Zilipah seemed to me to be asexual in that realm of the spectrum. Though this book story originated from christianity which i do not practice I enjoyed the tale. That is pedophilia in our world in theirs I guess men turn their cheek and women shiver in disgust.

Sometimes there were occurences where father's were impregnating a child who started menstrating and Dinah rightly cursed them. The beautiful names really breathe life along with the descriptions of the countries and cities throughout the story. I like to believe we all live on in our loved ones our kin pieces of who we are. In the end of her life it didn't end there. She lost, gave life, learned to blossom, love, and move on. In part two Is about dinah's life after becoming a woman, falling in love, and suffering for the tradgey that comes with misunderstandings, deciet, and lies. I do wish that in today's society women could find common ground and band together because it is hard enough just to be us. Many women today still honor the red tent practices or moon cycles dealing with love, sex, fertility, menstration, and womenhood. That and many other factors clearly showed in their lives. The taking and raping of slaves and concubines was common but it would leave many children motherless or raised without love. Jacob married his cousins and their many children are all kin mixtures. In that time what we now know as incest was not wrong. Bilhah my favorite and understated character did find love but unfortunately it was her nephew. I did feel sad for the wives in the way they died none peacefully. Jacob was good in the beginning but I am not sure if it was the attack or social expectations that hardened the man. Part one of the novel is about Dinah's family how they came to be and were before 'puberty' and the pressure of life, greed, and envy corrupted what was a good life and people. I enjoyed about 90% of the novel and the 10% regarding to negative connotation of people of color, ill treatment of women/men/children because of their family or status. In 2020 with more time on my hand due to corona I read it. In 2018 I found the book at my local thrift. ***Few spoilers***In 2014 lifetime miniseries of The Red Tent premiered and I deeply enjoyed it.

The red tent bible story