I am, admittedly, unfamiliar with Biblical stories, so when I saw the title of Anita Diamant's book I wondered where in the Bible there were red tents. I freely admit to having no experience with the name Dinah except for the song "Dinah blow your horn." In the wake of this book, though, I think that it was better to not know the climax, and to simply follow the story.
Diamant has created a powerful story that demonstrates the role and perspective of women within the known framework of Biblical lore. It feels a bit like historical fiction, because the bones of the story are familiar, but the emotions, and probably some of the characters themselves, are newly imagined.
It was a quick read, but one that left a lasting impression. Some parts did remind me of the Simpson's episode where Homer settles down to listen to the Bible on tape and falls asleep during "so-and-so begot so-and-so..." but it doesn't bog the story down too much.
All in all, a good book worth recommending to one's friends.
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Diamant's ability to create the sensation of listening to an oral history while reading a book is one of the most commendable aspects of The Red Tent. Without an excess of descriptive details, I frequently felt as though I were safely enclosed in both the tent and the embrace of my sisters, one of the women gathered 'round Dinah as storyteller. I've focused much of my professional life on pregnant women so this depiction of women held by other women through their childbearing years held additional interest for me. Without hitting the reader over the head with the "circle of life" message, she conveys the birth/death similitude with the "Fear not" chant. It was comfortingly meaningful for me.
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