Women menstruated together in Red Tents (or Moon Lodges) in all indigenous cultures around the world, since time immemorial.
The Red Tent is historical fiction based on a biblical story. The story of Dinah, a minor character in the book of Genesis. The brief episode in which she appears is usually referred to as the“rape of Dinah” —a difficult passage for biblical commentators over the centuries because of the murderous behavior of Jacob’s sons. Dinah does not say a single word in the biblical text; what happens to her is recounted and characterized as rape by her brothers.In Diamant’s retelling, Dinah is given a voice. The Red Tent is told entirely from her perspective and the point of view of the women around her. Published in 1997, The Red Tent became a paperback best seller thanks to word-of-mouth support. The Red Tent has been published in 25 countries and in 2014 was adapted as a miniseries by Lifetime TV.