321 pages
English language
Published Sept. 6, 2005 by St. Martin's Press.
In the Bible, Dinah's life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the Book of Genesis that tell of her father, Jacob, and his twelve sons.
The Red Tent begins with the story of the mothers--Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah--the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that sustain her through childhood, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah's story reaches out from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate connection with the past.
Deeply affecting, The Red Tent combines rich storytelling and the valuable achievement of presenting a new view of biblical women's lives.
2 1/2 stars
I didn't really care for this one. I was expecting something different. This was kind of corny and read like one of "Oprah's" books.
Beautiful, well-written prose in this book of Biblical events told from a woman's perspective. What I loved most about this book was how Diamant doesn't get sidetracked talking about gods too much; they are are secondary to the important stuff of human relationships.
