Publisher: Picador, January 1, 1997

Format: paperback

Pages: 321

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary (From Goodreads):

Her name is Dinah. 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 tell of her father, Jacob, and his twelve sons.

Told in Dinah’s voice, Anita Diamant imagines the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhood—the world of the red tent. It begins with the story of the mothers—Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah—the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that sustain her through childhood, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah’s story reaches out from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate connection with the past.

Deeply affecting, The Red Tent combines rich storytelling with a valuable achievement in modern fiction: a new view of biblical women’s lives.

My Review:

Read if you like: retellings, female focused stories
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The Red Tent tells the story of Dinah and her family. Dinah is mentioned once in the Bible and Diamant tries to give voice to this minor character.
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It was so interesting to read about the cultural practices of Dinah and her family, and the different roles women played in the book. Dinah and her mothers are portrayed as strong women and I loved the idea of giving voice to women who historically didn’t have one.