The Red Tent Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Name: The Red Tent
Rating: 4.5 (82 reviews)
Author: Anita Diamant
ISBN: 9780312169787

The Red Tent

by Anita Diamant

Critics' Consensus (3):

Readers' Rating (82):

First Published:
Sep 1, 1997, 321 pages

Paperback:
Sep 1998, 321 pages

X
- Historical Fiction
- Asia
- Middle-East (West Asia)
- 17th Century or Earlier
- Debuts
- Jewish Authors
- Strong Women
- Religious or Spiritual Themes
Genres & Themes
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About this Book

Book Club Discussion Questions

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Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

The Red Tent tells the little-known Biblical story of Dinah, daughter of the patriarch Jacob and his wife, Leah. In Chapter 34 of the Book of Genesis, Dinah’s tale is a short, horrific detour in the familiar narrative of Jacob and Joseph.

Anita Diamant imaginatively tells the story from the fresh perspective of its women. In the Biblical tale Dinah is given no voice; she is the narrator of The Red Tent, which reveals the life of ancient womanhood—the world of the red tent.

Readers of The Red Tent will view the Book of Genesis in a new light. This guide can help spur creative discussions of the timeless story.

Discussion Questions:

Read Genesis 34 and discuss how The Red Tent changes your perspective on Dinah’s story and also on the story of Joseph that follows. Does The Red Tent raise questions about other women in the Bible? Does it make you want to re-read the Bible and imagine other untold stories that lay hidden between the lines?

Discuss the marital dynamics of Jacob’s family. He has four wives; compare his relationship with each woman?

What do you make of the relationships among the four wives?

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How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
Discuss how the ending reframes the events of the story. Were you surprised?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Picador. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.

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