Rating: 
Summary: An Enthralling Book
Review: Although I read a lot of fiction, I usually stick to reviewing non-fiction since each person can have very different tastes when it comes to storylines and characters. I cannot avoid commenting on this fabulous book, however! Diamant, who is known in the publishing world for her comprehensive and approachable books on Jewish life, has shown us an incredible and untapped side of her talent through this novel.The story of Dinah (and of her "mothers", Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah, the wives and concubines of Jacob) traverses childhood to womanhood to old age, from Canaan to Egypt and throughout it all, you live and breathe with these characters. Diamant has managed to do an astonishing amount of research for this book as she seamlessly weaves the daily life, religion, and natural world of the women into her prose. Her accounts of Canaanite and Egyptian life appeared extremely accurate on all accounts, yet the book did not for one second ever seem dry or pedantic. I read this work in one day to the exclusion of all else!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely wonderful
Review: An amazing example of storytelling at its best. This book draws you into the lives of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, who was the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. Afforded a small mention in the bible, Anita Diamant envisions the life of this biblical woman and breathes life into her. I found myself going back to the Bible, to read the story of Dinah and Jacob, Joseph , Leah and Rachel. To me that is an amazing feat, that the book became so true to me, that I felt compelled to read this part of the Bible again, something I have not done in years. The book also offers the rare opportunity to hear a woman's voice, in biblical times. Rarely do we hear the stories of these women, and although this is undoubtably fiction, it rang true from beginning to end. An absolute must read.
Rating: 
Summary: Biblical Characters are Mis-represented
Review: I recognize that this is a work of fiction, but it would seem that the author should be true to the documented descriptions of her characters in the Bible. In an effort to tell an interesting story, the author has portrayed many of the characters to be people they never were. If one is going to write a ficitonal novel about this time in history, perhaps one should use fictional characters. Because I have read and studied Genesis, I found it difficult to reconcile the information that I knew to be truth with the story written by Diamant. As I read, I often thought "This is a lie". While the story was well written, I strongly disapprove of the author's inaccurate description of many of her real life characters.
Rating:
Summary: BEST BOOK I"VE EVER READ !!!!
Review: LOVED IT! As soon as I read the last page I wanted to read it all over agian. Can you say GIRL POWER!
Rating:
Summary: A great book
Review: This was an excellent book. It was interesting to read this book in conjunction with the text of the bible. While the author seemed to embelish some parts of the true story concerning Jacob and his wives, the embelishments really brought this story to life. I cried all the way through the ending and read the last paragraph at least five times. In some ways I really identify with Dinah's story. I hope the author writes more stories like this. This book really re-ignited my love for reading and my abhorrence for television. AMB
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring, magnificent story of women's lives
Review: This novel is clearly not for people who believe that the bible is factual and all the events in it literally happened the way they are written. If you are open to exploring the possibilities of what could have happened in biblical times (and yes, to biblical characters) and are dissatisifed with the paltry, shallow biblical accounts of women, I recommend this book. It is a wonderful story of sisterhood, friendship, loyalty, and love. Diamant is an excellent writer, and I was captivated by the book from start to finish (although I agree with other reviewers that the story was strongest before she left her mothers).
Rating: 
Summary: An intriguing premise for a novel
Review: The premise of this book is fascinating. Dinah is a footnote in the bible to the more "important" story of Jacob and his twelve sons, the fathers of the tribes of Israel. The book wonderfully evokes the interaction between ancient men and women, different religions and cultures and the world of the red tent. I wished the world of the red tent still existed, I could do with several days every month to laze on pillows and listen to the stories of my mother and other relatives!! I learned a great deal and was intrigued by Dinah and saddened by her story. This book most emphatically is NOT a bible story. God hardly comes into it. I thought the book lost its way towards the end but this does not undermine the enjoyment of the reader in exploring this forgotten world. I, too, finished the novel quickly and this is a sure sign of an engaging and enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: Slightly skeptical pagan finds book delightful!
Review: I looked at this book many times in books stores and here on Amazon and each time, although I was very drawn to the book, I didn't purchase it because it was "biblical fiction". . .I was afraid I wouldn't relate to the content to well. . .well, I couldn't have been more wrong. This is an awesome book for women walking all spiritual paths. I actually found this to be very "pagan" oriented in it's flavor and I recommend this book to all women, young and old alike. I felt so encouraged by the bond these women shared, the way life was for them, the way sexuality was taught and learned in those ancient times, and well, I've now got my 16 year old daughter (also pagan) reading it, and have recommended it to several other woman. A very fast read. I highly recommend it and only wished it was lasted longer!
Rating:
Summary: infinite stars!!!
Review: I loved this book. That's all I can say. I was ready to read it again after finishing the first paragraph. I DO NOT read books more than once....until this one. I think I could read it a thousand times and never get tired of it! The story is beautifully told and quite engaging. I felt connected to Dinah and her aunts and finished the last page feeling brand new. How many stories can do that? I could go on forever, but I think you need to read it yourself to get the full effect. This is definately an amazing book and I highly reccomend it to everyone!
Rating:
Summary: EXCEPTIONAL BOOK
Review: What a wonderful book! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and to be quite honest, I was so surprised how easily it flowed and I absolutely could not put it down. I put off reading this book because I figured it would be a bit hard to understand, a little like reading the Bible. Do yourself a favor and pick this book up and read it. The fellowship of these women is very interesting to read about. There's jealousy, revenge, and cattiness---believe it or not. There's also love, romance, caring, tenderness and also some of the nastiness in life, such as physical and sexual abuse, abortion, and even neglect of the less than perfect newborns. This book has brought a lot of understanding to me about the biblical and ancient times. What a tremendous role the women played as a "single unit". GREAT BOOK. It's surely a book that, once it's read, it will never be forgotten. I'd give it better than a 5 star rating if I could. I will read more from this author for sure.
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