On Historical Backdrops, The Red Tent and The Brubury Tales Giveaway

Weaving elements of history into writing, whether through stories or style, is undeniably a skill of brilliant magicians.

I have three copies of The Red Tent. One I bought for myself. The second was from a friend who went to an author reading and sent me a signed copy from Anita Diamant. No idea where the third one came from, but it’s probably that I bought it since I loved the book so much.

A huge fan of historical fiction, I read it before The Red Tent before it became a bestseller. I think there’s no greater accomplishment as a writer than to be able to combine history with fiction. Especially when the book involves history from a long, long time ago, incorporates biblical references and emerges a masterpiece.

Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent introduces Dinah as the book’s protagonist. If you’ve read the Bible from beginning to end – I did that when I was 8 and again, have no idea why – you’ll recall that Dinah is only mentioned briefly. Using Dinah as the narrator, Diamant crafts a story around Dinah’s large family, bringing to life her relationships with her mothers, father, brothers and true love.

You may have noticed or heard through the grapevine that the Bible rarely tells stories about women and their role in religious history. Not here. Diamant takes an abrupt turn from tradition and draws a portrait of women’s critical familial and societal roles as wives, mothers and midwives during this time, drawing from both biblical reference and historical analysis.

Never fear, readers, this novel does not incorporate the dry history from high school or the religious doctrine with which many of us were raised. Diamant successfully weaves in a compelling fictional tale, rich in emotion and education. Timeless. Literary. Staple.

I’ve now read The Red Tent four times. Mania? Maybe. But each time, I find myself engrossed in a different storyline, chapter, passage or character. And, although it’s a novel that journeys through a female-focused storyline, I’ve also known many men who have loved it.

Last year, I had the privilege of both interviewing and meeting author Anita Diamant to hear about  her most recent book, Day After Night. Another wonderful read that I’d highly recommend.

Giveaway: Signed copy of The Brubury Tales – by Frank Mundo!

Speaking of historical backdrops and fabulous writers, we’re super excited to announce the first TJCC giveaway. I like to think of it as a “giving to.”

Our very own Frank Mundo recently published his first book – The Brubury Tales.

A quick description: An ambitious homage to Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, The Brubury Tales takes Chaucer’s story and frame to Los Angeles just after the riots, where seven security guards on the graveyard shift swap tales in a hilarious storytelling competition for Christmas vacation time.

The forward by amazing author Carolyn See gives us a quick snapshot into its fabulousness:

The Brubury Tales [by Frank Mundo] is a landmark book, in what is going to be — and already is — an exceptional, distinguished literary career.

The “giving to” challenge: Share a quick comment below about what role reading plays in your life. Is it for relaxation? Learning? Or are you simply not a big reader (we’d love to hear what else you do, though). We’ll announce the winner next Friday. Happy sharing!

Tagged as: Anita Diamant, Book Reviews, Brubury Tales, Carolyn See, Frank Mundo, Global Cultures, History, Laura Cococcia, Poetry, Spirituality, The Red Tent, Women and Empowerment, Writing