"The Red Tent"

I started reading the book, "The Red Tent." I wasn't sure I would like it. I had just finished reading this part in the Bible about Jacob or Israel and his 12 sons. There is a brief mention of Dinah, their sister. This book is written by a Jewish woman, and of course it is historical fiction, but I found myself captivated by the customs and traditions it mentions. I also really like the fact that it is written from a woman's point of view.

In the Prologue we read. "No one recalled my skill as a midwife, or the songs I sang, or the bread I baked for my insatiable brothers. Nothing remained except a few mangled details about those weeks in Shechem."

She goes on to say, "If you want to understand any woman you must first ask about her mother and then listen carefully. Stories about food show a strong connection. Wistful silences demonstrate unfinished business. The more a daughter knows the details of her mother's life -- without flinching or whining -- the stronger the daughter. " This struck a cord with me, because I thought, "What do I know about my mother?" I think when we're young, we are too involved with ourselves to care, and then in my case, when I'm old enough to appreciate the stories, my mother is gone. I'm going to try and write down what few stories I remember of my mother, a strong woman who bore children during the depression and worked in a navy yard during the second world war. A woman who sent her oldest son off to war, lost a son on his way to be married and lost a loving husband way sooner than she should have. As I think about just a few of these details, I hope that I can be strong in ways that my mother was strong. She accomplished many wonderful things, mostly through hard work and faith. Mom, I miss you.