Music, Historical Details Embellish Tales of Two Women

Two historical novels written by and about women have found a second life on audio. Both are worth hearing.

Anita Diamant’s “The Red Tent,” (Audio Renaissance; unabridged fiction; eight cassettes; 12 hours; $39.95; read by Carol Bilger) tells the story of Dinah, the only daughter of Jacob, who is barely mentioned in the Book of Genesis. Diamant gives the character a full voice in a story that begins before Dinah’s birth and spans her entire life.

The Bible recorded the history of men, but the wisdom of women--their songs, poetry and stories--were passed from mother to daughter. All we know about Dinah is that she was abducted and raped by the son of a powerful Canaanite who then wished to marry her, but Jacob’s sons wreaked havoc on him and his kingdom.

Diamant’s tale, in a way, is a midrash, a parable explaining a biblical passage. She takes a biographical sketch and fills in the details with a many-hued tapestry colored by grief and redemption. She details the lives of Dinah’s four “mothers,” the women wed to Jacob, including her biological mother, the strong and capable Leah. As the women gather in the red tent each month for their menses, Dinah’s mothers pass on their knowledge of midwifery, their personal histories and their wisdom. She is told never to forget.

The lushness of this story is enhanced by haunting, rich music played at the beginning and end of each tape. It is unusual, atmospheric and well suited to the geographical location and era of the story. Foreign pronunciations flow easily from the mouth of narrator Carol Bilger as she carries us through the lengthy narrative with energy and such texture-enhancing details as quiet laughter or the stoniness brought about by mourning.

Bilger’s one shortcoming is that though her voice is clear, it is also thin, making her sound quite young. When the story concerns a youthful Dinah, those qualities suit the tale. But as Dinah ages, Bilger still sounds like teenager, which is incongruous.

*

Set in 17th century Holland, “Girl With a Pearl Earring,” by Tracy Chevalier, gives speculative history to a still life. (Recorded Books; unabridged fiction; six cassettes; eight hours; $57 if purchased, $13.50 if rented; read by Ruth Ann Phimister. For information call [800] 638-1304).

Only 35 paintings by Johannes Vermeer have survived, and very little is known about him, other than that he made a living as an art dealer and left an impoverished wife and 11 children when he died. Nothing is known of the young girl with the large pearl earring and turban that he painted in about 1665.

The painting was rediscovered in the 1880s and dubbed the “Gioconda of the North.” Chevalier thus has spun a tale out of whole canvas, creating a story that never existed, but might have.

Griet, a young woman from a Protestant family of average means, is reduced to taking the position of housemaid in a Catholic painter’s home after her father is accidentally blinded. Vermeer, impressed by Griet’s eye for color, soon has her mixing paints in his studio, much to the chagrin of his eternally pregnant and jealous wife Catherine.

It is not the plot that brings enjoyment to hearing this tale, but the details of life in 17th century Delft. The author covers all aspects, from the horrors of illness to the wonders of the camera obscura, to the minute ways that women held power in a male-dominated society.

The sway of gossip and the importance of station are but subtle details woven into the account. We also learn quite a lot about Vermeer, his methods and the people in his paintings.

The story flows easily and thus is easy to hear. Much of the world in which Griet inhabits is extremely tactile. Chevalier calls up the smell of meat halls, the brightness of ground madder mixed with linseed oil, the cracked and rough hands of one who washes laundry.

Narrator Ruth Ann Phimister has a full-throated voice that is a little low and husky. Though it is quite lovely and full of character, she almost seems miscast. One never mistakes her for a teenage girl, as she sounds very much the mature woman. However, Phimister understands the importance of a well-placed pause. Her timing is superb, as is her ability to express the emotion in scenes that might have been lost with a lesser performer.

For instance, when Griet comes to the conclusion that she must rearrange a small object in her master’s studio for him to see the mistake he has made in a composition, she does so with great apprehension. We clearly hear Griet’s nearly breathless joy when she pieces together the problem with the painting, and her terror at taking actions that were clearly out of bounds.

*

Rochelle O’Gorman reviews audio books every other week. Next week: Dick Lochte on mystery books.