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Summary: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Review: This book was a rare treat. The voice of Dinah's character gives strength to the reader. In a story set thousands of years ago, we learn that people have always been searching for understanding and compassion, no matter what your beliefs may be. Pass this one along to a friend! I hated to see it end.
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Summary: The Red Tent is Nothing Less Than Mind-Blowing!!!
Review: From the get-go I will say that I am an atheist and was very sceptical about even picking this book up. In all honesty, this is one of the best books I have ever read (and I read a lot!)
The detail is so believable you could swear Diamant was there in the flesh to record every living moment. It is a great book for women...and believe it or not, somewhat therapeutic. Any woman could find a way to relate her life to one of those in the book. The many facets of life, whether woeful or triumphant, are realistically portrayed in this novel.
The Red Tent is a veritable page turner and one to be kept for the personal library.
The true glory in this piece is that it does not harp on religion. It is simply a wonderful story. This can be appreciated by everyone, regardless of religious beliefs...being at somewhat of a religious disadvantage, I find that rather refreshing.
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Summary: I was quite prepared to dislike this book.
Review: It was chosen for my general fiction book group, and I thought, "Oh, great. Another navel-gazer in which women complain about men and commiserate over cramps and bloating." Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be an imminently readable story about Dinah, daughter of Jacob. Granted, Jacob doesn't fare very well in this book, and there is quite a bit of general male bashing, but the well-written prose and clever use of a classic Bible story as a jumping off point for an examination of women's relationships in a polygamous tribal society make the book a worthwhile read.Caution: This is not a scripturally faithful recounting of Dinah's story, so don't use it as a Sunday School text, or the church elders will want to have a word with you. :-)
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Summary: Entering the world of women
Review: I really can't understand why so many reviewers got so upset about this book.It's NOT an exerpt from the bible-it's a novel!It's a celebration of womanhood and all its mysteries and, although I found the first half to be a bit "bloody" with its very descriptive passages of girls growing into womanhood, the close bonding of these women of different ages is very warming and real and the tender care that they give each other denotes a true sisterhood.I enjoyed the second half more as it seemed to flow a little more smoothly but I'd recommend it to any female of a certain age as a guide to what a real and caring relationship can be between women.
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Summary: An Honest Life-Story
Review: My daughters have also read this book, and each of us has been affected differently by it. I am in middle-age. Looking back on my own life, I'm able to see "the what-ifs"; to know how the choices I made affected the long-term; to accept the bad I have known as well as the good, because it put me where I am today. I know that Life is bitter-sweet, and that the bitter makes the sweet taste sweeter. "The Red Tent" gives this lesson, along with Hope in the midst of despair, and Compassion that grows from deeply-healing wounds. This beautifully-written book uses a familiar story, pulled into the light of what human life is really like. It was an honor for me to step inside Dinah's life.
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Summary: Awesome
Review: When I first saw this book it was back in 2001 after I had lost my baby girl. I couldn't read it then. Then in March this year my lecturer at my Bible Class recommended this book. I felt that I could relate to Dinah. The way the story was written was good and it was a real eye opener. But then, read it and believe what you will. It's your door to understanding more about the way the Jews treated women.
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Summary: My Best Book of the Year
Review: I read this for a book club, where it engendered a fascinating discussion. What a rich, full life Diamant has imagined for Dinah in a time and place that we know so little about the daily life of women.
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Summary: Every woman must read this book
Review: The Red Tent is such an intriguing celebration of women. Based on a brief story in the Bible, Diament leads us into the lives of some amazing women. The novel stresses the importance of female relationships, that are lacking in contemporary society, and emphasises the gift of storytelling.
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Summary: The RED TENT has earned a place of honor on my book shelf...
Review: First, I would like to clarify that this book isn't only for religious people or those with a strong biblical interest or knowledge. The Red Tent is a story that celebrates women, sisterhood, and offers characters that will speak to your heart, entertain, and enlighten. Each of the women Diamant introduces "speak" to a different aspect of the reader. This novel serves as a reminder to women in our fast paced, driven, and often conflicted society, that although our lives are very different from the women that came before us, WE aren't so very different and their stories offer lessons that resonate deeply within each of us. Ultimately, a real page turner -- read it over a weekend, couldn't put it down, and was sad when it ended.
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Summary: Not a religious book so be forwarned
Review: There has been a recent jump in the number of fictional accounts of the Patriarch Jacob, his ancestors and his progeny. Diamant's "The Red Tent" is one of these though told through a female voice. The voice is that of Dinah and her story here is far different from the one you'll encounter in the Biblical text. This could be offensive for some readers so if you personally believe the Bible to be the unerring word of God, don't get this book because you will not like it. However, if you like conflict between peoples, power struggles between the sexes, some fair historical speculation, and a good deal of sorrow, then you may enjoy this book. Dinah herself is an engaging character and her recounting of generations of females memories was an intriguing way to tell this story.
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