If you missed Anita Diamant’s “The Red Tent” — a book with such a strong woman protagonist and such a compelling plot that many of us devoured it — then you need to immediately add this title to your reading list.
Published in 1997, it is Diamant’s first work of fiction. Inspired by a few lines from Genesis, the book became a word-of-mouth best-seller thanks to reader recommendations, book groups, and support from independent bookstores. In 2001, the Independent Booksellers Alliance honored “The Red Tent” as its “Booksense Best Fiction” selection. Today, there are editions in more than 25 countries world-wide — from Australia, England, and Finland, to Lithuania, Spain, and Sweden.
Originally a freelance journalist, Diamant has written for the Boston Globe, Self, Parenting, Parents, McCalls, and Ms.
She also has published several more works of fiction, as well as six nonfiction guides to contemporary Jewish life.
Her latest novel, “The Boston Girl,” has already become another best-seller. A gripping story of a young Jewish woman growing up in early-20th-century Boston, Publishers Weekly says it is “a stunning look into the past with a plucky heroine readers will cheer for.”
Booklist said: “In addition to providing a graphic, page-turning portrait of immigrant life in the early 20th century, Diamant’s novel is an inspirational read that is likely to be a popular book-club choice.”
This page-turner is the tale of Addie Baum, whom we first meet as an 85-year-old woman as she recounts her life’s story to her 22-year-old granddaughter. It’s impossible to put down this book, which takes us from Addie’s beginnings in a one-room tenement apartment she shares with her parents and two sisters, to the library group, and her first disastrous love affair.
Don’t miss our conversation with Diamant, who told us:
- How she moved from journalism into novel writing
- How she picks her subjects
- About her six nonfiction titles — the first one written soon after she was married
- What she likes about fiction versus nonfiction
- Her thoughts and feelings on her tremendous critical success — including her new series on Lifetime TV starring Debra Winger
- And last but not least, about her work with the nonprofit www.mayyimhayyim.org.
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And click here to read more of our interview with Diamant in the March issue of Be Inkandescent magazine.
