Inside the Red Tent

by Sandra Hack Polaski

The story of Dinah receives little more than a mention in the Bible, as it gives rise to a bloody massacre. Not so with Anita Diamant's The Red Tent (Picador 1998). Diamant weaves ancient history and culture with narrative fiction to draw a picture of what life might have been like for the women in Jacob's life. With skill and passion, Sandra Hack Polaski unravels the complexities of the biblical stories of Leah, Rachel, Zil?pah, Bil?hah, and Leah's daughter Dinah, probing aspects of The Red Tent that give us insight into the text and into the lives of women in the ancient Near East. Inside the Red Tent brings readers into the biblical and historical contexts of the world of Dinah and her four mothers, exploring their stories through the tradition of midrash, sound biblical scholarship, and archeological findings. She gives us a glimpse "inside the red tent" at the families, relationships, encounters, goddesses, and God that defined their lives and that define ours.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Religion, Book Club

114 pages, Paperback

First published June 20, 2006

About the author

Sandra Hack Polaski is assistant professor of New Testament at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, Virginia. She is the author of several books and articles including A Feminist Introduction to Paul (Chalice Press, 2004) and Inside the Red Tent (Chalice Press, 2006). She is an ordained Baptist minister.

Reviews

[Cathy]

Not sure what to think of this, writing detail into a Biblical story for which such detail is needed or reliable. It was an interesting imagination but I have no idea if it bears any relation to what really happened

[Jill]

One of the best I've ever read.

[Margaret]

This review of The Red Tent was delightful. It gave great insight into the mind of the author and opened the world of possibilities for implications of how we look at the Holy Bible and our own life experiences.

[Kelley Weatherly]

very interesting ideas that I had never considered

[Jenseninbox]

This book was amazing. The mix of biblical history with fiction made such a great story.
I need to read it again.

[Lisa]

Best book ever! I couldn't put it down. It changed how I view the life of women (and their men) during Biblical times. You've got to read this one!

[Dawn Chivers]

Found this really useful, was planning for a women's meeting. Helped guidance through the book.

[Tianna]

Firstly my perspective on this novel was wide as I am not religious and have no other stories interrupting my path of reading. I adored it so much in the way of connection of women that is clearly very very lost.

[Jessica Wimbley]

Love how she goes into the dynamics between multiple wives and pagen rituals. It gets to feel like a lifetime movie towards the end of the book which takes away from it as a whole.

[Miriam]

Helpful insights into "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant.

[Brooke Haynes Gallucci]

Loved this at first, but it dragged and dragged on.

[Cynthia Machata]

Good, but Queenmaker is better

[Suhesti]

keren...

[Mary]

We used this in our women's Bible Study. Good companion to the book.

[Jennifer Miller]

A-maz-ing.

[Ginny Cousin]

Great read as it uncovers how women have been able to adapt and control, when they have
no control. These women were adaptable, contolling and organized.

[JENNIFER SCHMEISSER]

Book club at Coldstone Creamery

[Del]

An interesting companion to The Red Tent. Interesting for some of the cultural and historical insights, but reads like a college paper.