A straightforward fictional narrative the red tent can also be read as midrash, the imaginative retelling of torah, which rabbi lawrence kushner author of honey from the rock and other books on jewish mysticism and spirituality and diamants teacher calls the literature that sprouts up in the blank spaces between the words and letters of. Menstruation brings us into womanhood a time to rejoice and be supported by other women. In the bible, dinahs story is only briefly mentioned. Find books like the red tent from the worlds largest community of readers. The red tent is the story of dinah, a minor character in the book of genesis, chapter 34. Based on the book of genesis, dinah, jacobs only daughter, shares her perspectives on the origins of many of our modern religious. Like the conversations and mysteries held within this feminine tent, this sweeping piece of fiction offers an insiders look at the daily life of a biblical sorority of. Whether she knew it or not, i was reading along with her.
I loved the red tent and wanted to ask if anyone has any other equally riveting biblicalhistorical fiction books that go super really hard on characterization. The red tent is a work of literary fiction and a biblical retelling by anita diamant. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Avram rothman, the red tent if you knew dina like i know dina. Told in dinahs voice, the red tent reveals the traditions of ancient womanhood and family honour. Simon and levi, two of her brothers, avenge dinah by killing all the. The brief episode in which she appears is usually referred to as the rape of dinah, a violent episiode that has posed difficulties for biblical scholars over the centuries. Handpicked recommendations to other books that have a similar writing style or theme to the red tent. The red tent by anita diamant goodreads share book. The red tent is the place where women gathered during their cycles of birthing, menses and even illness. What do make of this story being told from beyond the grave. The novel has sold millions of copies around the world and was adapted into a 2014 lifetime miniseries starring.
The red tent is a novel of biblical times and of the customs of those times, detailing the imagined lives of rachel and leah, two wives of jacob both true biblical figures and, subsequently, the imagined story of dinah, the daughter of leah, also a true biblical figure. In the bible her fate is merely hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the verses of the book of genesis that deal with jacob and his dozen sons. Anyway, the red tent is all about a little lady called dinah. Dinah sometimes curses peopleand these people seem to feel the consequences. A summary of themes in anita diamants the red tent. The red tent by anita diamant tells the story of the biblical character dinah, jacobs daughter and josephs sister. If you like the red tent you might like similar books the poisonwood bible, snow flower and the secret fan, the memory keepers daughter, little bee. The red tent is very loosely based on the story of dinah in genesis, and it is a book that is very easy to read. The red tent imagines the life of dinah the new york times. In honor of katniss everdeens birthday on may 8, weve rounded up a list of exciting new books like the hunger games.
The book begins with a man named jacob coming to laban, claiming hes his nephew, and saying that. What part of the bible does the red tent come from. How the red tent invented a new kind of fiction jewish. Known as simply the object of her brothers wrath, dinah. In the red tent, author anita diamant recreates the popular biblical story of jacob by giving a voice to his only daughter, dinah. Book announcement about the red tent by anita diamant. The red tent, a twopart adaptation of anita diamants novel about a biblical story, is being broadcast on sunday and monday on lifetime. If you like the red tent you might like similar books the poisonwood bible, snow flower and the secret fan, the memory keepers daughter, little bee, sarahs key. Told in the voice of jacobs 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. If you like the red tent by crrlstaff october 9, 2018 based on the book of genesis, dinah, jacobs only daughter, shares her perspectives on the origins of many of our modern religious practices and sexual politics, imparting the lessons she has learned from her fathers wives. If you like the red tent central rappahannock regional library. The book was called the red tent, and it has since achieved iconic status. The red tent an empowering connection between a group of women. Leah, rachel, zilpah, and bilhah all bring their own unique gifts and influences to bear on dinahs life.
When i was fifteen years old, my mothers book club read the red tent by anita diamant. Dina was not raped, says the author of the red tent. Here, the red tent book and miniseries took liberties with the original tale and stretched it into a full, dramatic narrative that provides a muchneeded voice to the sole woman in the original. The red tent was novel by anita diamant, published in 1997 that gave us a story of women who come together in a menstrual hut, known as the red tent. The book the red tent expands dinahs role from the minor mentions she had in the bible to fictionalize a more complete biography for her. The red tent cafe, a restaurant specializing in fish fries and soul food, will soon open in dousman shani robinson always had a dream of opening. The red tent by anita diamant is a novel which caught my eye in a bookshop many moons ago, listed in the back of my mind as a to read and never actually came to read it until roughly 12 years later, as a result of it slipping in and out of recall.
Goodreads members who liked the red tent also liked. This is a timeless tradition observed by ancient cultures which serves as a regular forum for empowering womens sense of selfhood. In the bible, her life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the book of genesis that are about her father, jacob, and his dozen sons. The red tent is a fictional yet thoroughly researched firstperson account of the life of dinah, the only daughter of biblical patriarch jacob who is. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the red tent and what it means. And it is with this spirit that the red tent movement has flourished as a global phenomenon. The red tent movement has a seventeenyear history, but connects to thousands of years of tradition of women honoring women and creating a world that embraces honesty, and respects for others, our daughters, and ourselves. If you like the red tent central rappahannock regional. The tent from which the book draws its name is central to the book both as a physical item in the story and a metaphor that extends beyond the time period covered by the book.
In many ways the red tent is a very female very feminist novel, the red tent itself being the place the women retreated to from the general family camp whilst they bled at the new moon. From this point onwards, our lives are filled with occasions when empowerment by and between women is the perfect way to celebrate. Like the conversations and mysteries held within this feminine tent, this sweeping piece of fiction offers an insiders look at the daily life of a biblical sorority of mothers and wives and their one and only daughter dinah. Dinah, jacob, leah, rachel, bilhah, zilpah, werenro, meryt, benia, renefer, joseph, inna, tabea, shalem, remosebarshalem, laban, esau, rebecca, isaac, reuben, simon and levi, judah, zebulun, naphtali and issachar, gad and asher, benjamin, dan, nakht. Deeply affecting, the red tent combines rich storytelling with a valuable achievement in.
The book follows four very different women whose lives become interconnected as they struggle to survive on masada. The only one to match tastes across all categories to give you exactly what youve been missing out on. Diamant retells the story as the blending of two cultures and the desire of a woman to find love at any cost. Purists will take exception to anita diamants liberties with other persona such as joseph and leah even if her description makes them seem more real and complete. Most women have heard of the red tent because they read the book. I knew it a work of fiction, but i felt like it would be more christian based. The red tent cafe in dousman to specialize in fish fries. Feb 9, 2020 delve into the lives of fascinating biblical women.
The red tent by anita diamant 1997 her name is dinah. It begins with the story of her mothersleah, rachel, zilpah, and bilhahthe. Told in dinahs voice, this novel reveals the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhoodthe world of the red tent. The novel in question is the red tent, and its modest but highly delighted author is anita diamant, an experienced american journalist who has also written several nonfiction guides to. The story says that dinah was raped by an egyptian prince. In a confiding and poetic voice, dinah whispers stories of her four mothers, rachel, leah, zilpah, and bilhahall wives to jacob. Also bedded are zilpah, a goddess worshipper who has little use for men, and tiny, dark, and silent bilhah.
The dovekeepers is a book that, like the red tent, reimagines historical judeochristian events from a womans perspective. In the surprising bestselling book, the red tent by anita diamant, it appears that no may very well mean, yes. Anita diamant is an awardwinning journalist and author of six books about. Historical fiction books to read if you love the red tent amazing historical. While she first caught the eye of mainstream fiction audiences with the red tent an inspired reimagining of the female experience in biblical times novelist anita diamant has been chronicling the hot topics in contemporary jewish culture for over two decades as an acclaimed columnist. The red tent is a novel by anita diamant, published in 1997 by wyatt books for st. The red tent the story of the twelve tribes of israel is told through the eyes of jacobs only daughter, dinah. The pile of books to read probably numbers around and that doesnt include the 400 or so on the kindle i like to get outside to garden, or. Published in 1997, it tells the story of dinah, her experience as a woman in the biblical era, and the famous tale of her love affair gone wrong, as seen through dinahs own eyes.
Anita diamant books list of books by author anita diamant. The red tent is a fabulous biblical fiction novel that provides a full life to a footnote character in the old testament. The red tent is where the women gather each new moon and dwell in during their monthly flow. Diamant, the book s author, has faced accusations of blasphemy for her imaginative departure from the events of genesis 34.