19 March 2008

Book Banter -- The Red Tent

Title: The Red Tent
Author: Anita Diamant
Length: 317 pages
Genre: literary/historical fiction
Plot Basics: The story of Jacob and his 12 sons is pretty well known from the Bible, but not much is mentioned about his only daughter, Dinah. The Red Tent is Dinah's story, from her childhood being doted on my Jacob's four wives to her adolescense, betrayal by her family and second life in Egypt.
Banter Points: This book was interesting. The Biblical account of Dinah is very short and Diamant takes quite a bit of liberty with it. It's a compelling look at what might this historical woman's life might have really been like.
Bummer Points: The book is narrated by Dinah, but in a voice where she's almost an outside observer instead of the person the action is happening to. Word Nerd found this style to rely heavily on "telling" instead of "showing."
Word Nerd Recommendation: Read it. It's a perpetual pick of book clubs, so Word Nerd says grab some gal pals and discuss.

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