The Red Tent

The Red Tent
Anita Diamant
Copyright 1997

“The painful things seemed like knots on a beautiful necklace, necessary for keeping the beads in place.”

― Anita Diamant, The Red Tent 

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So I finally tackled a book that had been shuffled down to the bottom of my reading list (who knows what other gems are waiting for me down there?).  The Red Tent had been one of those books that I wanted to read, but just never got around to. Now that I have read it, I am so happy that I did.  I have always had a soft spot for historical fiction, but rarely do such books inspire me to this level of introspection.

The protagonist of The Red Tent is Dinah, daughter of Jacob.  Yes, the Dinah and Jacob from the Book of Genesis.  As a person lacking strong Judeo-Christian traditions, Diamant's interpretation/ presentation of Dinah's "biography" did not offend me.  But, I could see how those with strong opinions on the subject may be turned off by Diamant's take.  All things said, the book isn't overly religious.  The most controversial issue it tackles is Jacob's culpability for the death of innocents in Shechem.

The Red Tent, as narrated by Dinah herself, weaves a rich tapestry of her life and those of her "mothers."  I was warned by another reader that, "it takes a while for the story to get started."  Admittedly, Diamant devotes a large portion of the book to character development, but I think that it was that strong foundation that allowed the characters to resonate with me.  Knowing the character's intricacies creates a strong relationship between the reader and the character. I began to empathize with Dinah and compare her feelings/spirit to what I believe my own to would be.  I took the notion of "what doesn't kill you, truly does make you stronger" to heart.  And Dinah's journey reinforces my belief of the beauty in motherhood, love, and life. 

The aforementioned "other reader" was a man.  No offense to him (or anyone else), but no matter how sensitive you are, The Red Tent, is definitely Chick Lit.  There is something very feminine about the book (outside the themes).  It elicited strong sympathies for the feminine characters and disgust for the male characters.  The male characters of the book are cold, self-serving, and driven by greed.  Their behavior is juxtaposed with the warm female characters who serve as devoted (but strong) wives, followers, mothers, and nurses. 

As a history buff, I am always hesitant when I start to read a historical account.  There have been many instances where "ignorance is bliss," if I hadn't known so much about the time period, I would have enjoyed the book much more.  But that was not the case with The Red Tent.  Although I was especially concerned when I read the list of Diamant's previous works (i.e. Choosing a Jewish Life, Bible Baby Names, The New Jewish Baby Book), The Red Tent is thoughtfully researched and carefully crafted.  I cannot say with absolute authority that Diamant's depictions were completely accurate, but she did not take too many blatant liberties with the history.  After all, the book was not a depiction of a woman's life in said time period, but rather a woman's spirit and strength in time immemorial.

I recommend The Red Tent for anyone (particularly of the female gender) in search of an easy read with a profound impact.

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