Rating: 
Summary: Childbirth 24 x 7 in the beginning...but I grew to like it
Review: I absolutely hated the beginning, feeling like it was childbirth and female degradation 24x7...but then I began to realize that there was far more to the story. And whereas I dreaded popping the cassette in (I read/listened during my morning commute), I forged on because of my commitment to my book club. I'm pleased to say that about 1/2 way into the book, I actually began to look forward to listening. I had a very hard time listening to the reader of this cassette, however. Her style seemed that of an announcer for a radio ad. To be specific, she sounded like the voice for "Frugal Fannies" -- a discount store in the New England area. It was a bit over done...plus, to my ear, she seemed to have a hint of a southern accent, which made it hard to picture her as Dinah. I'd recommend the printed version!
Rating: 
Summary: worth the read
Review: a very good book. i was hesitant to read it, but because i was uninterested in the other book i borrowed from the library, i decided to try this one instead. i couldn't put it down. i completed it this weekend and wish now i had read it more slowly so i could enjoy it for a longer period of time.
Rating: 
Summary: A must-read for women
Review: I recently finished Anita Diamant's "The Red Tent", and I found the book extremely fascinating. It's the story of Dinah and her mothers, the wives of Jacob in the Old Testament. The book's premise is basically that the lives of these women were all but ignored in the Bible, and so Diamant relates the biblical stories from their point of view. The first half of the book deals primarily with descriptions of what daily life was like for women during those times. This was by far the most interesting part of the book for me. I was totally engrossed in learning about the roles that were available for women at that time, and the ways in which each of the main characters managed to find an appropriate role for herself. I also really loved the depictions of female strength and wisdom, and the way women treated their bodies as sacred and really seemed to love and worship the functions of their bodies, not merely for reproduction but also for pleasure. The idea of all the women retiring to the red tent to separate themselves from the men and celebrate their menstruation together resonated very strongly with me, and seemed like such a powerful alternative to the way that our society insists that the body and eveything associated with it is disgusting and should be kept hidden. Unfortunately, the second half of the book was not as enjoyable as the first. In the second half of the book, Diamant moved away from the depiction of day to day events, and began relating Dinah's own story. Dinah's life is full of drama--love, hate, betrayal, violence... It made for interesting reading, but for the most part it was drama that I could have done without. I would have preferred to go on reading reading forever about the five women who were central to the story; their individual stories, their relationships with each other, their time in the red tent together, their various pregnancies and births... I really responded very deeply to the traditions of their lives, and didn't like all the upheaval that occurred in the later part of the narrative. But even if I didn't like the second half, it's still a very good book. It's not an extremely feminist book, although it may sound that way. Nonetheless, it's probably a book that every woman should read, just because it presents such a wonderful notion of women supporting each other, learning from each other, and valuing each other's wisdom. I wish that we still had something like the red tent nowadays, and could more publicly acknowledge the significance of women's relationships with each other and with our bodies.
Rating:
Summary: COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN
Review: For anyone who is a fan of historical fiction, this is a book for you. I have never read anything which so vividly portrays the Biblical time and place which we've seen displayed over and over (think Ten Commandments) on TV and in books. If you're put off by the idea that this is a "Christian" book -- don't be! The author portrays the women as pragmatic, going about their business and participating in their traditional culture -- including worshiping their old gods. The men -- well, they're involved in some crazy business about "the one true God" but it leads to nothing but trouble. My only complaint about this book was that the author spent so much time and detail fleshing out the first 2/3 of the protagonist's life and then sort of rushed through her later years. I would have gladly kept reading for a few hundred more pages in order to get the full level of detail all the way through. Well worth reading!
Rating:
Summary: By far, one the best books I have ever read
Review: This book was recommended to me via a friend in a book club. At first, I was hesitant due to the nature of the book and my non-religious background. However, I can tell you that this book is the only book that has ever moved me to tears. It's the kind of book that when you finish, you set the book down and think about it for days to come. I have passed this book on to friends and women in my family and all have come back with the same response... "phenomeonal". Don't let the subject matter haunt you, Red Tent is a story everyone can learn from.
Rating:
Summary: Highly Imaginative Work
Review: Anita Diamant's "The Red Tent" is a spin off of one of the most mysterious women in the Bible. Dinah is mentioned only briefly in Genesis, but her life was full of turbulance and affected many. This book is not to be taken historically, it is clearly the work of the author's imagination. Diamant breathes life into the character of Dinah as she explores what life was like during Biblical times for a woman of Dinah's status. The story is told through the eyes of Dinah herself, giving an intriguing perspective. The story takes the focus off of the men that are so familiar in Jewish history and shows the life of the women. It shows the bonding that can be established between groups of women - love and competition all bundled into one. This is a very enjoyable book. I will stress again that it is a work of fiction. Do not expect use this book as a historical resource.
Rating:
Summary: Family Read
Review: My grandmother, my mother, and I all read this book. As a non-practicing Jewish family, we all felt this book touch our roots in some way. I had an indescribable feeling inside when reading this book. It was as if I had somehow been there long ago. I loved Diamant's Old Testament based work intensely. It is a very historical, drawn out, detailed novel so be aware of this before you delve into it. It is still, however, fascinating and a beautiful account of the tragic and amazing life of Dinah, daughter of Leah and Jacob. I couldnt get through Diamant's fictional work but this one is definitely recommended if you are at all interested in feminine historical fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Fleshing out a familiar story
Review: My women's book club chose The Red Tent as our first assignment, and I am so glad that we did. As a religion major in college and a former long-time Sunday School-kid, I was familiar with the main stories of Genesis (Jacob's ladder, Rachel at the well, Joseph and the Pharaoh, etc.), but this novel gave those familiar stories a new depth. By expanding the events in those twenty or so chapters of Genesis dealing with Jacob and his family into a fictional narrative, Diamant has succeeded in providing a rich, emotional story of generations facing religious, political and cultural changes. Dinah and her mothers - both real and adopted - are strong, three-dimensional characters who help provide a view of what life might have been really like in the time of Genesis, including the joys, the conflicts, and the struggles that women faced. This was an excellent book, and I can't wait to discuss it with my book club!
Rating:
Summary: A Most Beautiful Piece of Literature
Review: Dinah is mentioned briefly in the bible as Jacob's daughter who is raped by a prince. In this book, Diamand brings to her readers the rest of Dinah's story as she imagines it to have happened.
With the coming of the new moon, the women of the camp enter the red tent to wait out their monthly bleeding. This is where Dinah spends her childhood, being the only daughter among the four sisters wedded to Jacob. There she learns the life stories of Leah, Rachel, Zilpah and Bilhah, all of whom she calls her mothers.
The book is divided into three sections, all different phases in Dinah's life. Diamand writes of Dinah's relationship with each of her brothers and the circumstances which led her to flee from her family and curse their names.
The story of Dinah, the blessed midwife and mother of a prince of Egypt, is one of beauty. The majority of the Bible focuses on men, as if women had no part to play in the history of humanity. The Red Tent shows the world that women are just as strong and sound-minded as men.
Rating:
Summary: The Red Tent
Review: What a wonderful story about woman. Could not put the book down.
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