Robin D. (RobinVictoria) reviewed on 8/27/2008 + 6 more book reviews

The author uses the story of Jacob from the bible as a template to weave a story from the perspective of Abraham's 4 wives. She utilizes factual information from the time (much like author Dan Brown) to create a fictional work that is truly believable. Through the story we learn to understand the emotional and psychological struggles of four women sharing one man, the constraints of the application of the strict laws in the torah, as well as the pagan/goddess culture from which his last two wives came from, and the traditions and rituals that they may have brought with them and assimilated into the family. The title, the red tent, reflects the time during the menses in which women were seperated from the men, as per the religious judaic laws, where they resided in a seperate tent. Currently living in a time of womens' liberation, this law that once seemed so oppresive and barbaric to me, was given a softer side in the book. It was exhibited as a time of well earned rest for the women, a time to bond, come together and share stories, and the wisdom of womanhood.

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