Blog re-run. This is a link to one of my earliest posts during the babyhood of my blog.
What is it with me and pedicures in February??? On Fridays??? I had another one tonight, but my pedicurist did not foist unwanted services on me, nor did she remark about my unsightly body hair. . .how’s that for a hook?
Before going to get my pedicure, I stopped at Half Price Books and got The Red Tent by Anita Diamant at the suggestion of Stephanie. It is told from the view point of Dinah, the only known daughter of Jacob and how all of her mother, Leah, and her “aunt mothers” as she refers to Rachel, Bilhah, and Zilpah shared one man. Obviously, it is mostly conjecture, but it is beautifully written–and I found the Prologue to be especially haunting and lovely.
So, my pedicurist, who didn’t speak much English, just smiled at me and looked at the cover of my book as I read and tried to ignore the very loud, opinionated MAN in the chair next to me. Seriously. . .come on. . .I think it is wonderfully enlightened of him to take care of his feet in such a manner (even requesting the wax dip), but keep your mouth shut and pretend you aren’t there so the women can enjoy their few moments of peace. He was saying how his wife was probably home watching Grey’s Anatomy (which was on the t.v.) and how he NEVER watched American Idol–he REFUSED and the ethnic breakdown of his students in his school and his blindingly white legs and. . .bless the woman that was working on him. She even had sharp instruments at her disposal, and all I had was a hard backed book.
It Be's That Way Sometimes 
Oh, that sounds divine! A book and a pedicure and a white-legged grumpy man nearby 😉
In HK they call them guai loh. “Stupid American.” Although, more literally it means white ghoul. People like that always register in my mind as “stupid American,” even when I’m here in the states.
I love that book! So many people are afraid to read it – it does challenge our preconceived notion of the Dinah account. It’s one of my recommendations that cause folk’s eyes to glaze over.
There’s a book about Jacob like that, called Son of Laughter. It’s very imaginative and poetic, but sometimes it bugs us that we can’t get through a chapter without him mentioning someone using the bathroom, or the hole. . . whatever.
It’s one of my favorite books. One of the handful I’ve read more than once. Now I want to read it again.
I know that sometimes people get uneasy reading fiction about Bible characters. I just look at it as historical fiction–we TRULY don’t know what all happened–God gave us the parts we NEED to know by inspiration, but it’s interesting to think about. These women had lives and rituals and opinions. They had a society unto themselves because their only role in the world of men was to have children and keep the home. Plus, it’s not a biblical book which is why you find it under FICTION–it’s a novel. AND it’s a well-written novel.
People get miffed about that?
I think it scares some people…
Oh, honey, yes. . .and sometimes for good reason. Kind of like my nativity post–most people don’t actually say, READ, their Bibles and a lot don’t even own one. So when they read something like The Red Tent, they start believing that the fictional novelized version is what REALLY happened. The point being, we DO know what REALLY happened if we read our Bibles–we just don’t know ALL that really happened or ALL of the aftermath or ALL of the opinions of everyone involved. And Stephanie is right, people get scared–but you know that Satan–he’s sneaking around trying to take advantage of any and every opportunity to trample on what God says.
Still sayin’–it’s a good book.
Wow, I really enjoyed this post on several levels. Made me want to read that book. And you descrip of the man is hilarious.