We read both fiction and nonfiction, and choose the books by consensus, although everyone is encouraged to suggest titles. Told in dinahs voice, the red tent reveals the traditions of ancient womanhood and family honour. The red tent was novel by anita diamant, published in 1997 that gave us a story of women who come together in a menstrual hut, known as the red tent. Take our free the red tent quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you test your knowledge. Discussion group red tent book discussion group our book discussion group has about 10 to 12 core members, but other people do occasionally attend. She grew up in newark, new jersey and denver, colorado. It is a vast and stirring work described as what the bible might have been had it been written by gods daughters instead of sons. Anita diamant is the daughter of two holocaust survivors. The red tent by anita diamant 1997 her name is dinah. Dinah, the narrator, opens the red tent by introducing herself and explaining that she is reciting the memories of her life and her mothers livesbecause without a daughter to tell the story, a womans history does not live on. The tent from which the book draws its name is central to the book both as a physical item in the story and a metaphor that extends beyond the time period covered by the book. There is no formal pattern to the discussion, and new participants are.
In the red tent, we see dinah grow from childhood to old age. Dinah focuses initially on the stories of her mothers, the four wives of jacobleah, rachel, zilpah, and. Anita diamant imaginatively tells the story from the fresh perspective of its women. She is a minor character in the bible, but the author has broadened her story. This guide can help spur creative discussions of the timeless story. The red tent by anita diamant book club discussion.
In the bible, dinahs story is only briefly mentioned. Analysis and discussion of characters in anita diamants the red tent. The book tells a wonderful tale of the voices that are missing from the bible. Dec 02, 2014 stepping into the red tent the lifetime adaptation of anita diamants novel about dinah departs radically from the bible and that may be a good thing. Readers of the red tent will view the book of genesis in a new light. Dinah sometimes curses peopleand these people seem to feel the consequences. Every book on your english syllabus summed up in a quote from the office. It is a vast and stirring work described as what the bible might have been had it been written. In the red tent anita diamant brings the fascinating biblical character of dinah to vivid life her name is dinah.
Just before we begin though, i have to say that this small idea to. Read genesis 34 and discuss how the red tent changes your perspective on dinahs story and also on the story of joseph that follows. The red tent movement has a seventeenyear history, but connects to thousands of years of tradition of women honoring women and creating a world that embraces honesty, and respects for. The red tent by reading guidebook club discussion questions. Stepping into the red tent the lifetime adaptation of anita diamants novel about dinah departs radically from the bible and that may be a good thing. An awardwinning journalist whose work has appeared regularly in the boston globe magazine and parenting, she is the author of six nonfiction guides to contemporary jewish life. First and foremost, the red tent 1997 is a novel by anita diamant that retells the biblical rape story of dinah. What strikes you about the cultural differences dinah encounters visavis food, clothing, work, and malefemale relationships. Told in dinahs voice, this novel reveals the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhoodthe world of the red tent. And itll help you get a handle on the red tent anyway, the red tent is all about a little lady called dinah.
The book s title refers to the tent in which women of jacob. Anita diamant is an american author of fiction and nonfiction books. The red tent of the title refers to the tent the women of the tribe remain in while experiencing their time of the. However, from many direct messages im getting, so many of you have loved it and finished it already. It was interesting to read how the women lived in the book. But hey, check out our guide to the bible if youre into that.
Dinahs point of viewan observer privy to extremely intimate detailsallows dinah to present the private details of one familys history and to weave between objective and subjective perspectives. Does the red tent raise questions about other women in the bible. Like the conversations and mysteries held within this feminine tent, this sweeping piece of fiction offers an insiders look at the daily life of a biblical sorority of mothers and wives and their one and only daughter, dinah. The red tent is one of those extremely rare publishing phenomenonsa little promoted, but dynamically successful book over 250,000 copies sold that owes its success to enthusiastic wordofmouth endorsements. We hope that this guide will provide you a starting place for discussion, and suggest a variety of perspectives from which you might approach the red tent. A new view of the panorama of life in biblical times emerges from the female perspective, and the red tent itself becomes a symbol of womanly strength, love, and wisdom. Louis, where she earned a bachelors degree in comparative literature in 1973. The red tent by anita diamant in chm, djvu, epub download ebook. Waiting for birdy the red tent november 20, 2018 if you are new to our book club, you can find our reading schedule plus all the details about participating here. The red tent is where the women gather each new moon and dwell in during their monthly flow. The book was to long and and repetitive especialily the first part of the story. The red tent are intended as resources to aid individual readers and book groups who would like to learn more about the author and this book.
The red tent by anita diamant tells the story of the biblical character dinah, jacobs daughter and josephs sister. Aug 16, 2018 august bookclub discussion questions by the red tent, august 16, 2018 so, were halfway through our scheduled august book. With minnie driver, iain glen, will tudor, vinette robinson. The second half of the book, which takes place in egypt, is somewhat more convincing and less oppressiveperhaps because there is no more red tent. This detailed literature summary also contains topics for discussion and a. Our book discussion group has about 10 to 12 core members, but other people do occasionally attend. The red tent is the place where women gathered during their cycles of birthing, menses, and even illness. Book announcement about the red tent by anita diamant. Just before we begin though, i have to october 19, 2018 0 comments read article. Diamant utilizes a figure immersed in the stories recounted in the red tent.
The red tent book discussion group of the unitarian universalist fellowship of harrisonburg virginia. She has also written several guides for jewish people, including the new jewish wedding and living a jewish life. Rather than using an unnamed thirdperson narrator, diamant utilizes a figure immersed in the stories recounted in the red tent. Simon and levi, two of her brothers, avenge dinah by killing all the. 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. The book it is important to define what the red tent is. The red tent is the feminist perspective of the story of dinah in the old testament. The red tent is a 1997 novel by anita diamant that builds a fictional exploration of a minor character in the judeochristian torahbible, dinah, a daughter of jacob and sister of. Jan 20, 2003 the book is not all bad, and not all silly. This detached point of view may also pertain to dinahs discussion in the. The story says that dinah was raped by an egyptian prince. The rape of dinah genesis, chapter 34 was recounted not by dinah, but by her brothers. Join us for a fun, informal book discussion of the red tent by anita diamant.
It is a firstperson narrative that tells the story of dinah, daughter of jacob and leah, sister of joseph. Author bio birthjune 27, 1951 wherenew york, new york, usa educationb. In the bible her fate is merely hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the verses of the book of genesis that recount the life of jacob and his infamous dozen sons. Popping in with our october book club discussion questions today, for little fires everywhere, by celeste ng. She is best known for her novel, the red tent, a new york times best seller.
The red tent is a novel of biblical times and of the customs of those times, detailing the imagined lives of rachel and leah, two wives of jacob both true biblical figures and, subsequently, the imagined story of dinah, the daughter of leah, also a true biblical figure. What do make of this story being told from beyond the grave. The book also looks at the secrets of women, their private conversations, feelings, superstitions and rituals, kept sacred from the men in the privacy of the red tent, and childbirth itself too, a private process of pain, fear and delight dealt with only by women. The red tent is a 1997 novel by anita diamant that builds a fictional exploration of a minor character in the judeochristian torahbible, dinah, a daughter of. Determine which chapters, themes and styles you already know and what you need to study for your upcoming essay, midterm, or final exam.
The red tent by anita diamant book club discussion questions. The author does succeed in giving the reader some feel for life in an ancient culture, and for the experiences that are the same for all women at all times. Please be aware that this discussion guide may contain spoilers. Just before we begin though, i have to say that this small idea to read together the red tent shared a video. Like the conversations and mysteries held within this feminine tent, this sweeping piece of fiction offers an insiders look at the daily life of a biblical sorority of. Does it make you want to reread the bible and imagine other untold stories that lay hidden between the lines. Anita diamant is the bestselling author of the novels the red tent, good harbor, and the last days of dogtown, as well as the collection of essays, pitching my tent. The red tent goodreads curled up stuff book companion her name is dinah. And i think tera had mixed up the leaders for the january reads.
The biggest question that i think about when i read the red tent is would i want a red tent today. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. Female relationships figure largely in the red tent discuss the importance of inna, tabea, werenro, and meryt. The book travels from haran contemporary iraqsyria, through canaan and into shechem israel, and into egypt. The red tent is an extraordinary and engrossing tale of ancient womanhood and family honour. In chapter 34 of the book of genesis, dinahs tale is a short, horrific detour in the familiar narrative of jacob and joseph. The red tent is a novel by anita diamant, published in 1997 by wyatt books for st. She attended the university of colorado for two years, then transferred to washington university in st. The concept of a red tent, also known as a moon lodge, menstrual hut or dark moon meeting, was brought back into mainstream popular culture by the 1997 novel the red tent by anita diamant. The red tent tells the littleknown biblical story of dinah, daughter of the patriarch jacob and his wife, leah. In her early years, dinah is the playmate of her milkbrother joseph, but as soon as the.
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