The White Dove of Cordoba (Белая голубка Кордовы)
by Dina Rubina
Synopsis
Dina Rubina considers The White Dove of Cordoba her best novel. On publication in 2009 it quickly attracted the attention of a wide circle of readers. This attention was richly deserved. Rubina had managed to create an extraordinary hero that could rank alongside the most interesting world literature has to offer.
This hero is Zakhar Cordovin, a schemer and maverick in the art world with a genius for counterfeiting. He creates ‘previously unknown’ works by great masters, preparing for every painting a complex back story to explain its sudden appearance, meticulously preparing the ground so that even the most convinced skeptics will be forced to confirm the work as genuine. But Cordovin does not produce these incredibly intricate fakes for his own financial gain: for him, every painting is a fascinating process which gives him a chance to show his appreciation for the great artists who have come before him.
Around this enticing figure, Rubina draws a complex world. Modern Israel, a flat in the city, always open to art connoisseurs from around the world, and a solitary residence, far from prying eyes. Against this backdrop a complex plot unfolds—the reader should expect unbelievable coincidences, numerous journeys through time, flashbacks to the hero’s childhood, and more and more intriguing adventures.
In this novel Rubina preserves the trademark subtle, intelligent style beloved of her fans, but also opens a new chapter in her life: The White Dove of Cordoba marks her ascent to an even higher level. The crazy twists and turns of the compelling plot and the unexpected endings really speak for the book’s quality. Rubina has not just managed to see the world from a man’s point of view, but to become so close to her hero that all his opinions, all his emotions, all his experiences are entirely realistic. All this shows that this is an author of undoubted talent.
The fact that The White Dove of Cordoba has been greeted with unanimous enthusiasm by both established fans and new converts shows that this author has indeed managed to ‘grow’, to develop her talents without losing her audience.