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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
emotional
Got my period in the middle of last night during the full moon. After having just finished this book on Sunday. Pretty awesome and powerful and maybe my womanhood is pure magic. Connected af to my ancestors rn.
I loved every page of this so much.
I loved every page of this so much.
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The plot of this book possessed a kind of magic that attracts me. The characters were interesting because they were simultaneously strong and vulnerably feminine, a combination not often explored in stories yet common in life. The writing style was nothing special, but not cheesy either.
I would say not much happened. It did, but the magical storytelling almost took away from the plot. I also felt that the most interesting parts of this book were not explored in an attempt to keep the women at the forefront. In trying to salvage historicity, Diamant sacrifices interest. In trying to focus on the women, she ignores all else that may be artistically significant. I would have preferred a little embellishment.
I would say not much happened. It did, but the magical storytelling almost took away from the plot. I also felt that the most interesting parts of this book were not explored in an attempt to keep the women at the forefront. In trying to salvage historicity, Diamant sacrifices interest. In trying to focus on the women, she ignores all else that may be artistically significant. I would have preferred a little embellishment.
A great book, it's the story of Dinah, the only daughter of Jacob, who tells the story of his family from the perspective of a woman. The major events are from the Bible, and it is so well written and plausable, that it's hard to separate fact from fiction. The story demonstrated the exceptional strength, bond, and influence women have over each other and their families.
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
For a slow-paced, historical fiction, I really enjoyed this book. Diamant's writing is beautiful and painted everything with love and insight so ineffably keen and well conveyed.
Fantastic! Did not think I would be interested in a book from biblical times, but loved how the women's stories We're so powerful, even in a time when men owned and ruled everything, including the women. Audiobook was great.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This is my third time reading this book. The first time I read it in high school, after my aunt gifted it to me. The second was in undergrad as assigned reading in an English course (I think it was “Women in Dangerous Literature”). This time, it’s for my historical fiction book club. For having read it so many times, I didn’t really remember the second half. The first half is what really stuck with me. This is a feminist reimagining of the biblical tale of the rape of Dinah from Genesis. It is told from Dinah’s POV, but features the wives of Jacob, all his sons, etc. The way women lived and formed bonds is a focus, particularly through childbirth and menstruation. The author’s goal was to provide a voice to Dinah (she doesn’t speak at all in the Bible) and to provide a more nuanced view of the relationship between sister wives Leah and Rachel. The rape is not a rape in this book, in case that stresses you out. It is incorrectly called a rape by men with their own agendas; Dinah has a consensual relationship. This isn’t a book with a very strong plot, and I’d argue the pacing isn’t great. Sometimes things happen very quickly, and I’m left rereading a section to catch up in my head. The main focuses are the characters and their traditions. Dinah develops a quiet power and has relatable trauma responses. I really enjoyed the journey her character went on. This story has themes of betrayal and forgiveness, powerlessness and strength, and they’re all explored very well. If you like biblical reimaginings, you might like this story. I think reading it three times is more than enough for me.
medium-paced