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Summary: A CHANGE OF PACE
Review: When checking THE RED TENT out at the library, it seemed as if it was a departure from my ordinary reading choices. I enjoy romances, mystery, intrigue, historical fiction and humor. I was enchanted with the fact that the book contained all of these. I found that the womens' trips into the red tent were indeed, something to envy. Our society is so fast paced that the thought of spending three days with the ladies of my family on a regular basis would be a dream come true. I enjoyed the literary license that Ms. Diamant took with the reuniting of Dinah with Joseph. I too picked up my Bible to check story lines. The characters were written so that each person had such a distinct personality that the diverse/ethnicity of their names made them easy to follow. It was a tough book to put down. I look forward to more of the same.
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Summary: A good table turning of a very popular Bible story.
Review: The bible stories that I read and memorized,never talked about the women.This even humanized the characters. The telling of this story through the characters eyes.This made the tale even more appealing.It almost seemed real,even for a novel. This book even broke a lot of tales that have told. The way the Egyptians were portrayed and traditons that were handed down.
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Summary: Intriguing book that made me want to read the Bible more.
Review: I enjoyed the story a great deal and read it quickly wanting to know what would happen next. I've read it twice already and now would like to review the Bible itself to get a better understanding of the story.
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Summary: Fantastic, Intelligent, Imaginative
Review: Anita Diamant has managed to create a fascinating character with a fascinating life. Of great interest are the rituals of "the red tent". Dinah is a woman with an amazing story to tell. The women are intelligent and witty. Romance, revenge, deceit, this book has it all. I could not put it down.
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Summary: One of the best novels I've read in recent years
Review: The Red Tent is compelling and riveting. I felt as if I was living Dinah's life with her as she recounted the story handed down from generation to generation, of her family from a woman's perspective. Anita Diamant has done her homework and created a wondrous tale that will inspire and enlighten. A must read for women, and an education for men. I simply couldn't put it down. Betty Kirkland
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Summary: A wonderfully evocative historical novel.
Review: THE RED TENT is a wonderfully evocative novel set in an underused period of history. Diamant's story of Dinah (a Biblical character who gets very little 'screen' time in the Bible itself) recalls the engrossing historical extrapolations of Mary Renault and Miranda Seymour. I give it a 9 rather than a 10 only because as an Extremely Fussy Person, I quibbled at a Biblical-period character's use of the word 'petite' to describe someone. Let's all hope Ms. Diamant continues working her way through female biblical characters; I'd love to see her novel about Queen Esther!
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Summary: Fascinating tale of one the bible's lessor known characters
Review: Anita's Diamant's previous books on Jewish life showed a wonderful writing style. Now, her first novel shows that biblical characters can be brought to life in a fascinating tale of sisterhood, love, deceit and revenge. Looking at the biblical story from a woman's point of view makes the story strong.
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Summary: Publishers Weekly review
Review: A minor character from the book of Genesis tells her life story in this vivid evocation of the world of Old Testament women. The only surviving daughter of Jacob and Leah, Dinah occupies a far different world from the flocks and business deals of her brothers. She learns from her Aunt Sarah the mysteries of midwifery and from her other aunts the art of homemaking. Most important, Dinah learns and preserves the stories and traditions of her family, which she shares with the reader in touchingly intimate detail. Familiar passages from the Bible come alive as Dinah fills in what the Bible leaves out concerning Jacob's courtship of Rachel and Leah, her own ill-fated sojourn in the city of Sechem and her half-brother Joseph's rise to fame and fortune in Egypt. After several nonfiction works on Judaism, Diamant's fiction debut links the passions of the early Israelites to the ongoing traditions of modern Jews, while the red tent of her title (where women retreat for menstruation, childbirth and illness) becomes a resonant symbol of womanly strength, love and wisdom. Despite a few unprofitable digressions, Diamant succeeds admirably in depictingthe lives of women in the age that engendered our civilization and our most enduring values
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Summary: Library Journal review
Review: *(starred review) Skillfully interweaving bibical tales with characters of her own invention, Diamant's (Living a Jewish Life, HarperCollins, 1991) sweeping first novel re-creates the life of Dinah, daughter of Leah and Jacob, from her birth and happy childhood in Mesopotamia through her years in Canaan and death in Egypt. When Dinah reaches puberty and enters the Red Tent (the place women visit to give birth or have their monthly periods), her mother and Jacob's three other wives initiate her into the religious and sexual practices of the tribe. Diamant sympathetically describes Dinah's doomed relationship with Shalem, son of a ruler of Schechem, and his brutal death at the hands of her brothers . Following the events in Canaan, a pregnant Dinah travels to Egypt, where she becomes a noted midwife. Diaimant has written a thoroughly enjoyable and illuminating portrait of a fascinating woman and the life she might have lived. . . "
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Summary: Fufilling Read for Women
Review: Our book club read "The Red Tent" and thoroughly enjoyed it. We are made up of Christian women, and while "El" the God of Jacob doesn't act as a character in the book, we found the Jewish and pagan perspectives insightful. Most of us hadn't thought about the harsh life women during Dinah's time would have endured and were especially pleased with the fortifying relationships the women had with one another. I liked the romance between Jacob and his wives and relished the birthing stories. Dinah's encouraging relationship with four mothers inspired me to be more positive with my own daughter. Diamant definitely brings the passions of Dinah to life in a way that the Bible totally leaves out. We found the ending satisfying as well. I've recommended it as a very good read to my friends. Don't expect the typical Biblical characterizations here - Diamant reads deep into the character's circumstances and creates motivations and dialog based on them. A worthwhile read and purchase!
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