Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.
Fiction
1997 Picador USA
Finished on May 12, 2001
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)
Publisher's Blurb:
Her name is Dinah. In the Bible, her life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the Book of Genesis that are about her father, Jacob, and his dozen sons. Told in Dinah's voice, this novel reveals the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhood--the world of the red tent. It begins with the story of her mothers--Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah--the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that sustain her through a hard-working youth, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah's story reaches out from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate connection with the past. Deeply affecting, The Red Tent combines rich storytelling with a valuable achievement in modern fiction: a new view of biblical women's society.
My Original Thoughts (2001):
Very easy to get interested in, although I had to refer to the genealogy chart several times during the first few chapters. I really enjoyed this novel, but I thought it began to drag in the last 50+ pages. I could put it down, so only an 4-star rating. Overall, it was very enjoyable and I'd recommend it to others.
My Current Thoughts:
This was such a popular novel when it was first released. I either read it with a book group or talked about it with fellow readers. I've read one other book by Diamant (Good Harbor), but somehow forgot all about her. She has written a few more novels that I'd like to try (The Last Days of Dogtown, Day After Night, and The Boston Girl).
I remember this book well. It was one of the first books I felt like I had to read because of fellow reader word-of-mouth.
ReplyDeleteDeb, I too remember that this book received a lot of word-of-mouth recommendations. It probably would've slipped under my radar without them.
DeleteI remember loving The Red Tent, and also went on to read Good Harbor and The Last Days of Dogtown. Other bloggers have mentioned that The Boston Girl is especially good on audio. It's still on my list.
ReplyDeleteJoAnn, I'm hoping to try The Boston Girl. Glad to know it's a good audiobook!
DeleteI kid you not, I read this in May 2001 too! I just pulled my book journal to see if I had any notes on this one and noticed the date I read it. I vaguely remember some parts but according to my "review" in my journal I thought it was very engaging :) I haven't read anything else by this author either.
ReplyDeleteWhat a coincidence, Iliana. I wouldn't be so surprised had we both read it the year it was published, but it had been out for a few years by 2001.
DeleteI remember loving this book when I read it. I think the concept of a red tent really appealed to me.
ReplyDeleteHelen it sure was a popular book in its day, wasn't it?
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