The Red Tent, Tenth Anniversary Edition: A Novel

A New York Times Bestseller

A decade after the publication of this hugely popular international bestseller, Picador releases the tenth anniversary edition of The Red Tent.

Her name is Dinah. In the Bible, her life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the Book of Genesis that tell of her father, Jacob, and his twelve sons.

Told in Dinah's voice, Anita Diamant imagines the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhood--the world of the red tent. It begins with the story of the mothers--Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah--the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that sustain her through childhood, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah's story reaches out from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate connection with the past.

Deeply affecting, The Red Tent combines rich storytelling with a valuable achievement in modern fiction: a new view of biblical women's lives.

Customer Review: Great read!
This is a great book for any female that grew up with more than one motherly influence. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have not met any person that did not like it.
Customer Review: Dinah and her Mothers Made My Soul Sing
The Red Tent, which apparently is a huge favorite of many, many people here, has become a huge favorite of mine as well. The book was so incredibly vivid that Ms. Diamant brought me into Dinah's world, a world where custom was everything, and a woman could only find peace, rest and sisterhood inside the red tent. From the very beginning, where the reader is told that she has hands and feet softer than a queen's, I was captured. I could smell the smoke from the cooking fires, mixed with the breezes from the hills and the dinner in the pot, and the not-so-lovely smells of children, and men and animals. The author painted a picture with her details, but didn't become so enraptured with detail that she forgot that she was writing a darned good story. Like a butterfly, Ms Diamant flits from story to story as she weaves the tale of a life, staying with each until we are satisfied and full, but without ever languishing long enough that we become bored with the people, characters and places. The stories keep us off kilter just enough to make things interesting, because we think we have heard them before -- and we have. Maybe. My only complaint is that Ms. Diamant paints the men as broodish and selfish, not knowing anything about the women in their lives, and being quite happy with that state of affairs. C'mon! I know that times have changed, but people have not, and if a man cares about a woman, he will not dismiss everything that is important to her. Jacob was painted as a man who cared so little about the women he loved that he failed to honor even one of them. He was painted as barely able to tell one from the other, at least in the dark. I was also struck by the dark and angry portrait of Joseph, who has come through history as a hero - but not here. Men do not fare well at the touch of Ms. Diamant's pen. Finally, this isn't a book to start at bedtime. (You won't be able to get up for work in the morning) It's the perfect book for a day in bed with the sniffles, or the faux-sniffles. Grab some tissues (for the sniffles, of course), a cup of tea and this great book and you have all you need for a day of travel through countries and centuries, all to meet a woman whose tale has been forgotten by the years gone by. Give Dinah a wave for me when you meet her, okay?

A YHA cycling route resembling a "figure eight", popular in the 1960's, began in England and meandered south into the Royal Forest of Dean, through the Wye Valley into Wales, headed north to the Black Mountains and west to the Brecon Beacons. The route then led south to the River Severn, crossed over the Wye back into England, then headed north into the Wye Valley again. Follow this route and you can see for yourself how picturesque this area actually is.

Sadly many of the old youth hostels in the Brecon Beacons and Wye Valley during the sixties are now closed but the beautiful countryside they were located in is still very much alive. This particular district occupies scenic regions of England and Wales west of Hereford. Following this bike route, here are seven of the most popular youth hostels in and around the Brecon Beacons during that time:

Forest of Dean, Upper Wye Valley & The Black Mountains

- Mitcheldean: This hostel is now shut down, and was located in this thriving large village with old timbered houses and narrow streets and a medieval church. Once a centre for the brewing industry, the original brewery now known as The Mews, is occupied by several local businesses. On the edge of the village is a large business park, which includes Xerox, one of the largest employers in the Forest of Dean.

- St. Briavel's Castle: You will have no trouble thinking what to write on your postcards if you stay in this Youth Hostel, housed in a moated Norman castle. It was once the hunting lodge of King John in 1205 on the site of an earlier stronghold. Its towers were added in 1293 as part of the Ring of Stone around Wales. On a plateau high above the Wye Valley, St Briavel's commands spectacular views.

- Capel-y-Ffin: Scheduled for closing soon, this small hostel that was once an old hill farm. It is nestled amidst the Llanthony Valley of the Black Mountains in the Brecon Beacons. Situated some 14 miles from Abergavenny on the Anglo-Welsh border, it's now an excellent base for walkers and cyclists. There are routes leading through unspoilt countryside in all directions, including the Cambrian Way, Offa's Dyke trails and Sustrans Route 42.

Brecon Beacons National Park

- Ty'n-y-Caeau: With its operations now terminated, it was close to the town of Brecon, famous for its jazz festival. Llwyn-y-Celyn: a new hostel, has opened nearby - another old Welsh farmhouse in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Accommodation should be similar to Ty'n-y-Caeau, with 2-6+ bedded rooms and facilities include laundry, kitchen and evening meals. It makes a comfortable base for exploring the park with outdoor activities ranging from horse riding to sailing, paragliding, quad biking and hiking.

- Crickhowell: Since this hostel ceased functioning it has been replaced with nearby Llangattock Bunkhouse. This newly built stone building has accommodation for up to 30 people and is equipped with modern ensuite facilities. Self-catering or catering is offered and it includes a large dining and seating area with substantial outdoor space. It is located in a very remote area, with a magical setting on top of a mountain with access to ancient woodlands, rare marshland and wildflower meadows.

Lower Wye Valley

- Chepstow: Though this hostel is no longer in use, it was located in this border town straddling Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire. Chepstow is situated at the confluence of the River Wye and River Severn on the Severn's west bank. It is famous for its castle and racecourse, which hosts the Welsh Grand National. Chepstow proper is on the west bank of the Wye, within Wales; the English part on the eastern bank consists of Tutshill and Sedbury.

- Staunton-on-Wye: Yet another hostel that is not open anymore, it was located in this small village with a Norman church. Staunton was named "the place of the stones" by the Anglo-Saxons. From here you can visit the Buckstone, in Highmeadow Woods, a popular, panoramic viewpoint. Local legend claims it was a sacred Druid site. The Staunton Longstone, a Bronze Age standing stone, can be seen alongside the A4136, between Staunton and Coleford.

What are the Brecon Beacons? A mountain range in mid-Wales, containing some of the most spectacular and distinctive upland formations in southern Britain, covering an area of 1,347 sq km (520 sq miles). You don't have to inspect every square mile of the National Park to appreciate this wonderful area. You can cycle, hike or even go horseback riding through the Forest of Dean, in the Wye Valley, across the Black Mountains, to the Brecon Beacons - and back again!

Keith J. Valentine has been traveling throughout the UK, Europe and North America for years. For more on youth hostelling, tips and a free e-zine, please visit 101 Easy Articles at http://www.EasyArticles4u.com