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The Red Tent  By  cover art

The Red Tent

By: Anita Diamant
Narrated by: Carol Bilger
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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)

What listeners say about The Red Tent

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent Book, but Clearly Fiction

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. However, as a preface, it must be understood it's a work of fiction. Dinah, separated from her family is shown as pagan, not a Jew. With that in mind, it's an excellent work of a great imagination. The story is both heart-wrenching and powerful, so long as we're aware it's NOT biblical. The author only uses a small amount of biblical data to write her own work of fiction. Take it for what it is, and it's a wonderful book, but DO NOT take the book for fact or even an interpretiation of scripture, it's pure fiction, good fiction, but pure fiction.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Very Entertaining

I too was compelled to read the Bible and compare this book with the scriptures. I am by no means a biblical scholar but I cannot fathom the previous reviewer's close-minded approach to this book. I think that some of the characters, whether they were ancestors (not descendants) of David and Jesus committed some pretty atrocious acts that were murderous and deceitful and I do not have any difficulty in believing that they would not stop at having their way with a few goats and sheep as I am sure most shepherds have done. To believe otherwise is a bit naive. No wonder our country has been taken over by such easily led "fundamentalists" whose lack of objectivity has gotten us into the mess we are in now. Human nature hasn't changed much.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Narrator is irritating, music is sketchy

I'm about half way through listening to this and I'm tempted to switch to reading the book in print because the narrator's voice and style are so irritating. She sounds like a high school actor reading through a play for the first time. After hearing such professional narrators like Nadia May, this woman is amateurish and truly reduces my enjoyment of the book. In addition, there is music but it seems to appear randomly -- not a logical points in the story at all, and only periodically, like it was an afterthought. Very odd. Not what I've come to expect from Audible products at all.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

get Hurlbut's Story of the Bible instead

If you want to hear great Bible stories you should instead purchase Hurlbut's Story of the Bible (currently rated 5 stars). I stopped listening to The Red Tent becautse of the idol worship, witchcraft, beastiality, etc that i just couldn't stomach any longer.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Crucify the Author

This book, put simply, SUCKS! Any author who thinks they are big enough to rewrite the Bible, needs a big slap upside the head. The book quickly points out that what was recorded in the Bible was in error and then goes on to set the record straight. Horrifying gall. Beyond that, I found the novel no better than some sappy romance novel trying to become historical fiction. Poorly done, too long, and terribly smug about the "real" story. Get real. The Bible has survived all this time for a reason and certainly doesn't need anyone rewriting it. If I could give it zero stars I would.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

had high hopes

A nasty book. At one point she talks about her Grandfather having sex with goats! I only got to chapter 2! I couldn't listen to any more!!!

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Can't do it

Too realistic for me I guess. After hearing for a second time (I only got two chapters in) how the men in this time/society have their way with sheep and goats, I stopped reading. Amongst other things, this was one, that was sexually too explicit for my taste. I expected a more referent telling of God's people's (women's) history. Sad - I was really looking forward to the story as it was recommended to me years ago.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Inaccurate but good story

I also was dismayed with the conflicts this book had with Biblical accounts of these times. However, this has been done many times before and will be done many times in the future. Take it for what it is: fiction. I know what I believe the truth to be. That aside, I enjoyed the story. I know I am a "woman's woman" type (grew up with only sister's, went to a woman's college, chose a largely female career, etc.) and this is a woman's book. I did not think she treated men harshly, anymore harshly than she treated some of the women characters. Did you think she was nice about the Grandmother Rebekkah and her mother-in-law? I loved the telling of the women's stories and I thought the ending was just beautiful!

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Inappropriate

I feel like this is a biblical story that has been sexualized. There’s references too often making these biblical characters sex hungry. I don’t think it’s accurate and I don’t enjoy it.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

disappointed

The author ignored most of the Biblical facts of this story. Did not enjoy it.

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8 people found this helpful