There was MASSIVE interest in the Noah film – and rightly so, what a stonking story! I hope to see the film at some point (too many films, not enough LIFE) . . . but, I ALSO have a couple of great books on my shelf which use the biblical story of Noah as a backdrop for some great fiction. So, this is the first of three brief book reviews!

‘The Flood’ by David Maine
This is a staggering book – drawing you right in to the time, the place, the whole feel of . . . well, humanity on the edge of a precipice! Earthy, honest language from a whole host of characters (we get Noe’s perspective – Noah; and a bunch of his family share their stories – from totally devoted ‘my father can do no wrong’ to, ‘dads a crackpot’. All this commentary on the crazy notion of an ark in the middle of nowhere and beautiful writing,

The sun beats him like a rod. Around him the land quivers and ripples as if still just an idea in God’s mind . . . . He wonders if he has made a mistake, then exiles that thought. If he has made a mistake, it means God has too.

 

The pages where Noe speaks himself are wondrous in their simplicity – this simple, straightforward man thrust into a bizarre and epic struggle to save his family and a bunch of animals . . . but, the voice I enjoyed the most was when his wife narrates, she refers to Noah as, ‘Himself’,

Himself thrives on sacrifice. It’s bread and meat to him, it’s air, it’s the blood in his marrow. If God ever stops asking for sacrifice, Himself won’t know what to do with himself.

 

We come through the maelstrom and out the other side, Noe hears God speak and he beholds the sign of God’s promise,

Across the sky streaks a rainbow of such intensity it leaves Noe gasping. Spanning from horizon to horizon, it sprays down colour like an enormous prism, painting green fields with red, riverbanks with yellow, fruit trees with dazzling indigo. Even Noe’s own shadow glows with a crisp blue sheen. He tries to speak but the words cower in his larynx. Then The Lord is gone – out of his head anyway – and Noe is alone again.

 

It is not the Bible. It is a work of fiction, but a fabulous rendering of the story. It is not a child’s book. This is a grown up rebelling, nature red in tooth and claw – as is humanity, which is why God cleansed the world. It is powerful, sobering stuff – and will leave you wondering at what took place and what it meant for Noah and his family to get ready for it (for years) then live through hell on earth and come out the other side . . . It will also have you scurrying back to the scriptures to read the original.