La Fille du désert

This was a favorite book of mine. I was very worried that they would screw this but it is very true to the book. No, it is not an exact retelling of the Bible. Then again, the Bible has many versions and is written word of stories passed down. This is historical fiction loosely based on the Bible and the way women lived and were treated at the time. That is really the main point of the story. That women can learn from each other and that we cannot always rely on men to do the right thing. That women are strong, resourceful and are often supporting men behind the scenes. The problem I have is that the main characters "The Good Guys" are obviously English, light skinned with English accents. The dark ones more often than not were "The Bad Guys". Also, they kept showing her in satin sheets. I doubt they had satin sheets in 1000 BC or whatever the date was.

If you are expecting a rehashing from the book of Old Jewish Fairy Tales this isn't it. This is a totally engrossing drama loosely based on the daughter of the biblical figure who was Jacobs daughter told from her perspective. I have to add it to my collection. I can't find it on DVD or Blue Ray so I'm breaking out my old VCR and waiting for it to come back on. This Movie was made for a more sophisticated taste. After watching the first night I was hooked and had to see part two. After reading the other reviews I'm a bit confused, did they think it was going to be a bible story ? I guess they hated most John Wayne movies too since they were mostly fiction too. I absolutely LOVED The Red Tent and I'm determined to own a copy.

I am a devoted Biblical researcher and minister. I have to say that I have never before seen a depiction of the Hebrew women of the Bible and their lifestyle more accurate than portrayed in this series! The Red Tent was written from the eyes of Jacob's daughter. It may have not had every aspect of Jacob's life, but then again it wasn't about him or any of these men, for once. It was about Dinah and the wonderful women in her life. This series was told in her voice. But I felt as if it was a collective voice of all women, who for years have been wounded and mistreated, as well as misrepresented in the Christian and Hebrew community for centuries. Many Hebrew women today live a similar lifestyle as depicted in the series, and many spiritual paths for women have been built on the same strength of faith and community as was shared by the women in the Red Tent. I also loved reading the rest of Dinah's story, because it was based on true accounts of other Hebrew women. I can almost feel as if I was there. And I have longed to know Dinah was alright. But,of course she was! She is the daughter of Leah and descendant of Eve. I wish Christian women would celebrate their own divinity the way these Hebrew women did! Thank you for the book and this series. Please make more like this.

In general I don't like historical stories because it often tells the story of warriors with no spirit, only narrating the quest of victory. But this story shows a great sense of tragedy. I really loved how it was telling the story of real people, the tragic events in a family that explain certain human behaviors, the sense of honor or respect. I found the movie conveyed a great sense of human spirit. Everything is really human, anyone would understand each character I think. The main character seemed also very real, the actress did an excellent job. I had the impression of seeing the story of a real woman, one that gets hurt, and overcomes the difficulties on her own. I didn't mind God was not mentioned, I found the focus on the people to be more relevant because it depicts how humans are. I really felt torn about the story of each character. It was so epic! Great tragedy.

It also got me more interested in biblical stories, I might read more of it because of this movie. For example, I would like to read more about the story of Joseph. This movie and the original author have the merit to draw the attention on biblical stories and characters. I didn't even know Jacob had a daughter, choosing Dinah as the narrator gives power to the story and offers us an original and great angle to view the story.

Thanks for bringing her to my attention.

The Red Tent is a TV mini-series about Dinah the daughter of Jacob and half-sister to Joseph (he of the technicoloured dreamcoat fame). Told from a woman's point of view (unusual for TV/movie biblical stories) it revisits Old Testament family goings-on.

I enjoyed it at three hours, any longer would have been pushing my attention span. It was pretty realistic, as far as I know - my knowledge of this era/area being somewhat limited. The acting was fairly good, bar one or two exceptions (perhaps some rushing through the production at times caused this?).

All in all: a good thing for the family to watch during a festive season such as Easter or Christmas; but perhaps a little bit mature for the truly wee ones.