The Red Tent

By: Anita Diamant

Narrated by: Carol Bilger

Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Deeply affecting, The Red Tent combines rich storytelling with a valuable contribution in modern fiction: a new perspective of female life in biblical society. It is a vast and stirring work described as what the Bible might have been had it been written by God's daughters instead of sons. Far beyond the traditional women-of-the-Bible sagas in both impact and vigor, The Red Tent is based upon a mention in Genesis of Jacob's only female offspring - his daughter, Dinah.

Author Anita Diamant, in the voice of Dinah, gives an insider's look at the details of women's lives in biblical times and a chronicle of their earthy stories and long-ignored histories. The red tent of the title is the place where women were sequestered during their cycles of birthing, menses, and illness. It is here that Dinah hears the whispered stories of her four mothers - Jacob's wives Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah - and tells their tales to us in remarkable and thought-provoking oratories.

Familiar passages from the Bible take on new life as Dinah fills in what the Bible has left out - the lives of women. Dinah tells us of her initiation into the religious and sexual practices of the tribe; Jacob's courtship with Rachel and Leah; the ancient world of caravans, farmers, midwives, and slaves; her ill-fated sojourn in the city of Sechem; her years in Canaan; and her half-brother Joseph's rise in Egypt.

Skillfully interweaving biblical tales with characters of her own invention, the author re-creates the life of Dinah providing an illuminating portrait of a courageous woman and the life she might have lived. A new view of the panorama of life in biblical times emerges from the female perspective, and the red tent itself becomes a symbol of womanly strength, love, and wisdom.

The Red Tent is one of those extremely rare publishing phenomenons - a little promoted, but dynamically successful book (over 250,000 copies sold) that owes its success to enthusiastic word-of-mouth endorsements. Now, for the first time, this sweeping saga, which has struck a chord with so many modern-day women, comes to life as a much-anticipated audiobook.

Don't miss Anita Diamant at the 92nd Street Y.

©1997 by Anita Diamant (P)2000 by Audio Renaissance, An Imprint of Renaissance Media, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Book Sense Book of the Year Award Winner, Adult Fiction, 2001

"The oldest story of all could never seem more original, or more true." (James Carroll, author of An American Requiem)
"Carol Bilger narrates with a warmth and melodiousness that echo the rhythm of the musical interludes that separate chapters." (AudioFile)

1st half of book is 2 stars...2nd half 4.1 .

Way too much girl drama. i was constantly almost to turn it off until about 1/2 way through, I decided I could listen. if you can hang in through the end...the end is good. thereafter does a good job.

amazing story

really a beautiful journey thru this incredible story, will listen again! great reader too, really brought this story to life in a new way

Beautiful

This story and particularly the audio book moved me to tears. Perhaps my favorite in recent memory.

Fascinating retelling of Dinah and Jacob’s family

I was aware of the story of Joseph and his wonderful coat from seeing the stage show, but was largely unfamiliar with the extended details of that story or with the women associated with the family of Jacob. This book does a wonderful job of telling their stories through the eyes of Dinah—the only daughter of Jacob and Leah. I enjoyed and was shocked by the different characters. Was fascinated to learn about the different customs and cultures Dinah experienced. Not a religious book, as such, but more a study of biblical characters and their stories. Really well done!

Wonderful

This book draws you in from the start. This work of fiction does a beautiful job of taking beloved people from the Bible and elaborating in what their lives may have been like.

Unique mix of historical fiction and Christian literature

I liked the simplicity of the story and the great character development. This story made me want to reread the story of Dinah.

Read and learn if you dare!

Beautiful book. But only for intelligent, thoughtful, open hearted people. I find it interesting that supposedly Christian people can be ugly, biased to the point of rudeness and thoroughly devoid of any hint of wanting to learn. The words of the Christian cannons are no more true than the words of The Red Tent, or maybe both are true. History written by celibate men is as skewed as their choice of lifestyle. Women’s voices go unheard today in 2023 because men are conditioned to over look any woman’s voice as not viable, irritating and simply not relevant.

Great book

The book is very good. I love hearing about cultures like the one described in the book. It was a beautiful story and pretty heartbreaking too.

Outstanding Story - Wonderful Heroine

I read this book over 20 years ago and have given it as a gift repeatedly, and keep my copies in my RV, home and on my audiobooks account. Great story! Told beautifully and the occasional music in the background really transported me to the days of Jacob and his tribe.

Not the story I thought it was going to be but it was fabulous

Loved the undertones of woman power, of strength, of feminism and loved the midwifery. Had many tragic and graphic parts but overall a fresh take on an old bible verse that blends a fictional imagining of real people with the documented realities influenced by patriarchy.