The Red Tent
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Anita Diamant's The Red Tent is an epic celebration of womanhood, written for women everywhere, regardless of their status, creed or colour. It is the story of a woman whose life was blessed by great love and torn by tragedy, of the lessons she learned through her own experiences and those of the women, and men, whose lives she touched. Diamant has chosen as her leading lady a woman whose name alone conjures up echoes of mystery, passion and betrayal. The Red Tent is the fictional tale of Dinah, whose life, like the majority of women in the Old Testament, merits only a passing mention. It is the men in Dinah¹s life that history has remembered: her famous father Jacob, his dozen sons and especially her brother, Joseph and his technicolour dreamcoat. Not religious? Don' t worry, this biblical character and the story Anita Diamant has woven from the merest hints, will appeal to all.
Strangely, even though Dinah lived her life several thousand years ago in a culture far removed from almost all of the women who will read this book, her story is as relevant and fresh as any written in recent years. This novel is as compelling for its female take on the grand themes that transcend time--birth, death, love, hate, betrayal and forgiveness-as it is for its meticulously researched and hugely fascinating picture of everyday life as an early Jewish woman. The book's title refers to the tent where the women retired each month to pass their menstruation, and the descriptions of their time spent celebrating this fundamental rite of womanhood, and other daily customs make this a most original and inspiring book. In an age when gender and family traditions are becoming more and more diluted, The Red Tent honours women and their many and varied roles in life. Carey Green --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Amazon.co.uk Review
The red tent is the place where women gathered during their cycles of birthing, menses and even illness. Like the conversations and mysteries held within this feminine tent, this sweeping piece of fiction offers an insider's look at the daily life of a biblical sorority of mothers and wives and their one and only daughter Dinah. Told in the voice of Jacob's daughter Dinah (who only received a glimpse of recognition in the Book of Genesis), we are privy to the fascinating feminine characters that bled within the red tent. In a confiding and poetic voice, Dinah whispers stories of her four mothers, Rachel, Leah, Zilpah, and Bilhah--all wives to Jacob, and each one embodying unique feminine traits. As she reveals these sensual and emotionally charged stories we learn of birthing miracles, slaves, artisans, household gods, and sisterhood secrets. Eventually Dinah delves into her own saga of betrayals, grief, and a call to midwifery.
"Like any sisters who live together and share a husband, my mother and aunties spun a sticky web of loyalties and grudges," Anita Diamant writes in the voice of Dinah. "They traded secrets like bracelets, and these were handed down to me the only surviving girl. They told me things I was too young to hear. They held my face between their hands and made me swear to remember." Remembering women's earthy stories and passionate history is indeed the theme of this magnificent book. In fact, it's been said that The Red Tent is what the Bible might have been had it been written by God's daughters, instead of her sons. --Gail Hudson --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
58 of 59 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant is an account of the Old Testament story of Jacob and Esau. The story is written from the female perspective and it gives an insight into the life of women during biblical times as not seen before; daily life, life inside the Red Tent at the new moon and the upbringing of children. Running alongside this is a wonderful story which keeps the reader riveted. I would recommend this book to all.
47 of 49 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
'The Red Tent' derives its narrative from the Old Testament story of Dina, the archetypal rape victim whose misfortune triggered the downfall of her family's patriarchal dynasty. From this rather depressing misogamist myth Anita Diamant writes a compelling and genuinely touching love story.
When I first picked this book up I expected an intense and intellectual trawl through biblical history. This was never the case and I was absorbed from the outset. Diamant uses history to engross her reader, the incredible marriage of Jacob to four sisters and the resulting jealousies and trials such a domestic set-up would create are recounted tenderly and plausibly, there is something soothingly voyeuristic amidst the difficult relationships between the women and their one husband.
I particularly loved the narrative surrounding the red tent itself, the home of the menstruating women of the tribe - how wonderful to remember such a time when women were so in tune with each other that they bled together every full moon. And paralleled with the patriachal leadership of the age Diamant creates an intruguing world of male leadership subserviant to the wonders of women, their bodies, their births and their secrets. I lost count of the number of births in this novel, but was again fascinated by the insight provided into the skills and reverence of midwifery.
In 'The Red Tent' Diamant defies the testament story of Dina's rape, instead revealing her relationship as a seductive and wonderful courtship destroyed from the outside by feuding brothers and an overly proud father. A brave incision into a male dominated history and religion.
Reading the details of the early childhood of Joseph, the fertility problems of Rachel and her handmaid sister and of Jacob leading his Israelite tribe was a treat and a new and welcome angle to this ancient story. Perhaps Diamant has presented Jacob harshly in this version of the tale, seeming sometimes cruel and the maker of some mightily disastrous decsions. But this is a woman's story and at last, in the guise of an enchanting novel, Diamant questions the wisdom and motivation of the men at the heart of modern Judaism and Christianity.
Successfully entwining history with myth this book is a delight, a fine curl-up on the sofa novel with a high feel-good factor and a blatant dose of girl-power.
I enjoyed this book because it raises questions without beaking seriously from the traditional Old Testament version whilst maintaining a terrific tenderness and thirst for love that the heroine Dina so truly deserved.
Read this, then pass it on to your girlfriends, they will thank you for it.
When I first picked this book up I expected an intense and intellectual trawl through biblical history. This was never the case and I was absorbed from the outset. Diamant uses history to engross her reader, the incredible marriage of Jacob to four sisters and the resulting jealousies and trials such a domestic set-up would create are recounted tenderly and plausibly, there is something soothingly voyeuristic amidst the difficult relationships between the women and their one husband.
I particularly loved the narrative surrounding the red tent itself, the home of the menstruating women of the tribe - how wonderful to remember such a time when women were so in tune with each other that they bled together every full moon. And paralleled with the patriachal leadership of the age Diamant creates an intruguing world of male leadership subserviant to the wonders of women, their bodies, their births and their secrets. I lost count of the number of births in this novel, but was again fascinated by the insight provided into the skills and reverence of midwifery.
In 'The Red Tent' Diamant defies the testament story of Dina's rape, instead revealing her relationship as a seductive and wonderful courtship destroyed from the outside by feuding brothers and an overly proud father. A brave incision into a male dominated history and religion.
Reading the details of the early childhood of Joseph, the fertility problems of Rachel and her handmaid sister and of Jacob leading his Israelite tribe was a treat and a new and welcome angle to this ancient story. Perhaps Diamant has presented Jacob harshly in this version of the tale, seeming sometimes cruel and the maker of some mightily disastrous decsions. But this is a woman's story and at last, in the guise of an enchanting novel, Diamant questions the wisdom and motivation of the men at the heart of modern Judaism and Christianity.
Successfully entwining history with myth this book is a delight, a fine curl-up on the sofa novel with a high feel-good factor and a blatant dose of girl-power.
I enjoyed this book because it raises questions without beaking seriously from the traditional Old Testament version whilst maintaining a terrific tenderness and thirst for love that the heroine Dina so truly deserved.
Read this, then pass it on to your girlfriends, they will thank you for it.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A truly excellent read. Late nights and weary days, as I could not resist the temptation to read "just a little further".
I originally chose this book because it features so often on lists of books recommended for discussion at book groups.
A novel based on real characters who lived in a biblical period of history, it interweaves fiction and known fact.
Life styles and personalities are conjoured up with such conviction that the reader becomes Dinah, the central character, and lives her life with her.
My book group subsequently read this book and endorsed my enthusiasm. I would have given it 6 stars if I could!
If you enjoyed this book I would recommend Sarah Dunnant's The Birth of Venus : a very different historical novel, but also impossible to put down!
I originally chose this book because it features so often on lists of books recommended for discussion at book groups.
A novel based on real characters who lived in a biblical period of history, it interweaves fiction and known fact.
Life styles and personalities are conjoured up with such conviction that the reader becomes Dinah, the central character, and lives her life with her.
My book group subsequently read this book and endorsed my enthusiasm. I would have given it 6 stars if I could!
If you enjoyed this book I would recommend Sarah Dunnant's The Birth of Venus : a very different historical novel, but also impossible to put down!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Loved it
I absolutely loved this book. It took a bit of getting into, but once I did, I thought it was an amazing insight into what life was like then for women, and an insight into a... Read more
Published 9 days ago by GreenBlue
The Red Tent
We are reading this in my book club. I would recommend this book which is nicely written and provides a really interesting insight into the life of women in biblical times.
Published 11 days ago by Trilly mcnilly
A great book
A fantastic and educational book which is also relevant today. Some cultures have not changed at all over the years.
Published 24 days ago by EM
What a clever book!!
This book was clever, insightful and truly a must read for anyone that is interested in the bible or how people used to live in biblical times. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Missm
A lovely read
A lovely read. Although based on a Biblical story, it was not religious and didn't matter whether you knew the story or not. Read it with a book club and all members enjoyed it.
Published 1 month ago by Jax
Great
Great, arrived on time and a good read. No problems with any of the items bought via you for our book club although I would have to say this wasn't my all time favourite book! Read more
Published 1 month ago by merlin
Excellent book
This book was given to me and I wasn't sure what to expect. It is beautifully written and I couldn't put it down.
Published 2 months ago by gnomes
A classic read, beautifully written & a must read for every woman
A beautifully written book which I was unable to put down! A must read for every woman, to be passed down to each generation.
Amazing!!!!
Amazing!!!!
Published 2 months ago by Amazonanon
Not too bad for chic lit!
I was given a copy of this book from a friend, and not being a fan of chic lit I left it on my bookshelf for a few years before picking it up. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Craig Hall
Tedious in the extreme
What a relief to find that I'm not the only person on the planet who found this book boring and tedious in the extreme. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Reading Lady
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