The Red Tent - Anita Diamant

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Title: The Red Tent Author: Anita Diamant Genre: Historical fiction Rating: 7/10 # pages: 384 Date read: March, 2008

Summary: 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 who 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.

Review: Unfortunately not as good as I had expected. While it claims to be a retelling of the story of Dinah (Genesis 34), more artistic license has been taken than what I felt comfortable with. Some of the changes I had no problems with, as they added to the story, but others were completely unnecessary and lessened the story of Jacob, Leah, Rachel, Joseph and his brothers as I know it from the Bible.

Before reading it, I'd only heard good about the book, and it was well written, but probably best described as AU fanfiction to the Bible's canon. I'd probably have enjoyed it more, if the author hasn't tried to pass it off as "a Biblical story never told."

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