The Red Tent, set in biblical times, is told in the voice of Dinah, the only daughter of Jacob and sister of the well known Joseph. Dinah begins her tale on the day her father Joseph arrives into the lives of his four wives: Leah, Zilpah, Rachel, and Bilhah, all four the daughters of Laban each from a different wife. Dinah tells of Jacob's relationship with all his wives: his dependence on strong Leah (Dinah's mother); his respect of distant Zilpah; his love for beautiful Rachel (Joseph's mother); and his appreciation of young Bilhah. And Dinah also tells about each of her "mothers" pregnancies and births--their life within the Red Tent. Dinah herself does not become the main focus until she reaches womanhood and is officially allowed to enter the red tent. Then her life begins to change. Marriage, murder, birth, betrayal, love, abandonment and finally death... Dear Dinah had a lifetime of them all.

The author's use of history to tell her story. As far as we know in this time, it could have happened.

Very sad. Very glad that I am to be a woman in the 21st century. Very proud to be a woman period. And especially overjoyed to think of the three beautiful heathly children I have.

Anita Diamant did a wonderful job with history and with the portrayal of biblical characters.

if you're a woman or a mother, you will appreciate this story, even if you're not religious. I even recommend it for men, but none that I know when get past the first chapter .

My sister recommended this book for me. And my sister is not religious at all. I believe the author merely used characters that most of us know as a way to make us all realize how possible it is for all of it to have happened. Read, and you'll see what I mean.

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Created May 04, 2006 at 9:23pm • Submit your own review...