The authentic midrash and legends on Dinah are better...

I expected to see a "modern Midrash" on Dinah (Dee-nah), as was what was recommended to me. What I read was, rather, a confirmation that idolatry and the obsession with things sexual are inseparable. If Ms. Diamant hoped to make a killing by assaulting the sensibilities of Judaism as Dan Brown did with "The De Vinci Code" against Christianity, she must be satisfied. It is blood money. Others have itemized the scores of errors, misrepresentations, and abandonments from the authentic narratives. Ms. Diamant's attempt to defecate into the well of Torah missed the mark; her aim is as poor as her knowledge of Midrash. What is most depressing about The Red Tent is the missed opportunity. The ancient oral history of Dinah is lush with possibilities. The daughter of the less loved Leah; the daughter who was supposed to be born of the more loved Rachael - the daughter that went out not knowing her vulnerability to men, perhaps because her own father didn't model enough love toward her. Yet the fascinating story - the one the author threw away for some silly reason, is about Dinah's daughter Asenath (not a son), who married Joseph. Of how Joseph met and fell in love with Asenath -- a proto-Cindarella tale of divine favor and joy. These are far more compelling narratives than the Ms. Diamant's obsession with blood, sex, petty envies, and man-disgust. I slogged through the entire book waiting for something redeeming, inspiring, and pleasant. Instead, I had to spit out every plot point I tasted, almost weeping at the ugliness and mean spiritedness; an utter distain Ms Diamant displayed toward the Matriarchs of her faith. The Sages taught us that Sarah was a loftier soul than Abraham. That Rebecca saved the world by preventing Esau from receiving Isaac's blessings. Such wonderful, authentic brilliant-women narratives to work with - menstruated on like Laban's idols. While the author claims to be Jewish, there is nothing Jewish in this dark, idol-infested, unforgiving, sex act-obsessed narrative. A woman that has a child's understanding of the Torah's soul could not think, much less pen such filthiness. For the orthodox of the faith, this book is leshon hara.

If you've ever wondered...

If you've ever wondered... how a tribe of people could cross the Red Sea, reach the other side, and then record only what Moses said in thanksgiving without giving his prophetess sister more than a verse to spread her wings... if you've ever wondered why we hear so little about Dinah and her significance... if you've ever wondered what the women were doing when they weren't helping Mary and Martha... then you'll enjoy this book thoroughly. I read a review from a disappointed christian who felt it wasn't accurate. Speaking as a person of faith, I recognize it for what it is -- a story, which does not diminish my faith in the least. It's a great read, and I recommend it to anyone who has ever wondered.

Not what you might think!

If you are looking for authentic and biblically based christian fiction, this book IS NOT it. I began to read it with high hopes but could not even finish it. I was very disappointed that the author was not accurate in the portrayal of the Biblical characters.