Joan Koelle Snipes e-newsletter
"The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant
June 2002

Dear Readers,

A couple of my newsletter readers have asked if I read
"The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant. I have. It is a
fictional story based on the Genesis account of Dinah,
daughter of Jacob and Leah. In this issue I'll briefly
review this popular book.

Contents:
- "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant
- two recent books featuring David Roberts lithographs

THE RED TENT

Diamant's book is not one to which I can give a whole-
hearted recommendation. I suspect there are many who
would not find it inspiring or appealing. However, it
is well-written and a fun and absorbing read for those
with time for fiction. What's best about this book is
that it propels you back to Genesis. So much of the
book is based on the Scriptures that I found myself
checking up on names, places, characterizations, and
events. Often the Bible people seemed more real thanks
to the story-telling done by Diamant.

"The Red Tent" is a story by a woman, about women, and
pitched toward women readers. Although Jacob, Esau, and
Jacob's twelve sons are featured in the novel, the
emphasis is on Dinah, Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah.
As I read the book, these five women came alive. I
delved into the Bible to see if I could determine why
Diamant characterized each one as she did. As an
example, Rachel is a midwife. Dinah learns midwifery
from her beloved aunt. In Genesis 34:1 it says:
"And Dinah...went out to see the daughters of the land."
I asked myself, why else would Dinah be visiting "the
daughters of the land"? The midwife idea seemed
plausible.

My friend, Debra Woodward, and I discussed this book via
email. Debra wrote me: "I appreciate the exercise
(in this case, provided by Diamant's book) that
encourages me to consider a different point of view--a
woman's one, something we don't get very often about
religious historical events. It really made me
interested to know the Bible better! She included so
many little tidbits that I hadn't realized were actually
in the Bible. Of course, I had to go back and read the
whole book of Genesis to see what was in the Bible and
what wasn't. I can't say many other books get me to do
that!"

If you decide to read "The Red Tent," please note that
you will come across some material that you think is
inaccurate. I certainly did. The most glaring example
was Diamant's version of the story of Joseph, Dinah's
half-brother. It contradicted some important details
found in the Bible. This happens several times in the
book, and I am at a loss to explain why Diamant changed
these details.

You can read several positive reviews, including one
from Kirkus Reviews, on the Internet site,
www.amazon.com.

Merle Rubin wrote in The Christian Science Monitor:
"Diamant vividly conjures up the ancient world of
caravans, shepherds, farmers, midwives, slaves, and
artisans.... Diamant's Dinah is a compelling narrator
of a tale that has timeless resonance."

DAVID ROBERTS LITHOGRAPHS

In the April edition of this newsletter, I mentioned a
few books with illustrations and photographs that I have
enjoyed. One of my alert readers wrote about a
beautiful book in this category. It is titled:
"Yesterday and Today: The Holy Land" and includes some
fascinating lithographs by a wonderful nineteenth
century artist, David Roberts. The text is by Fabio
Bourbon. The book also includes excerpts from Roberts'
diaries. A companion to this book is entitled, "Egypt:
Yesterday and Today" and includes 120 color
illustrations. Both books were published in May 2001
and both highlight the work of Scotsman David Roberts.
They also include modern photographs of the places by
Antonio Attini. I expect many libraries have ordered
these books. Do check them out!

I enjoy hearing from my e-newsletter subscribers, so
please email me your comments and questions.

Yours truly,

Joan Koelle Snipes

Volume 2; No. 3
Published six times a year by:
Bible Teaching Press
2016 Willowdale Drive
Shepherdstown, WV 25443
304-876-1332

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