Told from the point of view of a stowaway, this "beautiful, solemn, heavy retelling of the story of Noah's ark" ("Kirkus Reviews") by an international bestselling author offers a whole new take on the biblical account. Includes a reader's guide. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Provoost (Falling) retells the story of Noah's ark, with Noah here referred to as "the Builder," from Re Jana's outsider perspective. After she, her father and her crippled mother learn from the wandering Rrattika people that a great ship is under construction, Re Jana's father, a skilled carpenter, hires Alem (also a Rrattika) to lead them from the rising waters of their marshland to the building site. Her father goes to work on the ark, and Re Jana falls in love with the Builder's son Ham; he disguises her as a boy and she finds favor not only for her gift of divining water but also for bathing and soothing the men ("We daughters of Kan have a talent for water," she explains to readers). But another woman, Neelata, also vies for Ham's attention and a place on the ark. Re Jana's point of view allows readers to consider the incredulity and the desperation of ordinary people when faced with this impending alleged cataclysm. However, the author glosses over several major elements in the relationships between characters: the heroine's sexual connection to Alem; her father's change of heart in deciding to work with the Builder; Re Jana's decision to save Neelata. Issues raised in the narrative may well provoke readers' thoughts about the nature of faith, goodness and cruelty, but the characters unfortunately remain sketchily outlined rather than fully formed. Ages 14-up. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 10-up. In the tradition of the adult novel The Red Tent comes this story of the biblical Flood, recounted by Re Jana, whose family leaves the marshes to find the ark. The passion Re Jana finds with Ham, son of the Builder, leads to a place on the ark, but this safe haven, with the stink and sounds of the animals, starvation, and repeated (if not lustful) rapes by Ham's brothers, tests her in every way, even as she carries new life into the New World. Exquisitely detailed and intelligently written, this is a YA novel only in the broadest sense; no one would blink if it appeared on an adult list. Teens will find themselves alternately caught up in the story's tension, especially once the rain starts falling, and bored by some of the religious and philosophical underpinnings. There are subtly portrayed sexual incidents, too (including a relationship between Re Jana and Ham's wife) but these are small stitches in a vast piece that strikingly reveals the human condition at the hour of its destruction. IleneCooper. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.