Storm
Young, newly pregnant Sebah manages to survive the great flood on a small raft before she bumps into Noah’s humongous ark. Crawling into a porthole for safety, she finds herself in a cage with a pair of bonobos who care for her and hide her from Noah and his family. While trapped aboard, Sebah feels the despair of a ruined world and the stir-craziness of confinement right along with all the animals, with whom she deeply empathizes. But in the midst of the hopelessness of the deluge, Sebah also delights in the playfulness of her animal friends and the affections of a handsome fellow stowaway, and she resolves to look forward to the future, despite the grief for the life she left behind. Napoli (Skin, 2013) draws from the book of Genesis for a basic outline, but she takes ample liberties with the rest of the story, presenting an obstinate, guilt-ridden Noah and an angry family resentful over their wretched circumstances, all through the eyes of a clever, headstrong young girl who learns to thrive on hope. Grades 9-12. --Sarah Hunter