But wait a minute, where does Dinah fit in????? Most people haven't even heard of her. But she's there. She is Jacob's thirteenth living child, nine months older than Joseph. Completely ignored in the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical, she is almost ignored in the Bible, save for mention of her birth and a comment that she was raped and her brothers avenging her.
However, Anita Diamant decided that this brief mention was the hint at a much larger story, and she set out to tell that story. The result was one of the best books I have ever read.
The Red Tent tells not only the story of Dinah, but also of Rachel, Leah, Zilpah and Bilhah, Jacobs four wives. The story revolves around the tradition of the red tent, into which women go when they "feel the pull of the moon". Once a month, when the women are on their periods, they sit together and share stories, allowing the children to take care of them and fetch them their food and drink for once instead of the other way around.
It opens with a prologue, where Dinah's voice comes from beyond the grave, lamenting what has become of the story. "We have been lost to each other for so long. My name means nothing to you, My memory is dust. This is not your fault, or mine. The chain connecting mother to daughter was broken, and the word passed to the keeping of men, who had no way of knowing. This is why I became a footnote." And so she starts her tale of what really happened to her, of the secrets that the women shared, of the rituals that the men could never know about.
It feels like nothing is left out of this book. It is divided into three sections. The first is entitled "My Mothers' Stories" which chronicle all of the many births, miscarriages, and the now famous deception in which Leah and Rachel were switched on Rachel's wedding day, and Leah actually married Jacob instead. However, even this is given an original twist, for it is Rachel's idea in the first place. It goes into detail about each of the four wives, all of whom Dinah calls her mothers, and shows why she loves each one individually. The second is called "My Story". This picks up when Dinah is a young child, old enough to narrate her life. It includes her childhood, during which she was Joseph's best friend, and goes through young adulthood. The third section is "
This original tale seems to take a unique spin on all of the Bible stories that people have come to know and love. It is not always happy and cheerful. In fact, it is more often than not incredibly emotional. But it seems real. You can feel Dinah's pain along with her. You can sympathize with her and truly understand her.
My only complaint is that the voice of the narrator is consistent throughout. Normally this would be the exact opposite of a complaint, however, Dinah chronicles her entire life. Yet, the voice when she was a toddler was the same as when she was an old woman. It was difficult to notice the passing of time because of this. I did not realize she was older than maybe twenty five tops when it mentioned she was closer to forty.
Though it is a thick book, it is not difficult by any means. I encourage everyone, not just those who are religious to look into it.
