The Red Tent

Rating:
Summary: Satisfying, but...
Review: This book was enchanting, full of stories about people we know and yet we don't. Dinah, who was a footnote, is a complete person, yet there is something missing. In her attempt to tell Dinah's story, Anita Diamant told the story she wished for Dinah. Though Dinah deserves a happy ending, the fact that she gets it in this book makes it hard to digest. Then there is Dinah herself, we get to know her, but not too well. She keeps her secrets, even more from us, and as she does that it ceases to be her story, but Anita Diamant's story. However, this book should be read because it is bold and beautifully written. It is a woman's book, because a man will never be able to understand, just like the men in the story didn't, how women while having a period can bond in the red tent.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review: It is the most beautiful story that I have ever read.

Rating:
Summary: This is a wonderful, wonderful book!
Review: I have recommended this book to many people, especially women, and those friends who have already read it recommend it just as enthusiastically as I do. This book, although fictional, made me see just what we're missing in all those Biblical stories told through the eyes and voices of men. What a wonderful world of women we've missed out on all throughout history! This book made me want to ponder many other historical events through different eyes. Not only is it a wonderful story, but Diamante is a gifted, lyrical writer. You will not be disappointed if you buy this book!

Rating:
Summary: Easy to put down...
Review: On the positive side, this does a fairly good job of dramatizing the old testament stories, and the characterizations and environmental descriptions in this book are often very good, making their world very tangible in places.

However, the story dragged for me, and as is too common in historical fiction, the author sometimes gets basic easy-to-research details of life embarrassingly wrong (no-one who knows how to spin says they spin wool or linen into 'string' - try 'yarn' or 'thread'). Her descriptions of birth feature drama over normality - as a woman who gave birth naturally at home in under 10 hours without flooding the room in gore (I think I ruined one towel!), I was rolling my eyes by the third birth scene. She even manages to work in a Pitocin-like induction by way of some mysterious herbal substance! And she seems to have not even imagined the strange high of unmedicated childbirth, and the feeling of power it can give a woman - though it is something she could certainly have read about even if she has never experienced it herself. Some 'womanist' work of fiction.

Rating:
Summary: good for the girls
Review: wife asked me to read. a good girls book. If you like girl movies this book is for you.

Rating:
Summary: The Red Tent
Review: Fabulously engrossing book. I was drawn in from the first sentence and could put it down only with extreme difficulty. I was reading at stoplights!

The story, told through the perspective of Dinah, daughter of Jacob, gives you the first-hand 'feeling' of what it must have been like to be a woman in biblical times. Dinah tells of her mothers, the men in her life, and the heartache and joy that accompanied her life's direction. People who had, to me, previously only been characters in a book, came alive. Richly drawn, they grew and changed before my very eyes.

This is a book that will bear re-reading. Give it as a gift to yourself or someone you love.

Rating:
Summary: TOUCHED...
Review: I ordered this book based on the reviews and i found it to be an excellent novel.It takes you back in time where women shared their stories,where mothers taught their daughters the reality of life.The story was told by Dinah Jacob's only daughter among ten sons by four mothers.Her tales were filled with laughter and sadness,i actually wept as i shared her tragedy.Although this novel was fiction,it was well written i never wanted the story to finish.Anita Diamant work was outstanding.

Rating:
Summary: Spellbinding & Well-Written - A Great Celebration of Women
Review: This was one of those books that I absolutely could not put down -- literally. My copy is permanently stained with fabric softner, toothpaste, and Diet Coke, as I carried it around with me all day Sunday.

As other reviewers have mentioned, this is a biblical fiction based on the life of Dinah, daughter of the legendary Jacob. Written from the perspective of Dinah, it details the lives of the women (specifically her mother, aunts, and friends) who shaped her life. The "Red Tent" refers to the structure women would retire to during their menstruation in which they would rest, recouperate, share stories, and celebrate life/birth/death. This structure was considered sacred, as only women of child-rearing age were permitted to enter. In this novel, this red tent becomes the center of Dinah's life and her source of joy and strength.

This is a rare book. Never have I read such a dazzling portrayal of biblical woman. Additionally, it is equally rare to read such a celebration of birth and the cycle of life in a beautifully-crafted piece such as this.

Admittedly, my knowledge of religious history is somewhat limited. Therefore, I am taking it for granted that the facts cited by Diamant (the author) are true. However, it appeared to me that she was incredibly knowledgeable about the subject matter. Regardless, Diamant is an incredible storyteller and should be lauded as such. I can't wait to add more of her volumes to my collection.

Rating:
Summary: An eye opening book
Review: This book appealed to me on several levels. First, it is a great story- well written and engaging. It chronicles the life of the family of Jacob, focusing on the women of the family and told through the voice and eyes of Dinah, the one daughter amoung Jacob's ten sons. She tells of her life's story as well as the story of her four mothers, Jacob's wives. There is tragedy as well as hapiness, and even though I finished reading the book several days ago I can't stop thinking about it.

On the next level, I enjoyed this book because it made me rethink and evaluate the biblical stories that I grew up with. Here is a case where I though I knew the story, and yet The Red Tent made me question the old tale. Were these men really heros? Were they really righteous men? Was there more to the story?

The passage in the bible that mentions Dinah is very small, and yet now she is a character that is more vivid in my mind than her famous brothers and father.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a wonderful book. I recommend this book to all women, and I recommend this book to anyone who might want to see a different view on the bibilical stories.

Rating:
Summary: This book is a keeper
Review: When a friend recommended this book to me, I thought oh yeah, another Biblical book that goes nowhere and preaches at you. Well, after reading the first paragraph, I must say, I was wrong. The words and stories of each of Jacob's women weave together into a beautiful tale. And Anita brought the past to life ~~ with its dusty reality, not this purified pretty version that the Bible gives out. (How can you really span a life story of one man and his family and not use up more than a thousand pages?) Anita writes about all points of views and shows the reality of life back then. She also writes about the enduring relationships women have with one another. This is one book I am planning to buy for my closest girlfriends as it celebrates friendship, love and family. And when I finished the book, I felt as if I lost a new set of friends. This book is well-written and embraces the reader into Dinah's life. And leaves the reader with haunting images from time past.