The Red Tent - Page 2

[Awaken]

I absolutely love this book. I have read it twice so far. I am familiar with the biblical story, so it was really interesting to read about what life must have been like 'behind the scenes' as another poster said.

I read it around the time I was pregnant the first time, and also after I had a m/c, it really made me feel connected to all women throughout history as we have all shared similar experiences.

[DaryLLL]

Sad how the patriarchal religions have wiped out honoring us, the moon goddesses.

Just take a Midol and go on with yr day, bitch.:

[GoldBerry]

Darylll~ couldn't agree more with ya! My moon time (which is just coming to an end) is such a low energy time for me and I am often very melancholy. It would be such a good time to rest and reflect and tell stories. Ah, well, someday, maybe...

[kittywitty]

Ok. I just finished it a few days ago. It made me cry. It was such a good book. I loved, also, how much it honored women and kept traditions alive. Which is definitely something we do not see anymore. I know I am a freak, but I wish I lived back in the days where I could work my land and such. I couldn't deal with the polygamy, though. Not my cup o tea. But a nice community where we all got together and helped each other out and worked as teams. And women were honored. I hate technology. The only reason I like my computer is b/c of MDC and it really feels like I belong somewhere. I am very lonely and isolated here. I need to get a red tent. But I bet my landlords would pee their pants. Maybe when we move again. I'll start a little hippie commune and we'll have a red tent. Sound like a deal?

I know I'm a dork. Please excuse my ramblings. I am still emotional from reading the book.

[LydiaJW]

The story of Dinah, biblically, ends after her brothers kill her lover and all of the other men in the land. Everything beyond that is fictional in the book. As far as the moon worship, etc etc etc, none of that is mentioned biblically, but I'm sure the writer spent a great deal of time looking into different ceremonies of the day. I really enjoyed it more as a fictional book.

In fact....

My daughter's name is Dinah

[boongirl]

I love this book. I read it in a book club when it first came out. We were all women and we ended up talking more about menstruation and our mothers than the book. Not that we did not love the book but it made us all nostalgic for how we have dealt with menstruation. We all wished we could have experienced something like the tent in the book. What an empowering experience that would be!

[Mamax3]

I LOVE The Red Tent. I haven't read it in years, so I need to get my hands on a copy. The copy I owned I passed on to friends, who passed it on to other friends and I don't have it.

I need to read it again!

[terrordactyl]

definately one of my favorite books

[Ruthla]

I loved the first half of the book- but HATED the ending. I don't want to give too much away if you haven't finished it, but I felt the author strayed too far from the Biblical sources, had the women doing too much "idol worship" and in general it just left a bad taste in my mouth.

[Pam_and_Abigail]

I just read this last week, a couple days after my period. It was a great book, but the second half had me bawling.

Reading this thread made me think, you know, the true 'rape' of the story (and I know in the fiction it wasn't rape, but the male family of Dinah perceived a dishonouring) wasn't what happened to Dinah as an individual, it was the 'rape' and destruction of those women's mysteries. That was the true dishonouring: the abolition of the tent, the massacre which prevented the mother's mysteries from being passed down, the destruction of the statues and figures that played a part in the passing down of the traditions. That was , in my opinion, the true injustice done to the women here.

[DesertFlower]

I love that book! I read it when I was pregnant. I should reread it one of these days.

[MelanieMC]

wow, a year old bump!

Reading this thread last year made me read it. I loved it. I think I'll go check it out and re-read this week!

[MrsMissy]

I **love love** this book. I read it every couple months. It gives me inspiration to do something special with my daughter when she starts her period.

[Jenivere]

I read it when it first came out and loved it. I was 18 at the time. I think I need to read it again.