Night Bookers Book Club's Discussion of The Red Tent by Antia Diamant

The group had a lively discussion about The Red Tent. The Red Tent is set in biblical times, and it gives a fictionalized account of the life of Dinah and her relatives. Dinah is the daughter of Jacob and Leah in the Bible. Most people liked the book. One of the things they liked was the way she wrote about womanhood, and her perspectives of her four mothers (Jacob had four wives) and the other women she came into contact with. People admired Dinah's deep resiliency, for she suffered much. Some did not like the amount of sex in the book and some found the ceremony of the women opening the womb when Dinah first menstruated disturbing. People found it interesting that we here Dinah's version of events of what happened to her in the Bible. According to the Bible she was raped. Dinah in the book explains the relationship she had was consensual, and she felt her life ruined after her brothers killed her husband. People like the way author described everyday life: the making of the bread, wool, and beer. The "red tent" is where the women went went they were all menstruating, and it was great time for camaraderie, and strengthened the bonds they had with each other. One woman said women have lost that camaraderie, and another said that is what book clubs are for! The group discussed how Dinah cut herself off in Egypt. She went there with her mother-in-law after Dinah's husband was murdered. She bore his son, but this was taken by her mother-in-law. People were happy she found a second husband, Benia, and found happiness again. A great discussion about an interesting and fascinating book.