersect in certain ways, but good Lord, it was a long time coming.


I will say that Esther's story was, by far, the most interesting of the novel. Like the good Presbyterian that I am, I have studied Esther, taken workshops at various churches over the years, and am familiar with her story. Anna Solomon's re-telling of Esther was intriguing, entertaining, and honestly - the only thing that motivated to stick with this one. I enjoyed Vee's story also, despite the fact that she was married to the biggest ass of all time. Vee's character was incredibly honest, sometimes, uncomfortably so. But I loved her psychological warfare in her mind about the balance/unbalance of power in her marriage. Lily's story, the one closest to our present, was awful. In one of her earlier chapters, there's this ongoing narrative about her bratty young daughter repeatedly taking off her shirt and flushing it down the toilet, while Lily does nothing because she doesn't want to scare her child. She pretty much lost me at that point. If you don't want to spank your child fine, but repeated tantrums, stripping, throwing, and flushing of clothes deserves some sort of correction. Otherwise, quit whining about it and devoting pages about it. 


For readers that enjoy the history of Esther or are curious about it, you may very well enjoy this book because Esther's chapters are addictive, raw, and moving. Solomon's writing is outstanding from beginning to end, but Esther's chapters truly shine. Vee's chapters are also dripping with a raw honesty that is, at times, almost uncomfortable. But I liked her part in the novel. I could not relate or find interest in the chapters about Lily. The only thing I could think of that made her character relevant in this story was that she was married to an asshole, but I could be wrong. 


My overall thoughts are that The Book of V. is a very well-written novel with regards to her imagery and language, but it took me forever to unpack it all. This is my first time reading anything from this author, but I will definitely give her another shot if the opportunity presents itself. I can't say I loved this novel a whole, nor can I say I disliked it as a whole. Nevertheless, it is a unique and fascinating plot. 


*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The premise of this book sounded so great and unique to me being based off Esther and the Bible and how women's lives have changed over the years. Unfortunately though, it was a struggle for me to get into. I really loved the story from the perspective of Esther, but Lily and Vivian's characters did not feel as relatable to me. Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt & Co for the ARC.

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.

The biblical story of Esther is reimagined here in bce Times, the seventies and current day. Each era depicts women on the cusp of finding certain freedoms and how they react to the male dominance or habitation in their circles. A senator's wife, a queen, a second wife all present a new look at an old story with success.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

I found this book difficult to follow and although I tried, I was t able to get into it. It just wasn’t my style I think.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

I had a lot of trouble with this novel's style of writing. Maybe it's just me! But it was hard to follow the way new information was presented about each character. I didn't finish the book.

This was a great look at the lives of three women. The writing is beautiful and you get sucked into these three lives and you see how women's lives have changed from then to now. HIghly recommend.

The story is told in alternating chapters by Esther in ancient Persia, Lily in modern day Brooklyn and Vee in Washington DC during the 1970’s. There were some obvious parallels in all 3 concerning the treatment of women and their place in society. The way it was written in different viewpoints didn’t work well for me. The sections weren’t always long enough for me to be invested in the story. It was an interesting concept and I’d consider reading more by this author in the future.