Review: Utterly Fascinating!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 25, 2013
Wow! Completely, totally, utterly fascinating!I'm so very impressed with Forty Days. To take a well known story and not just re-tell it...to help me live through it along with someone who's living through it...someone so close to Noah...brilliant! What better story to build upon than Noah's Ark? Stephanie Parent has woven a unique and fascinating tale. Noah's Ark from a different perspective - that of his teenage granddaughter.Noah's Ark is a story we all know. And I must admit to questioning the wisdom of Noah building the ark solely because a voice claiming to be the one God told him to. Forty Days tells the story of Noah and his ark from Neima's point of view. It discusses the gossip and shunning Noah's family endures because of Noah's "madness'. It also details the building of the ark, the work entailed, the sounds and smells. Parent's ability to describe these events allowed me to feel as though I was witnessing them...quite an accomplishment. I could even feel the heat and humidity.Neima is a little different - and not just because she's Noah's granddaughter. She's taller then most girls and she has an unusual hobby. She carves objects out of wood - something her mother wants kept secret to protect her marriageability.There are two boys interested in Neima. Kenaan, her cousin, and Jorin, a neighbor whose father opening shuns Noah's family. While preparing for the ensuing flood, Neima's village becomes more and more opposed to Noah's plan. They've dealt with the noise, the view and the smell of the construction of the ark. Now Noah is bringing dangerous animals into the village and it's too much.Then the rain begins. We know the story but actually being on the ark is something to experience. The stomach churning movement of the ark and the caring for the animals...feeding them and removing the dung from their cages. Oh, the smell! And hearing Neima's inner thoughts on the events that put her on the ark -- whether there is only one God? Why would He destroy his creation? Why was Noah's family spared and others not? -- all valid and intriguing questions. It felt as though this was a journey of self-awareness and Neima experienced several existential moments. And then Neima discovers that not only her family escaped. What does it all mean?I could gush on and on about how much I love Forty Days. It is masterfully written with great historical detail and asks age old questions. I will anxiously await Neima getting her answers.