PITCHING MY TENT by Anita Diamant, author of THE RED TENT, is a
collection of short and personal essays on family, friends and
religion. Arranged by topic, the essays are, for the most part,
light and enjoyable reading. Gathering many essays from her days as
a columnist, PITCHING MY TENT reflects the things that are most
important in the author's life, and they are things that will
resonate with many readers.

Diamant begins by exploring "Love, Marriage, Baby Carriage." In
this section she shares personal and general thoughts on marriage
and partnership. These thoughts, like those in the rest of the
collection, in many ways center not just on marriage, but on a life
lived within a particular religious tradition. She shares how she
and her husband celebrate Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, and his
conversion to Judaism. While this section of the book is actually
dedicated to her husband, she does discuss her first marriage in
frank emotional terms. From pet peeves to health issues, from
mutual friends to the birth of their child, Diamant is candid about
her marriage; the specifics she shares point to universals.

Next, Diamant dives into the topic of motherhood and her focus is
on her daughter Emilia. She writes loving essays about parenthood
as both "an adventure and an education." Two essays in this section
stand out. The first is entitled "One" and discusses Diamant and
her husband's decision to have only one child, despite the pressure
to give Emilia siblings. The other is "The Mother's Bat Mitzvah
Speech." This speech is a touching and tender tribute to her
daughter on a very special occasion.

The third section in PITCHING MY TENT gathers essays about friends
and friendship. These are short yet sweet.

"Time Zones" is the fourth section and one of the most interesting
topics of the book. Here, Diamant examines sacred time and ordinary
time by looking at the Jewish year and some of its holidays and
commemorations. In essays about Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year,
the holidays of Sukkot, Chanukah and Purim, as well as Thanksgiving
and Christmas, Diamant writes about being Jewish in a culture both
Christian and secular and how she celebrates and understands Jewish
(and non-Jewish) holidays. The essays are quite short but are full
of insight and honesty. As a daughter of Holocaust survivors, she
writes about Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, and the
idea of memory as a sacred trust. Both this essay and the brief one
in tribute to her father are poignant and nicely written.

Diamant also has collected essays on middle age but she ends the
book with more discussion about religion in her life. She writes
that Judaism is her "journey" and her "home" and that it is an
"essential lens" through which she understands herself and her
place in the world. But these final essays are not as solemn as the
introduction to the section would have you believe. Here, Diamant
addresses serious issues such as congregation politics and the
expectancy that all Jews read Hebrew --- but she does so with a
light and witty touch.

PITCHING MY TENT is not exactly a book about religion or family in
general but about Diamant's family and her religious life. Her
essays are insightful if not challenging or academic. This
collection is a great gift idea for fans of Diamant, those who
enjoy easy yet interesting reading, and especially for Jewish
mothers. A personal look at contemporary Jewish life, PITCHING MY
TENT will not generate controversy or create the kind of following
that THE RED TENT had, but it won't disappoint those who are
looking to learn more about this author.