Rating: 
Summary: Devastating Love and Sacrifice
Review: I have never read a piece of fiction with such a vivid description of one's lineage. The chronology, the geneology was so graphic. At times, I was so caught up in the emotions, it was as if I were a member of Dinah's family, and, I suppose, I probebly am. I was initally taken aback by the prologue in which Dinah addresses the reader in a rather sarcastic, chip on the shoulder manner. She ends her story with thanks and blessings in a way that is unfamiliar to me, but then most of what her life was about is unfamialiar to me.
The concept and richness of having many mothers to raise her left me feeling as if I had missed out on something valuable in my childhood, not to have such a diversity of maternal guidance.I was moved to tears more than once while reading her story: * When Leah and Jacob's relationship began and was consumated, regardless of her "strange" eyes and unusually tall physique. * When Leah showed extraordinary compassion toward Ruti and despite all of that, Ruti's horrible death. * As Dinah and Shalem fell in love and their subsequent suffering. * The fierce, loyal bond between Dinah and Meryt, and the loss when Meryt died. * Dinahs' pain of having to let her son go out into the world. I was held captive as she carefully gave me intimate knowledge of each of Laban's daughters. Their features, characteristics, and their relationships are well described, such as Zilhpah's devilsh side, Bilhhah's kind, sensitive, soulful traits, Leah, the practicle one, and Rachel the narcissist. The importance and prestige of a midwife was conveyed throughout the book in various ways. * How each woman related to the others in the Red Tent. * The importance of all the ceremonies within it and the celebrations of womanhood. * The sense of loss when we learn that the rituals will end because of the intermarriages with the "foreigners". It was interesting also, to learn about the way the men of that time related to each other.
* Their custom of heated negotiation and how they deferred to each other with words of flattery and praise. I was amazed at the amount of undeclared power many of the women possessed in the Canaanite society despite their lowly social ranking, and the contrast to the Egyptian social status of women. I was mystified by Dinahs ability to predict the future and curse those who she despised and caused her misery.
Diamant created and maintained tension throughout the book made it a compelling read. * The prediction of Dinah's finding her future near the water, the first journey of her family when her father, Jacob was attached in the night by a "phantom creature".
* When Jacob was to meet his brother, Esua for the first time after so many years.
* When Dinah is ordered to stay with the grandmother, Rebecca. It was interesting to watch the drasitic change of Jacob's original honest, forthright, noble character to one of a selfish, cruel, and rather eccentric patricarch just before Dinah and Shalem were to be married. It almost seemed as if he was going senile... I'm impressed with amount of research that Diamant must have put into this book. She is a gifted writer who was able to engage me from the first chapter of this book.
Rating:
Summary: It doesn't get any better than this
Review: This book is at the tippy top of my list for my all time favorite reads. How refreshing that someone has the intelligence and wit to add a strong female edge to an otherwise male dominated group of STORIES.
Anita Dimant is an excellent author who has done a wonderful job of enlightening us with the fact that in Biblical times women were probably not the timid, mindless, baby making machines that the stories would have us believe, but that just like now, women are strong and definitely huge contributors to making a community and men successful. No matter what your belief (and trust me, I am NOT main stream) this is an entertaining and wonderful book. P.S. Anyone wanting to throw their copy away on "trash day" send it to me. The more copies to pass along to my fellow females, the better.
Rating:
Summary: Traditionalist View Cannot Darken the Light of The Red Tent
Review: ... I would like to make a few comments. I understand you are likely a traditionalist and have great faith, which I respect wholeheartedly. However, I believe you give this book the kind of review that speaks of prejudice and a closed mind that fears others' perspectives. You must acknowledge that biblical stories, whether in the Holy Bible or the Torah, severely lack a female point of view. No matter how far off-base you believe these interpretations are, don't you understand the pure value of different readings of an ancient story? We are all left with many stories untold from our past and it's only human nature to imagine what it might have been like to be a man or a woman from that time. Even if you don't agree with an interpretation, it is only an ungrateful scholar who calls a story teller's literary work "trash", misspells the crucial character's name, and laments the idea of donating the book "lest someone else be inspired by such desecration".
I loved the book. I released all my faith-based learning and allowed myself to be told a story, as if I were a child. I loved and heard and cried with Dinah. It was a masterfully told story. Yes, it was from the point of view of a woman, surrounded by other women, who were not often in the presence of men in those days except to serve at table and in bed. Yes, some men in the story commit sins and allow fear, jealousy, and hunger for power lead them to do so. But not all the men in the story are hated as you claim. In fact, Dinah is so loving towards her fathers and brothers for the majority of the book that it is even more troubling for the reader in the end to scorn their actions which lead to Dinah's separation from her adored family. But you feel sadness too. You know this family. Even in our own families, we witness bad deeds. To ignore them is unwise; to accept and try to understand them is called love.
Have you considered that women reading the Torah or the Bible have felt a similar alienation that you felt reading this work as a man? That we had a limited role in the most revered literary works of the world, that we were shamed easily and could be sold as slaves for the sins of our parents, that we were fully dependent on men for our quality of life? This book at least attempts to fill a gap where women contribute more to the stories of old, where we hear detailed stories instead of vague and cruel descriptions. I dare say it is closer to the truth than the Bible passages that mention Dinah (and acknowledge the wrong-doing of her brothers). Knowing your place in things and knowing the stories of your ancestors reminds you of how the generations have formed one another.
No faithful and intelligent person is going to read this story and take it for fact. It's a journey that stands alone, in addition to being a perspective on our past. Your offense to the book saddens me; we are past the age of burning books and lashing out at so-called evil 'feminist' texts.
A feminist only means a person who believes women should have equal opportunity to men. That's all. Anything additional is just the belief of that individual. It's not about hating men. It's not about changing everything that's traditional and distorting any truths. In fact, I found joy in celebrating womanhood with the characters in the book and it made me reflect on how insecure most people still are about things that happen often in the lives of women.
We are not all the same, and I do not agree with you. And that's okay. Thanks for reading my comments. I hope you take them without defense in your heart, but instead acceptance for the thoughts of others. ...
Rating:
Summary: Every Woman Should Read This Book!
Review: An outstanding read from the get-go. Whereas it starts a bit slow, I was so mesmerized by the history of the era, that I didn't really notice. The characters are in depth and interesting. I enjoyed the contrast of this book to the actual story in Genesis, which I was coincidentally reading at the same time. It certainly gives the woman's perspective and makes you wonder what the bible might have been like if a woman's perspective were accounted for. It also caused me to appreciate how far we women have come in society. We should be thankful of the choices we now take for granted that women in biblical times could not have dreamed of! At any rate, a wonderful read. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Rating:
Summary: The best book I've ever read!
Review: The Red Tent is an amazing look into a woman's life during biblical times. Whether or not the time period interests you, this book will instantly suck you in. I found that at a certain point I couldn't stop reading. And I was quite disappointed when the book was over. Everyone would enjoy this book!
Rating: 
Summary: A must-read for women
Review: Diamant does a remarkable job of portraying the story of Dinah and her four mothers - all married to the same man. I can't verify the historical accuracy of all aspects of the book. However, for me the point was more to learn about the bonding and fellowship of women. While women today enjoy much more freedom and independance, I fear many have lost the closeness shared by these women. Diamant makes the characters so real the reader is able to identify with at least one of them, if not with aspects of each.
Rating:
Summary: Empowering
Review: I loved this book. I was entertained, and, to a certain extent, educated. The fictional world created by Diamant seemed very plausible, and the book reminded me that throughout the history of the world the contributions and knowledge of women have been frequently ignored and/or forgotten. Through its fictional portrayal this book reminds me that just because it was not written down or remembered, it does not mean it did not exist. To the reviewers who complained that its "not like the Bible" - the book IS FICTION, and, frankly, if you can't handle fiction based on what only some people believe to have been fact, then you may need to consider broadening your scope of the world. To quote - "there are more things in heaven and earth."
Rating:
Summary: The Red Tent
Review: It is so valuable to have friends and family who will stick with you through the hard times. It was great to read about the sanctuary these women felt. A safe harbor in the midst of their storms and crises. This was great reading, moving and tender, yet powerful in the strength of the women who cared for each other. I would not hesitate to read another book by Anita Diamant.
Rating: 
Summary: Tawdry! Insignifcant in the realm of literature!
Review: While not a Biblical scholar, I am quite amused by comments like *breathing life into a woman character in a book written by and for men;* as if Judith, Ester, Abigail, Mary Magdeline and the Virgin Mary didn't count. If Dinah was important, more would have been written about her. Somewhat less amusing is the ignorance displayed regarding the Bible, a book that many consider to be the best ever written. Is no one offended that Ms. Diamont has plagiarized a story handed down for thousands of years? Is our crop of writers so devoid of talent that they stoop to plagiarizing and re-inventing fiction as fact? It is not uncommon for writers to take stories of old and recreate them. Writers as different as Shakespeare and Mishima were inspired by the Bible and its themes. They didn't plagiarize. The Danielle Steele-ing of the story of Jacob is deplorable; moments like Jacob masturbating among the sheep is an example of tawdry moments. Is that good writing or *breathing life* into a character? It makes me ashamed.
Rating:
Summary: The Awesome Book
Review: This book has launched me into a whole new type of literature. I am hooked. I was completely drawn into the story from start to finish.
| 
