Life in the Red Tent (The Red Tent - Anita Diamant)

Member Name: Rook252

Product:	The Red Tent - Anita Diamant
Date:	13/02/09 (31 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful writing style, well researched

Disadvantages: I never wanted it to end!

The Red Tent is an amazing work of historical fiction by Anita Diamont. It follows the life of Dinah, the sister of Joseph (of technicolor dreamcoat fame). The book can be largely divided into 3 stages, Dinah's life as a child, Dinah's life in the palace, and Dinah as an independent adult. By far the longest and most detailed of these sections is Dinah's life as a child. Her life is amongst the women in the camp, and I found the historical detail provided about how women lived in these times absolutely fascinating. Dinah is daughter to the first of Jacob's wives, and so is the true sister of Joseph. The title 'The Red Tent' comes from the name of the tent the women go to each month when they have their period, and have to remain seperated from the men. While the book is primarily a work of fiction, the book is closely tied into the stories written into the bible, and is both biblically and historically accurate. I thought the writing style in this book was intense and poetic, I really felt close to Dinah, and found her a well rounded character. While I found the pace of the book was a bit uneven towards the end, I can not fault the early chapters set within the camp. Various themes, such as that of water are continued throughout the book, and Dinah comes across as an unusual and special woman. I felt the book was well researched and structured, and I was very happy that Dinah found peace in her life.

Summary: One of the best books that I have ever read