Description
'Intensely moving . . . feminist . . . a riveting tale of love' - Observer
Anita Diamant's The Red Tent is an extraordinary and engrossing tale of ancient womanhood and family honour.
Her name is Dinah. In the Bible, her fate is merely hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the verses of the Book of Genesis that recount the life of Jacob and his infamous dozen sons.
Told in Dinah's voice, The Red Tent opens with the story of her mothers - the four wives of Jacob - each of whom embodies unique feminine traits. Then follows Dinah's own startling and unforgettable story of betrayal, grief and love.
Deeply affecting and intimate, The Red Tent is a feminist classic which combines outstandingly rich storytelling with an original insight into women's society in a fascinating period of early history. Such is its warmth and candour, it is guaranteed to win the hearts and minds of women across the world.
About the Author
Anita Diamant's debut novel The Red Tent was an international bestseller and won the Booksense Book of the Year Award. Her second novel Good Harbor was a favourite with reading groups. Anita is also an award-winning journalist and the author of several books about contemporary Jewish life. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and daughter.
Reviews
Intensely moving . . . The red tent is a place of seclusion for menstruating women, forbidden to men; Diamant leads the reader into this storyteller's haven, creating a riveting tale of love, betrayal and revenge without compromising her historical facts. * Observer *
I was hooked . . . It was riveting - the wives of Jacob telling biblical stories from their perspective . . . it's just wonderful -- Julia Roberts * O Magazine *
I genuinely fell into this rich and colourful world and Dinah and Leah have stayed with me as ancestors and sisters brought to life by Anita Diamant's imaginative novel -- Maureen Lipman
An affecting tale of betrayal, grief and love * Scotland on Sunday *
A compelling story, a celebration of the age-old community and continuity of women . . . The Red Tent combines outstandingly vivid storytelling with an original insight into women's society in a remarkable period of early history * Yorkshire Post *
An intense, vivid novel . . . It is tempting to say that The Red Tent is what the Bible would be like if it
had been written by women, but only Diamant could have given it such sweep and grace
If you don't read it you'll be missing out * Eve *
Dinah, famously a daughter and a sister, finally tells her own story . . . through the lens of Anita Diamant's moral imagination - the colours couldn't be more vivid, and the oldest story of all could never seem more original, or more true -- James Carroll, author of An American Requiem
By giving a voice to Dinah, one of the silent female characters in Genesis, the novel has struck a chord with women who may have felt left out of biblical history. It celebrates mothers and daughters and the mysteries of the life cycle * Los Angeles Times *
Diamant vividly conjures up the ancient world of caravans, shepherds, farmers, midwives, slaves and artisans . . . Her Dinah is a compelling narrator that has timeless resonance * Christian Science Monitor *
Book Information
ISBN 9781529086348
Author Anita Diamant
Format Paperback
Page Count 400
Imprint Pan Books
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Weight(grams) 286g
Dimensions(mm) 197mm * 130mm * 27mm
