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plettr's review
5.0
The Heavens Before retells the enthralling biblical account of the Great Flood-as seen through the eyes of a courageous woman. Brought face to face with an ancient evil, Annah dares to believe in the Most High, the God who is nothing more than foolish legend to the people of her settlement. In a world of astonishing beauty and appalling violence, a world unknowingly speeding toward disaster, Annah's choice will have unforeseen consequences.
I was captivated by Annah and her story. Life withing her settlement was horrifying and filled with anger, violence, selfishness and murder. Annah's world had no hope as she faces daily torture from her family. When Shem comes into her life, Annah dares to dream about a better life and in the Most High.
I loved Shem's family and their belief in God and love for each other. I kept wondering how they must have been ridiculed those years as Noah built the ark. The world must have been exceedingly evil if there were only 8 humans to board the ark.
This book has a lovely way of explaining how things might have been before the flood, how the world looked after the flood.
I was captivated by Annah and her story. Life withing her settlement was horrifying and filled with anger, violence, selfishness and murder. Annah's world had no hope as she faces daily torture from her family. When Shem comes into her life, Annah dares to dream about a better life and in the Most High.
I loved Shem's family and their belief in God and love for each other. I kept wondering how they must have been ridiculed those years as Noah built the ark. The world must have been exceedingly evil if there were only 8 humans to board the ark.
This book has a lovely way of explaining how things might have been before the flood, how the world looked after the flood.
ester_ku's review
5.0
A wonderful story. There aren't many books about before the flood, and it was fun reading this story.
I enjoyed following Annah growth and how she finds her voice amongst a family that uses her. And her relationship with Shem, Noah's son, is lovely.
I enjoyed following Annah growth and how she finds her voice amongst a family that uses her. And her relationship with Shem, Noah's son, is lovely.
pixieauthoress's review
5.0
This was fictionalised tale of Noah's family in the days during the building of the ark, life during the flood and life after the flood. It is told mainly from the point of view of the wife of one of Noah's sons, and the story starts showing her life in the settlement; a town where murder is nearly an everyday event. Annah, the main character, has not spoken since her brother killed her father and is considered to be stupid. One day when she is at the river, one of Noah's sons spots her and God tells him that this is the girl that, one day, he will marry - and the story takes off from there. I have to admit that I found the part of the novel set in the settlement far more exciting (murder! And demons! And gold!) than life in Noah's house, but it was quite interesting to read about Noah's other sons finding their wives. Overall, a really interesting novel which I think would appeal to non-Christians as much as Christians (providing that they realised they were reading a fictionalisation of a Biblical story and that, therefore, it would mention God in it) as it is very well written and completely different from any "historical" novel I've ever read. The author has written two more novels about events which take place in Genesis so I'd quite like to read them some day. 9/10
ireadthebooks's review
5.0
Bumping this one up to 5 stars - can't imagine why I didn't years ago! Shem and Annah's gentle love is one of my favorite literary relationships.
Aside from that, I love the anti-deluvian story of Noah's family and the way the author made the story come alive. There were so many references to the way the world could have been before, and clever little pieces that the author threw in here and there. This is one of my favorites.
Aside from that, I love the anti-deluvian story of Noah's family and the way the author made the story come alive. There were so many references to the way the world could have been before, and clever little pieces that the author threw in here and there. This is one of my favorites.
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