The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

Anywho, the poor book The Red Tent by Anita Diamant is the next book to be given the InCoHerEnt treatment. Again, this is another book I wouldn't normally pick out for myself. (A theme you might notice with about half of the books I read.) A woman at work lent it to me with the words, "Take all the time you need to read it. No hurries." That was said close to a year ago now and I was getting to the point of having to read it or give it back unread. Truthfully, I would rather sit through a book I hate then give one back that I've borrowed and not read. Easier to say that it wasn't my thing than to look like I didn't even try.

But I've finished it and the last third was the hardest to get through. Not that it was a difficult read by any means. The book was broken up into three parts all told from the point of view of Dinah, Leah's daughter. Leah was the first wife of Jacob who was the son of Rebecca and Isaac and grandson of Abram. Those names will only mean anything to you if you are familiar to the Old Testament. I thought I knew the Old Testament but to be honest, that is only from bible stories that were safe to be told in Sunday School class. There are some good stories in there if you can get past the not so fun stuff. But I digress, this is not a critical review of the Bible and I use the term "critical review" loosely.

The first part of the book is dedicated to Dinah's mother and her aunts or Jacob's other wives (four of them in total.) Basically their story is of how Jacob shows up and falls for Rachel, ends up marrying Leah instead and then marrying Rachel afterwards. Then he also gets the other two sisters out of the deal as well. Leah and Rachel sort of have this sibling/wife rivalry thing going on which is quite interesting to read. Jacob, with his many wives, has many sons. The problem with sons is that they can help in the fields but they are not much help with the domestic stuff like cooking for all those men or weaving or whatever. Having sons is a burden on a woman. (Just ask my mother. Can she get my brother to clean a dish? I don't think so and ever since he moved back in, that is all I hear about.) But at long last, here comes Dinah to be the daughter long hoped for by Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah.

The second part of the book is Dinah's story as she grows up. She acts as witness to the going ons of her clan and mysteries of the Red Tent. Normally only those who have their monthlies are permitted into the tent but as only daughter she is allowed to witness the rituals that take place in there. She is present for births and learn the secrets of the midwife.

The third part of the story takes place after Dinah leaves her home for Egypt. I won't get into the details here as to why she leaves for Egypt because I don't want to ruin the last interesting thing that happens in this book. I think the problem with third part is that it looses its two most interesting characters Rachel and Leah. The first two parts are almost completely about them and their dynamic with Jacob. That was interesting. Then Dinah leaves for Egypt and I suddenly don't care anymore. The third part just felt like a really long conclusion that neatly ties up all the strings.

Another problem that I have with the book is that it floats in very middle ground. It could have been really nice and sordid but it never goes there. Or it could have been an interesting (but less read) nonfictional study of the role and lives of women in whatever B.C. Nope, don't really get that either cause its all fiction.

I thought the first two parts of the book were a good read. After that, I didn't care. The thing is, it isn't as if there were any information in Genesis 34 as to what type of person Dinah was. She could have been far more interesting although I have to give her props for the curses she brought down on evil men. I like my main characters written to dare me to dislike them as much as I love them. You don't get that here.