Friday, June 22, 2007

The Red Tent - Anita Diamant


When I finished this book I was totally overwhelmed by what I had just finished reading. I think it is one of the best books I've read this year.

This is a book about women, about their strengh and hability to keep their dignity and traditions in a period where men held most of the power. It also shows the importance of family bond's and story telling as a way to pass history and culture from one generation to the other.

This is also a book of historical fiction based on a biblical episode mentionated in Genesis 34. I couldn't resist doing some research to find out more about Dinah. She really is just a footnote in the Bible but Diamant gives her and the women of her tribe a wonderful dimention. Not only that but she makes the settings - Mesopotamia, Canaan, Egypt - come alive. We can almost smell, feel and see the places that she describes. We will never know the true story but this is a fabulous account of what might have been.


An A read.

8 comments:

  1. This book was pretty much the one that inspired me to start blogging, because I really, really needed to write about it because I loved it soooo much! And I was inspired to get out the Bible and have a look and see what was in the Bible and what wasn't. This is still one of my favourites!

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  2. I have to go and check your comments about it. I loved it too!

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  3. I have this one in my TBR pile, if it's that good I need to move it to the top!
    On a similar note you might want to try Marek Halter's trilogy about Sarah, Zipporah and Lilah. I have yet to read the third one but I enjoyed reading the other two. You learn about famous events in the Bible from the women's point of view.

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  4. it is that good :-)
    I think I have one of Marek Halter's books in the TBR pile, do they have to be read in any special order?

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  5. Nope! They stand alone, no connections whatsoever.

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  6. I was disappointed with the third Marek Halter book! None of them compare with The Red Tent though. They are still good....just not great!

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  7. That's the one I haven't read yet, Lilah. My favourite up until now is the first one, Sarah.

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  8. I think Lilah is the one I have. I forgot to look for it today. Too bad it's the one you didn't enjoy :-(

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I love to chat about books and stuff and I would love to hear from like minded readers. Please do leave me a comment :-)

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