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)

Interesting story

Few historical novels cover this period. I enjoyed it and definitely recommend it to others!

Must read!

Absolutely love this book. I’ve listened 3 times during each pregnancy. Wish I had it when entering puberty and will read throughout motherhood and again when menopause comes round. Highly recommend if you’re looking to connect with the feminine power and energy we’ve had for thousands of years.

Epic!

Loved loved loved this book!! Completely unexpected and sooo hard to put down! Well written & the narration was flawless. Wow!!

The lives and relationships of the women.

It’s a fascinating story. Performance was excellent.  this will be a book I listen to multiple times. I’ve recommended it to several friends and my daughters. 

It's not the Bible

This is a work of fiction, not fact or truth. Anita Diamant has taken a tiny bit of the Bible and created a compelling tale of triumph and tragedy, of happiness and sorrow, of hope and despair. If you are expecting a retelling of the Bible, then you will be disapponted.
The narrator was good, and the background music that is interspersed through the reading is beautiful. I personally think this book is meant to be read aloud, in true oral history fashion.

Different

As many have stated it is not the bible and it is not a biblical story. The references it has to stories that are in the Bible are also different. You have to be willing to accept that. By itself it is an excellent story that I greatly enjoyed. Being a christian I struggle some with the changes made to the parts that do have biblical tellings. If that won't phase you at all I think it will be and incredibly enjoyable book.
This is for the most part the story of Denhir. Her story is barely mentioned in the bible so the Author has taken her story and expanded into a narrative book. And it is an great story, very historical in nature fitting with what was appropriate for the time. The Begining of it where it address her parents and their lives is where you will vary in what the biblical telling of Rachel and Leah and Jacob.
The Narration of the entire book is EXCELLENT! I can recommend the narration, which is part of what makes any story great.

Real-world view of the historical timeframe

the only thing that kept me from giving it 5 stars is that the narrator could have been a bit better. If you are realistic and intelligent about your views of Biblical characters as fallible human beings and of Biblical times as the true mixture of cultures and beliefs that they were - or if you are an atheist like me - you will find this book intriguing and not at all disturbing. I am not a fan of "women's fiction," but this book effectively held my attention from the first time out of several that I have read it and the audio book is no exception.

Very interesting

I really liked this book. It was one that I kept being drawn to in the book store. I listened to it on a vacation and I found myself not wanting to turn it off to talk to the people I was vacation with! Great narrator.

A must have!

I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed the story. I could not stop until the end. You will find yourself loving the characters, it is so well written, you feel like you know the characters.

Not the biblical story...... But worthwhil reading

A moving tribute; to women who struggle in life.
An acknowledgement of the value of womanhood.