The Red Tent, Tenth Anniversary Edition: A Novel

A New York Times Bestseller

A decade after the publication of this hugely popular international bestseller, Picador releases the tenth anniversary edition of The Red Tent.

Her name is Dinah. 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 tell of her father, Jacob, and his twelve sons.

Told in Dinah's voice, Anita Diamant imagines the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhood--the world of the red tent. It begins with the story of the mothers--Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah--the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that sustain her through childhood, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah's story reaches out from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate connection with the past.

Deeply affecting, The Red Tent combines rich storytelling with a valuable achievement in modern fiction: a new view of biblical women's lives.

Customer Review: Great read!
This is a great book for any female that grew up with more than one motherly influence. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have not met any person that did not like it.
Customer Review: Dinah and her Mothers Made My Soul Sing
The Red Tent, which apparently is a huge favorite of many, many people here, has become a huge favorite of mine as well. The book was so incredibly vivid that Ms. Diamant brought me into Dinah's world, a world where custom was everything, and a woman could only find peace, rest and sisterhood inside the red tent. From the very beginning, where the reader is told that she has hands and feet softer than a queen's, I was captured. I could smell the smoke from the cooking fires, mixed with the breezes from the hills and the dinner in the pot, and the not-so-lovely smells of children, and men and animals. The author painted a picture with her details, but didn't become so enraptured with detail that she forgot that she was writing a darned good story. Like a butterfly, Ms Diamant flits from story to story as she weaves the tale of a life, staying with each until we are satisfied and full, but without ever languishing long enough that we become bored with the people, characters and places. The stories keep us off kilter just enough to make things interesting, because we think we have heard them before -- and we have. Maybe. My only complaint is that Ms. Diamant paints the men as broodish and selfish, not knowing anything about the women in their lives, and being quite happy with that state of affairs. C'mon! I know that times have changed, but people have not, and if a man cares about a woman, he will not dismiss everything that is important to her. Jacob was painted as a man who cared so little about the women he loved that he failed to honor even one of them. He was painted as barely able to tell one from the other, at least in the dark. I was also struck by the dark and angry portrait of Joseph, who has come through history as a hero - but not here. Men do not fare well at the touch of Ms. Diamant's pen. Finally, this isn't a book to start at bedtime. (You won't be able to get up for work in the morning) It's the perfect book for a day in bed with the sniffles, or the faux-sniffles. Grab some tissues (for the sniffles, of course), a cup of tea and this great book and you have all you need for a day of travel through countries and centuries, all to meet a woman whose tale has been forgotten by the years gone by. Give Dinah a wave for me when you meet her, okay?

Here comes March! This is usually the time when I wrap up my ice fishing. It's time to think about getting ready for spring fishing. Do you need new line? Maybe you need a new pole or reel? The sales usually start during this month for all of the gear you need. Maybe you would like to find someplace new. Pick a place you haven't tried yet and plan a weekend trip to check it out.

My brothers and friends and I use the winter months to plan on a new trip for spring. This year we are going to devote a few days to brooks for that elusive trout. I found a couple while in the backwoods looking for new deer sign. Can't wait to flip a fly in them and see what is there.

See you on the water!

Time to Clean out Your Tackle Box

Meanwhile we might as well get the old tackle box out and give it a good cleaning. The first thing to do is through away all the junk (old line and candy wrappers).

Now let's get serious. What is your primary target this year? I use two tackle kits, a box for boat fishing and a shoulder bag for canoe and stream fishing. This allows me to carry a lighter load and eliminate gear that I don't need.

It's also a good way to weed out gear you don't really need. A good hook sharpener comes in handy in most any kit. Keep one handy at all times. There's no sense losing a fish to a dull hook.

The next thing you should look at is the condition of your lures. Are they rubbed or scratched? Touch up paint or even fingernail polish (check with your wife or daughters first) will do the trick. Brush on little sealer after they are dry and you're all set for another year. You might want to check the trebles at this time. Now is the time to replace bent and rusty hooks.

When you get to those plastics, whether tubes or worms, be sure to take out any that have begun to stick to the box. They will definitely cause you trouble later on.

I'm tired just writing about it. Think I'll go take a beer break! See you on the water.

Ron Shannon is a Reg. Maine guide from Clinton, Me. USA. He has been camping for over thirty years, using camp as a base for fishing, canoing and hunting trips. Though he now uses a travel trailer, he has amassed his knowledge from tents to trailers through years of trial and error. His camps have ranged from camping alone to as many as twenty people.

Copyright Ron Shannon

You can find info on writing your own articles at our web site: http://shannonsenterprises.com
Contact: rbsarticles@verizon.net