This book by Anita Diamant, has been recommended to me by someone who said it was the best book she's ever read.

My question is that the summary on amazon.com says that the women in the book discuss "sexually and emotionally charged" stories.  Is this book to sexual for a Christian women's book club?

Any feedback would be much appreciated.

I just finished it and I don't think it would be too sexual.  There is sex, mostly basic husband wife stuff, and the worst part to me was a reference to "sheep" - which really wasn't as bad as it sounds, but it did shock me a little and I thought it was unnecessary.  But it might depend on your group.  My woman's church group read it.  The biblical references are great, and it is a great look at the life and times of that period.  It made me pick up my bible and reread most of Genesis.

I loved this book.  It is my favorite book of all time, ever and ever, and it really changed my life, too.  I don't think it would be too graphic for a Christian group because the book itself is about the new faith being brought to Canaan.  The author takes one small notation in the Bible, about a girl named Dinah, and shaped a wonderful, fabulous story around it.  There is very little mention of SEX - but there is a lot of background on the relationships between husband and wife/ves.  The only part I found graphic was way into the book when Dinah takes a husband - but it isn't sexually graphic.

Really, this is such a good book.  I have recommended it to every woman I know.

I personally thought it was very graphic.  There are quite a few sexual scenes as I recall, but the even more graphic and odd parts are the scenes about the womens' rituals involving idols when the main character gets her period for the first time.  There was a lot of stuff that I didn't really find very Christian to be honest with you. I wouldn't reccommend it to my women's group at church. I guess it depends how conservative you are.  It isn't Biblically based at all, more historical fiction I would say. The content of the book is interesting, but I didn't finish this book.

It's a beautifully written book, but I have to agree with Heidi that it could be considered explicit in its way. Also, it takes Biblical stories and turns them on their heads, so I think it's more a historical fiction, too. And by the end I couldn't help wondering if the author hated men. I 'got' that the whole thing was about women suffering under male dominant cultures, but the underlying feeling that stuck with me was the book, the stories she chose to focus on, and the changing tone as the book went on, all had a certain hostility of its own. That's just my opinion. It's been years since I read it.

Personally, I never recommend a book to anyone- a person or a group- unless I read thru it first.

It has been a while since I read it but I remember being annoyed by it. If the story of Dinah is what I think it was I thought it was unbelievable - but I'm not sure if that is the right book.

I wouldn't advise using this book for a Christian women's book club.

As a piece of women's literature, it's fantastic. I cannot rave enough about the earthy beauty of this book from the perspective of women's spirituality.

But the book takes some very notable female figures of Jacob's family and interprets them in a way that is historically possible (and, in my opinion, highly probable), but not at all in line with the Bible's interpretation of them. While they are aware of Jacob's god, their personal devotion is to the pagan goddesses of their country.

If you're looking for an accurate depiction of what day-to-day life would have been like for Dinah, her mother and her aunts, this is a fantastic, colorful and heartfelt novel. If you're looking for the tale of how the Hebrew god worked in the lives of these biblical women, I would look somewhere else.

Best,

Ashley

I agree with the stuff involving the first period..pretty far out weird for christian fiction.I  did enjoyt he book for the most part but antoher christian friend who's pretty devout baptist rfused to touch it..she hates anything fiction based on the Bible - said she'd prefer reading the Bible and nothing else. I would consider it more women's fiction understood more by someone familiar with that story in the Bible.

I loved this book and found it fascinating, but it is not for a Christian women's church group.  Not at all.  If you read about the author, she did not write it for a Christian audience.  And my mom found it kinda, and I quote, disgusting.  Just saying that it is a great book of historical fiction but not Biblically based at all.

I know I'm in the minority, but I hated this book. I would not recommend it for a church book group.

                                                 Rose

How could it be Christian? It's based on the Old Testament peoples and cultures.  I recommend to all my (Christian) Bible study ladies.