This is one of my favorite books! The story grips you from the very beginning and doesn't let go until the end. The author does a wonderful job of showing the depravity of mankind before the flood. I loved getting to know Noah and his wife, as well as, Ham, Shem, and Japheth. The description of the ark was fascinating to me and I liked reading about all the preparation for life on the boat after the flood. I highly recommend this book. ( )

I enjoyed this book. The author takes a look at the world as it might have been in Noah's day. All the evil that pervaded the earth and the consequences that was having on nature. She did a good job of making you loathe the characters.

The story follows Annah who watched her brother murder her father when she was only 12 years old. The brother threatened to kill her if she said anything, so she just never spoke at all from that time forward until she met Shem, second son of Noah. Then she learned about the Most High - that he wasn't just a legend as she'd been told all her life. For the first time she sees how a family that loves each other acts and she is drawn to that.

Secondary characters introduced are Shem's brothers and their wives. Noah and his wife are also characters. The descriptions of the pre-flood landscape and the ark were intriguing. As was the concept that men had never eaten meat until after the flood. (I knew that, but putting it into story made it so much more real.) Also of interest was the thought that food did not spoil as quickly before the flood.

The title of the book comes from the author's thinking that the pre-flood sky was most likely pink instead of blue. I had never heard that theory before, so I found it interesting.

The reason for only 4 stars out of 5 is that I would have liked to see more tension in the story. The author set up a nice tension moment, where Annah is in approaching danger, towards the end of the book, and then it just fizzled out and nothing came of it.

This is a well written, beautifully descriptive book. Even though I knew the story already it kept my interest and I say, well done to the author. ( )

http://reviews.armchairinterviews.com/reviews/the_heavens_bef ( )