Book Review: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
December 7th, 2008
The Red Tent was November and December’s selection for book club (due to the holidays, we are only meeting once for both November and December). This book is also my first completed book for the From the Stacks challenge. This means I have to read 4 more books from my list (or Christmas gifts) between now and the end of January! I enjoyed The Red Tent well enough, but I would not list it as one of my favorites. It’s not one that I would ever read again (and yes, I do sometimes reread certain books). If someone were considering reading it, I wouldn’t turn them away from it, but I doubt that I will go out of my way to recommend it either. I do believe that the book was an excellent book club choice, and I look forward to next week’s discussion.
WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW
The Red Tent is historical fiction set in biblical times, and the title refers to the place where women gathered during their periods and childbirth. The novel focuses on the life of Dinah and her four mothers, the four wives of Jacob. The bible only mentions Dinah very briefly, and Anita Diamant expands upon her life in great detail. My previous knowledge of Jacob and his many sons was limited to the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, so I was unsure about how much creative license that Diamant was taking with events and details. It seems like the major details are in the bible as she describes them, and it’s the life of the women that is brought to the forefront. I liked the idea of showing another side to the better known biblical stories.
I’m having trouble writing a meaningful review, so I will point you to fellow book club members Cindy and Audrey for their opinions on this month’s selection.
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