How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Leah said she kept quiet about her pregnancy to protect Rachel's happiness. (1.2.58)
Nowadays, women jump to their cellphones and text their friends and siblings right away about a pregnancy. But the bond between sisters in Jacob's family was complicated. Of course, they're kind of sharing a man and thinking about how they'll live the rest of their lives in Man's Land, so we're not surprised.
Quote #2
Attending her sister's births made her wish to become part of the great mother-mystery, which is bought with pain and repaid with an infant's sparkling smile and silken skin. (1.3.5)
The "great mother-mystery" is pretty much one of the focal points in this book. It's the stage in life at which giving birth can be a reward or a death sentence.
Quote #3
But I did not tell Joseph about the whispered conversations among the women. (2.2.31)
What happens in the red tent stays in the red tent—that's the agreement the women have with each other. Secrecy is important because the red tent is really the only thing that gives the women in power in this world; if the men knew everything about it, the women would be even more at their mercy.