I first read this book about 5 years ago. Have been captivated by it ever since. So captivated by it that I sort of read it like I do my Bible. I'll pick it up and begin to read where it falls open. I'm always up to date with exactly where I start and like my children's favorite books, there are sections that I almost know by heart. I try to encourage all my 'reader' friends to expose themselves to this extraordinary work. I'd love to spend an evening with this author. She has got to be one of GOD's favorite people.

Delightful reading. View of the past I have never seen before, from Women's perspective, in lieu of mens. I have read the story of Jacob many times but this presents an entirely different picture. Learned a lot and I want to read more. I delighted in the fact that the men of the time saw the Red Tent as a place of woe and exclusion for the women HOWEVER the women let the men think that --keeping for themselves the fact it was a place of refuge and love and relief from the day to day drugery of tending the house, husband and children.
The reading made me proud of woman's ability to bend and survive and thrive. The same feelings of pride that was aroused by my reading of
Two Old Women, by Velma Wallis.

My neighbor, a midwife, recommended this book to me. It is amazing that the name Jacob (or Levi or Simon) is still popular. Ms. Diamant made the biblical story come to life in her novel. It is a bit more graphic than any Sunday School teacher explained, but still a good read. The sociological look at women was fascinating. If there were still Red Tents, women might be healthier and less stressed.

This is a great book for any female that grew up with more than one motherly influence. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have not met any person that did not like it.

The Red Tent, which apparently is a huge favorite of many, many people here, has become a huge favorite of mine as well. The book was so incredibly vivid that Ms. Diamant brought me into Dinah's world, a world where custom was everything, and a woman could only find peace, rest and sisterhood inside the red tent.

From the very beginning, where the reader is told that she has hands and feet softer than a queen's, I was captured. I could smell the smoke from the cooking fires, mixed with the breezes from the hills and the dinner in the pot, and the not-so-lovely smells of children, and men and animals. The author painted a picture with her details, but didn't become so enraptured with detail that she forgot that she was writing a darned good story. Like a butterfly, Ms Diamant flits from story to story as she weaves the tale of a life, staying with each until we are satisfied and full, but without ever languishing long enough that we become bored with the people, characters and places. The stories keep us off kilter just enough to make things interesting, because we think we have heard them before -- and we have. Maybe.

My only complaint is that Ms. Diamant paints the men as broodish and selfish, not knowing anything about the women in their lives, and being quite happy with that state of affairs. C'mon! I know that times have changed, but people have not, and if a man cares about a woman, he will not dismiss everything that is important to her. Jacob was painted as a man who cared so little about the women he loved that he failed to honor even one of them. He was painted as barely able to tell one from the other, at least in the dark. I was also struck by the dark and angry portrait of Joseph, who has come through history as a hero - but not here. Men do not fare well at the touch of Ms. Diamant's pen.

Finally, this isn't a book to start at bedtime. (You won't be able to get up for work in the morning) It's the perfect book for a day in bed with the sniffles, or the faux-sniffles. Grab some tissues (for the sniffles, of course), a cup of tea and this great book and you have all you need for a day of travel through countries and centuries, all to meet a woman whose tale has been forgotten by the years gone by. Give Dinah a wave for me when you meet her, okay?

I enjoyed this fascinating fictional tale of the life of Dinah, daughter of Jacob and sister to Joseph from the Bible's book of Genesis. It is told in the first person, through the eyes of Dinah and follows her life from early childhood and through the joys and sorrows of her life. This is not a quick paced, action packed novel. There is a lot of discussion of family relationships, the challenging tribal life, the various gods and goddesses, and ultimately love. It tells of Dinah's gentle strength to meet the hardships of life and is a very feminine centered story. The author does not sugarcoat the harshness or the twists and turns that life can take. I can understand why this novel is controversial. It doesn't give an accurate portrayal of the intent of the bible story, but I liked the rhythm of the novel and the glimpse into a woman's role in the society of that time. Although I was very moved by this story, I did not rate it 5 stars because there was a little too much paganism for my taste. Other than that, the author provides a compelling narrative of possible life in ancient biblical times and I will recommend it to others.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fictional tale about women in biblical times. Women who held more power, knowledge and influence than even they understood. This was a time where many gods were worshipped and the idea of monotheism grew. Anita Diamant, choose characters straight out of the book or Genesis, but if you investigate the author's website, she informs us that this book was never meant to be a history lesson, but rather entertainment for readers. Definitely five stars worth of entertainment.

This book, for me, had the same essence as, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, and Memoirs of a Geisha. All of which were engrossing tales.

In the Bible, the character Dinah appears as a brief detour in the story of her father Jacob and his sons. In The Red Tent, Dinah is the narrator, telling the story behind the myth, what actually happened to her mothers and to herself (as imagined by Diamant) both before and after her marriage and the murder of her husband and his family. The novel intends to tell the story of the women in the Bible, but--while Diamant conceives Dinah's story in realistic detail--Dinah has no agency, and the plot stops and starts not with the actions and lives of women, but rather by their husbands, sons, and other male influences. The novel also suffers from unimpressive writing, but it was the male-directed action that disappointed me most and which prevented the novel from fulfilling its intentions. I found this book frustrating and limited, and while it has some potential, I do not recommend it.

The first section of the book ("My Mother's Stories") begins, "Their stories began the day my father appeared" (pg 7). Although not indicative of its entirety, this sentence does set the tone for the rest of the book. The novel intends to be the story of Biblical women, and does delve into women's practices and their time spent in the menstrual hut (the red tent of the title), but the women's characterizations and purpose, the arcs of the plot, and even the female-specific occupations and locations, are all centered around male influence. Jacob's wives are introduced when Jacob appears, and described largely in reference to how they interacted with and appealed to him. Dinah's story begins with her mothers as wives and moves into herself as wife, herself as widow, herself as mother, and then herself as wife and sister (to her brother). In periods where she cannot be categorized by a male relation (for example, after her son goes to school and before she remarries), Dinah does literally nothing, and entire years of inactivity pass in a few paragraphs. Finally, even the female center, the Red Tent (which is forbidden to men, and the home of birth, menstruation, and femininity) focuses energy on being able to produce, conceiving, and producing children by men, in particular male heirs.

To a certain extent, this masculine focus is necessary and unavoidable. The roles of women and men in this era were both structured and limited, and writing a book in which women were social equals to men would be more fallacy than fiction. However, while I expected and accepted differences in gender status and equality, Diamant could have written a book about women within that world--perhaps by decreasing the story's scope, she could have written more about their interpersonal relationships or other struggles and stories that wouldn't latter appear in the Bible. By any number of means, she could have given her characters lives and interests outside of or not strictly defined by masculine influence; she could have given Dinah a sense of agency and self-direction, rather than allowing men, or failing men older women, or failing older women absolutely nothing at all, direct the course of her life. Dinah only does one thing by herself, for herself, with her own power--and when this event occurs, it is so out of place in contrast to the rest of the book that it feels like a different character takes her place--and leaves just as quickly.

Diamant's writing style lacks vivacity and is largely unremarkable; the cast of characters is so numerous that many character descriptions seem no more detailed than the genealogies of the Bible. Conversely, the plot is detailed and differs enough from the Bible myth that it does indeed seem to be the real story behind the story we know. These various strengths and weaknesses effectually annul each other, and my final impression of this book was merely frustration and dissatisfaction: Diamant promised the story of Biblical women, and instead delivered the story of Biblical women as conceived, influenced, and determined by men. While The Red Tent has the potential to be good, it fails to deliver, and instead left me feeling cheated. It would be lovely to see the lives of women, women with personalties, with desires, living under the circumstances and restrictions of their time while still maintaining their own character. That would have been a great book. But this wasn't that book, and the book that this is I don't recommend.

I was introduced to The Red Tent several years ago when it was first published. More than four years later, there are still passages from this amazing book that echo in my mind and heart. Recently, as I re-read it for the sheer pleasure of its amazing story, I discovered even more reasons to applaud Ms. Diamant's first work of fiction.

Through the voice of Dinah, the only surviving daughter of Jacob and his four wives Rachel, Leah, Zilpah and Bilhah readers are transported to Old Testament times and given a view of society from a female perspective. While Dinah is mentioned in passing in the Book of Genesis, this is a work of fiction. Those who have made mention that this is what the Bible would be like if it had been written by women miss the enduring qualities of truly good fiction--a universal theme, the ability to reach across generations and still speak common truths, and characters who transcend time and place as they bring to life the story they share.

The Red Tent offers readers much to applaud. Here is a study (albeit fictionalized) of female society in ancient times, a love story, a survey of the early practices of slavery, war and deception among men, a glimpse of the early place of mid-wifery in society, and the bonds of womanhood as a means of passing the important stories from one generation to the next.

Using the backdrop of "the red tent"--the literal place where women stayed during their menses and childbearing because they were thought to be "unclean" during those phases of their life cycle--Diamant creates a place where women share not only the physical bonds of womanhood but the emotional bonds as well.

The theme of women passing their stories from one generation to the next is paramount. Even today, in most cultures, it is the women who are entrusted with the storytelling of their generations. Through Dinaha's eyes and voice we are privy to the stories the ancient women of Old Testament times may have shared--those stories that never made it into the Old Testament because the scribes were males.

Today, more than 2000 years after Dinah, her story holds relevance and excitement, joy and sadness and common female bonds worth savoring--and passing along to future generations.

by Lee Ambrose
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

To me, The Red Tent was on the same level of excellence as The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns. It was just a little slow getting started, but I soon found it hard to put down. I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you enjoyed books like The Kite Runner.

Ms. Diamant has a way with words. She created a masterpiece in formulating the character, Dinah (pronounced Dee-nah), based on the biblical story, giving voice to the woman. Like her other fictional works, such as Good Harbor and Last Days of Dogtown, Ms. Diamant is very talented in creating strong, believable bonds between women in her books. I've read The Red Tent at least six times and never tire of the way the story flows. The women in her stories are fascinating and so full of love and life. I recommend this book to any one person that loves reading a good story with great characters. I recommend getting a hard cover (if you can find one), because like the lays potato chips, you won't be able to "read" this just once.

This follows the Biblical story of Dinah enough that it is did not offend me as a Christian. But I like how Diamant enhanced the story to make it a story about love, God, and womanly bonding. At a time in society where women were 2nd class citizens, this story tells of their strengths -- both individual and as a group. I highly recommend this to any female reader. Also a great gift for a Christian friend.

This book's hard to put down when you are reading it and haunting afterwards.
Part of what made this read so interesting to me was the striking contrast between the fictional stories Diamante weaved out and the knowlege I already had on the old testiment. Sure I didn't agree with every big or little events upon which the author took her great libery to describe of, but regardless it's just nice to hear at last some multi-dimensional, personal voices from the women who I heard known for so long but never really knew.
This book gave me an opportunity to have an alternative view, even though I don't agree with a lot of Diamonte's perspective on the Bible I still enjoyed it so much to recommend it anyone who's looking for a good read.

My mother sent this as a Christmas gift for my sisters and I. This is my favorite gift this year. I can't wait to share it with everyone I know. The care Anita Diamant takes in telling this story in unparallel. I have never been so moved. Although completely fiction, the way that she describes the characters relationships is true even today. It will make you look at your relationships and the legacies that you are leaving behind. Simply amazing, I feel blessed having had the experience of reading this novel.

This is a wonderful book to listen to if you are on a long road trip or a long flight.

I'm not even sure where to start when talking about The Red Tent. The novel has more births and menstruation references per capita then anything I've ever read so if that bothers you, stay away. If you can stomach it all then you will be rewarded with one of the more fascinating books of recent memory. Simply put, this book "is" woman which probably makes it all the more important that it be read by men and I enjoyed it's different and unabashed feminine point of view.

Diamant's story follows that of the biblical character Dinah, her upbringing in the patriarchal family of Joseph and his four wives. We follow Dinah through her turbulent life as a midwife living in times that are both joyful and brutal. The character of Dinah is a worthy creation in its own right as Diamant has carefully crafted a character that is atypical of your usual heroine. Diamant's Dinah is a memorable literary character; a realistic and engrossing person that learns, loves and lives in three dimensions and this is completely her book. You will sympathize and root for her every step of the way. On top of this Diamant does an excellent job of transporting the reader to biblical times and she had put a lot of thought into the expositional aspects of her world.

Having some background knowledge of the Old Testament and specifically that of Joseph and Jacob is important. Part of the appeal of this book for me, was reading Diamant's interpretation of the event as described in Genesis and seeing what changes or liberties she takes. Also noteworthy is the method in which Diamant represents the roles of women in this foreign world. In Jacob's patriarchal family, 4 wives share his love and women exist to birth, cloth and cook. They relish and even bond in this role as is becomes the definition of their womanhood, which is in contrast to the utterly empty female royalty we meet later in the book. Even though lifestyles of biblical times were completely different then those of people today, the emotions of love, jealousy, happiness and loss are still identifiable and will connect you to this novel.

Bottom Line: A surprisingly authentic book, a great story, and an overall memorable read.

After reading some of the reviews, I had to check and make sure for a second.
If you're looking for a historically accurate book, go read an autobiography. This is not a book about history, it's just a story loosely based on the Biblical story of Dinah. Which from what I remember (I'll admit, it's been a while since I've read Genesis or this book for that matter) you don't get a lot of detail on in the Bible. Diamant failed by not doing her research about the time period she was writing about...but if you're not a history buff, you probably won't even notice!

I read this book a good 5 or 6 years ago I believe and I remember getting offended by some of the things she said about Jacob...but then I realized, HEY! IT'S JUST A BOOK! After that, I couldn't put it down.

I recently gave this book to my mother to read, who is, for lack of a better term, a HARDCORE CHRISTIAN. She LOVED it, read it in a couple of days.

Yes, the book has MANY inaccuracies, no it is not a book that is going to reaffirm someone's faith in Christ...THIS BOOK IS NOT A WITNESSING TOOL - it is a story, about a girl, who had a difficult life and seemed to have felt that her father didn't love her enough. A story a lot of women can relate to no matter what time period they're from.

This is my all time favourite book - set in the times of the Old Testament and possibly how the Bible may have read if it had been written from a woman's point of view. It is a book filled with sorrow and celebration of being a woman - from the innocence of young girls sharing the 'red tent' (place where women gather each month during menstruation to celebrate being a woman, support and learn from each other) to the act of childbirth - a right of passage into the world of women.
The Red Tent is incredibly dramatic, beautifully narrated, historically fascinating, obsessive reading and emotionally draining(!!! I laughed, I rejoiced, I sobbed!!!) I have recommended it to everyone I know!

This is informative, powerful, interesting, and riveting. I could not put it down. I will read it over again. I think every student of history, religion, or psychology should read it. It was recommended to me, and I will recommend it to many in my family. I won't lend it. It will stay on my library shelf for reference and future read-overs.

We read the red tent for a book club in our Church. I loved the concept of womanhood and sisterhood. It was a little shocking how she portrayed some of the Characters from the Bible. I was especially disappointed with how she portrayed Rebecca. (She turned her into a type of Lady Catherine Deburg - from "Pride and Prejudice" (Rebecca was cold hearted and portrayed more as a goddess worshipper always sitting on her throne and Isaac was some feeble man in love with some caretaker). I was also shocked by some of the ritual scenes the women carried out on eachother. Mainly, if you think of it as pure fiction, you may be alright.. but if you know much about the characters from the Bible, you may have some issues with it. It was an interesting read, but definitely not one I loved.

There are few books I read more than once, but I've read The Red Tent at least 5 times... and counting!

There are very few words to describe the impact that this novel had on my life. I have never read a book that made me cry and laugh like this one. The novel is my favorite that I have ever read, and I have a feeling that it will always be dear to my heart. If you are a woman, you should read this book. If you a man, you should read this book. You may think that it has nothing to do with you and only talks about women's issues, but if you ever want to interact with any women ever, READ THIS BOOK. It is lasting, offensive, beautiful and the most wonderful novel that I have ever read.

When I first picked up Anita Diamant's "The Red Tent", I assumed it would be a novel that I could only appreciate as an outsider. For one thing, I've never read the Bible and don't know anything about life in Ancient Canaan; I don't come from a large or particularly close-knit family; and, last but not least, I'm not a woman. Yet, always interested in experiences which differ from my own (yes, I do think it's very important to try to understand something about the other 51% of the world's population), I decided to give "The Red Tent" a shot... and absolutely loved it.

True, it is difficult for me to identify directly with some of the situations in this novel - giving birth, to give one notable example - but I think Diamant's story is universal enough to be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of gender. We all know what it's like to grow up, to fight with our families, to feel like an outsider. We all, at one point or another, experience lose, pain, joy and happiness. And we all, ideally, know what it's like to be loved and supported. Diamant's treatment of these experiences and these emotions make this book a joy to read and a shame to put down. The characters are fascinating throughout and Diamant's obvious compassion for them (the central female characters at least) help them come to life for the reader. Through the voice of Dinah we experience the joys and the sorrows of early family life in Canaan, and then (not to give too much away) the heartbreaking effects of death and jealousy which throw the tribe of Jacob into chaos. From a stylistic point of view, Diamant's use of imagery and symbolism is also very interesting (pay attention to her use of blood, the moon, and water). This is one of those very rare books that takes you to a distant time and place, yet is still able to teach you something about your own life as well.

Overall, this is a hauntingly beautiful novel that I would recommend to everyone and anyone!

I read this book about two years ago, and haven't read it since because it is making the rounds among my friends and their friends, as we all automatically recommend it anytime anyone asks for a good book. Yet, I still think about it often, and can't wait to get my hands on it again.

This is a captivating, mesmerizing peek into the lives of women when they relied so heavily on their own strength, and on each other. Despite all the antithetical cultural and mechanical differences between their lives and my own, I still find myself longing for my own Red Tent, with a cadre of women to help myself through my more singular, modern, feminine experience.

That, I think, is one of the great appeals of this book. Sure, the writing and character development is superb, and should not be dismissed as unimportant. But the haunting mental images of those characters and their experiences as the reader internalizes their struggles and compares them to her own, makes this book so real and creates such a visceral impact. It affirms that women can surpass their individual or collective pre-conceived limits. In truth, it made me believe I can do it, whatever "it" is.

I will be handing over my dog-eared, well-loved copy to my daughters when they reach an age where they can appreciate all that is described. I hope it will foster many discussions so that, at last, we will have our own Red Tent.

Once I opened this book I could not put it down. I felt transported to a place and time that I had previously experienced only through the eyes of men. The subject matter is intense, the story extremely well told.

My taste in books tends to lean more towards "novels" than "literature". I enjoy Science Fiction, Crime novels, etc. But contrary to what I would normally pick up to read I could not get enough of this book, what I would call literature in the best sense.

I was enthralled and would highly recommend this book.

Our Foremothers come to life in this wonderfully evocative story about Dinah. The Torah comes to life here, and the writing seems like poetry.

The latest trend of historical fiction, or borrowing from history to write a novel concerns me. I find that people have a very, very hard time seperating fiction from fact. Although this is a very well written and enjoyable book the author herself will tell you that the "Red Tent" did not exsist in Biblical times and it is somewhat uncertain how it was used in the American Indian culture she borrowed the idea from. I enjoyed this book but I do wish that all readers would take it upon themselves to research the facts and fictions behind these types of stories.

A great tale, imagining the women's story that is hidden behind the Biblical stories of Jacob and Joseph. This work contains some wonderful moments, and the second and third major sections are very good indeed.

But, I have two complaints that drop this work down to a 3-star rating. First, the first major section, in which Dinah relates the stories she has heard from and about her 'mothers' is necessary for character development and contains some good stories as well, but it just seems too long and too detailed. I almost stopped before getting past this part.

Second, Diamant seems to be determined to marginalize or demonize the male characters; especially those that are primarily the protagonists in the Biblical tales. Yes, the Bible is male-centered and the women in the Biblical stories are mostly marginalized. But the whole book would have seemed more real if Diamant had made a few of the male characters 3-dimensional (or at least 2-dimensional).

Her apparent purpose - to show that the women in these stories probably had a lot to do with events and that they and most of the men probably believed in many gods and godesses - could have been accomplished with the book still being female-centered, but without making nearly every male either brutal, clueless, and/or irrelevent.

I guess I'm still looking for balance in painting this ancient world.

I found this a very interesting concept and hoped it would give me insight into a woman's life and role in Biblical times. I found the beginning of the book very interesting but as I got further into it, I had several issues with it and was conflicted with my opinion of the book overall. My issues included:
1. Although I don't consider myself a Bible scholar, I am familiar with most of the incidents referenced in this book. At first, when the author varied from the Biblical account, it was slight enough to accept. But as the book went on this got more dramatic. I understand this is a work of fiction, but if you are going to base it on existing stories you should stay pretty true to the story. Asside from the Bible references, some reviews indicate the story correctly reflects the times from an historical perspective, other reviews say it does not. The fact that the author completely reinvented the Bible stories left me doubting that anything in the book was authentic. Thus I did not feel that I really got an accurate view of a woman's life at that time. Had the author just set the story in biblical times, but created a different family instead of rewriting the Bible, I would have found it more believable.
2. The book started out very strong but then started to drag in the middle. By the end of the book, I almost had to force myself to finish it.
3. It seemed to me the author had some ulterior motive. Between the rewriting of the Bible stories so that the characters are portrayed in a negative manner and her negative portrayal of men in general, I question if she was putting her own spin on life at that time. I know life was very different for women then, but I'm not convinced her portrayal of it was accurate.

This book is excellent and I have bought it many times over to give to girlfriends as a gift. Definitely worth reading.

I liked the fact that it was an interesting take on a familiar work of fiction (the Bible). I have no idea how much it strayed from it and didn't care. It was a good book.

Interestingly, the taking of many wives reminded me of Mormon religion (read "Under the Banner of Heaven" for an eye opening read). But luckily, you do not need to be religious to enjoy this book.

Some compared this book to "Snowflower and the Secret Fan". I found that book to be much better. This one wasn't bad... just not as good.

I highly recommend this book to those who are fasinated with Bible stories. It brings to life, a little known person of Biblical times. Along with all of the rest of the persons that we have heard about and read about.

It was the read for my book club and I was surprised of how much I enjoyed it. At the begining it was hard to keep track of all the characters and what was going on but if you stick with it you won't be able to put it down. I would have never picked a book inspired on the Bible not becuase I'm against it but It sounds boring. This is book was not boring at all.

I have a hard time getting into a lot of contemporary literature, but I just LOVED book! I've read it twice -- first in my twenties before I had children and then later in my thirties after having my first child. In my twenties I was enchanted by the first part of Dinah's story -- her childhood and relationships with her various "mothers". Then, later, as a mother I was moved by Dinah's story after giving birth and her bittersweet relationship with her own child. Maybe I'll read it again in another 10 years...

I donated my first copy of The Red Tent to the Goodwill without having read a single page. Because I'm not one to give to much thought to the bond I share with other women just because we're women, and because I don't have sisters or share a deep connection with many women in my family, I assumed this book was not for me. Years later, however, I decided to give the The Red Tent a shot; and it turned out to be a page-turner.

The Red Tent offers a thought-provoking emotional read . . . An amazing story of strength, love, survival, loyalty, and betrayal. I cared about the characters from beginning to end (regardless of whether I could relate my own experiences to theirs) and found myself so full of sorrow at one point I actually put the book aside and sobbed. Colorful images, beautiful descriptive language, realistic fiction . . . a inarguably well-written novel with immense depth. Highly recommended!

I could not put it down....It gave me the desire to go back and read my bible in a new light, from a woman's point of view! The characters in the bible came to life with their own unique personalities, although I know that the book is a novel and the author is not claiming historical accuracy. This book is a must-read!

It was an excellent book. I really enjoyed it. It did follow the Bible somewhat but then it is fiction, based on some facts.

I am 66 years old and just finished this book. People saw me reading "A Thousand Splended Suns" and recommended "The Red Tent". Both books are about women. I am sure women appreciate them because they learn about other times and culture. For a man, I think these books are so revealing because we learn, in addition, what its like to be a woman. I loved them both and cried reading both. I highly recommend them. You will have an emotional experience you will never forget.

I found the story hard to follow in the beginning, but I was drawn in more and more by the view of a woman's life in the past. It was engrossing.

When I enjoy book as much as I enjoyed "The Red Tent" I always make myself read the "1 star" reviews. Here are some things to know before you read this book and are disappointed:

1) It is is fiction. It is found in the fiction section. It is listed as fiction.

2) The Bible is not exactly a verbatim account of history. I realize that this offends many, but the old testament is a compilation and translation of many stories and facts over a very long period of time. Personally, I can barely get a phone message correct. The "biblical scholars" who took offense made me smile. They need to refer to my #1 comment. The middle eastern experts also need to refer to #1. For me, this book opened my mind to a time period that I previously had little or no interest in and knew very little about. Because I read this book, I did more research to learn the facts.

3) Women menstruate. Men, if this offends you, beware. Women, if you find it icky to talk about, again, probably not the book for you. Let's just say the title is a big warning that this is a large part of the book.

4) There is a lot of emphasis on childbirth because before birth control, this tended to happen. A lot. Again, if birthing is too much, this is probably not the book for you.

5) The writing is wonderful. I think the reason this book draws such a strong reaction is because of how well the author depicts each situation and character. It is amazing. I felt like I was there.

6) This work of fiction made me think of how many versions there are of history. I am Catholic and I had never really thought of how ridiculous circumcism is or sounds to outside religions. This also made me rethink my original perception of those crazy, statue worshipping pagans (again being Catholic and growing up in a bible thumping, born again town, I could relate). I walked away with a "What if.."

7) It's unique. So many authors have tried to replicate this book. I think it's great that it inspired an entire genre of historical fiction from D List history makers. Kind of a "History from Kathy Griffin's Perspective."

So read it as fiction and you will enjoy yourself. If you think it's a documentary, you won't like because I'm sure there are many inconsistencies. This is extremely well-written, well developed and overall a fabulously enjoyable read. It is by far one of my all time favorite books- largely because of the writing and that it made me curious about a time period that I knew little about prior to reading the book.

This book was purchased for a library reading group. I thought the book was OK but I do not think it is appropriate for a mixed group discussion.

In the Bible we never get all the details about the people. In The Red Tent, the reader is invited into the possibilities of the life of Dinah. This is a rich book filled with the human side of ancient Israelites.

After so many glowing reviews of this book I found myself dissapointed at the end. I just never really cared about the story or the characters enough throughout the entire book. Granted, the second half is more interesting than then the first, but just barely enough to keep me reading through to the end.

I was really hoping for some heartwarming story to connect me to my fellow women but that never happened. I don't think it was necessary for the author to deviate so much from the Biblical story, or at least the part that was described in the Bible. I also found the way she painted most of the men as despicable was distracting and unnecessary for portraying the hardships that women in those days no doubt suffered. If I had to describe this book in one word, the word that keeps coming to mind is disappointment.