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Naamah
With the coming of the Great Flood—the mother of all disasters—only one family was spared, drifting on an endless sea, waiting for the waters to subside. We know the story of Noah, moved by divine vision to launch their escape. Now, in a work of astounding invention, acclaimed writer Sarah Blake reclaims the story of his wife, Naamah, the matriarch who kept them alive. Here is the woman torn between faith and fury, lending her strength to her sons and their wives, caring for an unruly menagerie of restless creatures, silently mourning the lover she left behind. Here is the woman escaping into the unreceded waters, where a seductive angel tempts her to join a strange and haunted world. Here is the woman tormented by dreams and questions of her own—questions of service and self-determination, of history and memory, of the kindness or cruelty of fate.
In fresh and modern language, Blake revisits the story of the Ark that rescued life on earth, and rediscovers the agonizing burdens endured by the woman at the heart of the story. Naamah is a parable for our time: a provocative fable of body, spirit, and resilience.
In fresh and modern language, Blake revisits the story of the Ark that rescued life on earth, and rediscovers the agonizing burdens endured by the woman at the heart of the story. Naamah is a parable for our time: a provocative fable of body, spirit, and resilience.
298 pages, Hardcover
First published April 9, 2019
155 people are currently reading
5141 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Blake
8 books147 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads' database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
July 2, 2019
If you live in a Western country, you've no doubt heard the story of Noah's Ark. Did you ever wonder about Noah's wife? What was she like? After all, we are told nothing about her. The authors of the Bible rarely deemed it necessary to tell us a woman's name, let alone any of the other details of her life. I guess it was enough for Mrs. Noah that she was mentioned at all, nameless as she was... what greater honour could be bestowed upon her than to say she was married to the one man God thought good enough to not destroy? A name, why would she need a name? She's Noah's wife, for christ's sake -- nothing about her could be more important than that! What the fuck, Bible authors? This is the woman who (if the Bible was actual history, which it's not) was the progenitor of the human race. She is the mother of all humans who came after and she doesn't deserve to have her own name?
The 11th-century Jewish commentator Rashi decided Mrs. Noah's Wife deserved a name of her own and called her "Naamah". Sarah Blake decided to expand on that and imagine what Naamah would have thought and felt as her world came to an end, as she was forced to watch her friends die and to clean up after and feed a world's worth of animal species. What was going through her head as the rains fell, covering the entire Earth (if the Bible is to be believed, which it's not) and she was stuck in a stinky boat shovelling tiger and lion and bear shit for 14 months? This book is Naamah's story.
It is lyrical and imaginative and I absolutely love the writing. 5 stars for the quality and allure; it felt like reading a song. However, the story jumped around far too much, making the story hard to follow and stay with. Naamah is on the ark feeding and caring for animals she is unable to see (I never really did understand what that is about). Naamah is remembering a previous lover, Bethel, who died in the Flood. Naamah is swimming under the water, playing with dead children and making love to an angel. Naamah is conversing with God, in the form of a bird. I don't know, it just didn't flow. And a story about a deluge that covered the face of the earth, a story with that much water? It should flow.
I appreciate that Ms. Blake chose to tell us Naamah's story and I'm glad I read the book; I just wish it wouldn't have jumped back and forth so much. If you enjoy story re-tellings, then you should add this to your list. It's long past time that Naamah had her story told, fictional as it is.... but so is the rest of the Noah's Ark story, so who cares? It's a story worth telling, of a woman who deserves to be known for more than simply being married to Noah.
3 1/2 stars
(Note: There is sex in this book. There is lesbian sex in this book. If that offends you, either don't read the book or do like I did for the hetero sex between Naamah and Noah and just skip over it. Sex is not the main focus of the book, but of course there'd be sex going on.... 14 months stuck on a boat with no internet, no books, no tv, not much else in the way of diversion, not even an horizon to look at and you might be looking to entertain yourself with some non-vanilla sex too.)
May 22, 2019
Naamah is the wife of Noah, and I read this thinking it would be similar to The Red Tent or even Ahab's Wife, or The Star-Gazer, novels that bring a formerly silent female character to life.
That's not what this novel is. Everyone is on the ark but Naamah lives very much in her mind, in the memories of a lover left behind, in the dreams or hallucinations of an angel who has built a home for all the dead children under the water, and in some visions with a talking bird named Jael and a vulture named Megatron. She also interacts with one of her future descendants and even a 21st century family, something about time traveling women?
There is a lot of explicit sex and while sex is no problem for me as a reader, it felt like the author was most invested in these sections, and I wish the writing felt as intense throughout the book. I would have loved to read a novel about what it is like to be the matriarch of the rebirth of the world, while confronting the remnants of their former society - there are only tiny hints of that here. Since so much of what Naamah seems to be experiencing is not "real," in the sense that none of the others on the ark are having these experiences, it becomes this dreamscape of isolation and grief. Maybe the author intended that - as long as you know what to expect going in.
That's not what this novel is. Everyone is on the ark but Naamah lives very much in her mind, in the memories of a lover left behind, in the dreams or hallucinations of an angel who has built a home for all the dead children under the water, and in some visions with a talking bird named Jael and a vulture named Megatron. She also interacts with one of her future descendants and even a 21st century family, something about time traveling women?
There is a lot of explicit sex and while sex is no problem for me as a reader, it felt like the author was most invested in these sections, and I wish the writing felt as intense throughout the book. I would have loved to read a novel about what it is like to be the matriarch of the rebirth of the world, while confronting the remnants of their former society - there are only tiny hints of that here. Since so much of what Naamah seems to be experiencing is not "real," in the sense that none of the others on the ark are having these experiences, it becomes this dreamscape of isolation and grief. Maybe the author intended that - as long as you know what to expect going in.
May 1, 2019
1 star --- and honestly it did not even deserve that!!
I'm prepared that this review will make others mad. I'm not trying to be controversial. I'm not trying to change opinions. I'm stating MY honest opinion and my beliefs will not waiver.
This book was ridiculous and horrible. I could not make myself even read more than a couple of chapters. I did skim the rest hoping...well, let's be honest I don't even know what I was hoping. It simply was bad all the way through. The writing was clumsy and stilted and if that were the only issue I would not be so adamant in the belief this blasphemy should not have been published.
I know this is an advanced copy and quotes might change but I have to support my cause and the easiest way is to quote the words directly from the author.
This quoted section is talking about Naamah as she is thinking about the rain and how it sounds on the ark.
"If she had to describe it, she would recall how each of her sons had at some point, discovered that if he peed on a rock, the pee would splash. .....
The rain reminded her of that, except that the rain came in a million streams. Which made her imagine God as a being with a million penises. Which terrified her. He would see her and punish her for it, so she tried to feel love, instead, for the many penised creature inside her head. "
What the heck was that?? God is a many penised creature?? I'm sickened!!! That is disrespectful and illogical.
Later the author somehow thinks it's acceptable to imagine a lesbian encounter between Naamah and another woman in her tribe. Why, other than for personal gratification or to inflame believers would this author choose this action?
"Everyday day that Naamah came into the tent, Bethel tied it shut behind her. She undid Naamah's hair and undressed her then undressed herself. They lay on the bed and held each other so close their faces were beside each other, ..........
Sometimes they kissed. Sometimes Naamah couldn't stand it and she grabbed Bethel's hand and moved it to her vulva."
I'll spare you the rest word for word but it continues to talk about her wetness and her clitoris. It then compares sex with a woman and how she felt with Noah. I for one do not want to read about these things. The writing was explicit even if we were not talking about historical biblical people. (Yes I know they had sex -- doesn't mean I want to read an X rated account) Also, I am not anti - gay. I just do not want someone writing about a biblical person in such a manner when there is absolutely no evidence of Noah's wife being bisexual. There will be too many who believe this as a fact. Like I said -- I have no personal issues with however a person identifies THEMSELF. However, the bible does have an issue with homosexuality and therefore that is the problem I have with this depiction. It's obvious the agenda in this work is not to uphold Christian values.
There are numerous other incidents that brought the bile into the back of my throat but This time I truly will spare you from them.
I have never in all of my years said "do not read" any book. This will be my first. If you are a Christian, I recommend not reading this book otherwise you'll be as outraged as I am.
1*\ 0* if possible ( 4.13*)
In compliance with FTC guidelines------I received this book free from a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. The content of this review is not influenced by that fact. The feelings expressed are solely mine.
I'm prepared that this review will make others mad. I'm not trying to be controversial. I'm not trying to change opinions. I'm stating MY honest opinion and my beliefs will not waiver.
This book was ridiculous and horrible. I could not make myself even read more than a couple of chapters. I did skim the rest hoping...well, let's be honest I don't even know what I was hoping. It simply was bad all the way through. The writing was clumsy and stilted and if that were the only issue I would not be so adamant in the belief this blasphemy should not have been published.
I know this is an advanced copy and quotes might change but I have to support my cause and the easiest way is to quote the words directly from the author.
This quoted section is talking about Naamah as she is thinking about the rain and how it sounds on the ark.
"If she had to describe it, she would recall how each of her sons had at some point, discovered that if he peed on a rock, the pee would splash. .....
The rain reminded her of that, except that the rain came in a million streams. Which made her imagine God as a being with a million penises. Which terrified her. He would see her and punish her for it, so she tried to feel love, instead, for the many penised creature inside her head. "
What the heck was that?? God is a many penised creature?? I'm sickened!!! That is disrespectful and illogical.
Later the author somehow thinks it's acceptable to imagine a lesbian encounter between Naamah and another woman in her tribe. Why, other than for personal gratification or to inflame believers would this author choose this action?
"Everyday day that Naamah came into the tent, Bethel tied it shut behind her. She undid Naamah's hair and undressed her then undressed herself. They lay on the bed and held each other so close their faces were beside each other, ..........
Sometimes they kissed. Sometimes Naamah couldn't stand it and she grabbed Bethel's hand and moved it to her vulva."
I'll spare you the rest word for word but it continues to talk about her wetness and her clitoris. It then compares sex with a woman and how she felt with Noah. I for one do not want to read about these things. The writing was explicit even if we were not talking about historical biblical people. (Yes I know they had sex -- doesn't mean I want to read an X rated account) Also, I am not anti - gay. I just do not want someone writing about a biblical person in such a manner when there is absolutely no evidence of Noah's wife being bisexual. There will be too many who believe this as a fact. Like I said -- I have no personal issues with however a person identifies THEMSELF. However, the bible does have an issue with homosexuality and therefore that is the problem I have with this depiction. It's obvious the agenda in this work is not to uphold Christian values.
There are numerous other incidents that brought the bile into the back of my throat but This time I truly will spare you from them.
I have never in all of my years said "do not read" any book. This will be my first. If you are a Christian, I recommend not reading this book otherwise you'll be as outraged as I am.
1*\ 0* if possible ( 4.13*)
In compliance with FTC guidelines------I received this book free from a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. The content of this review is not influenced by that fact. The feelings expressed are solely mine.
May 7, 2019
Unfortunately, most of this book made no sense. This book presents the perspective of Noah’s wife, Naamah, during the last months on the ark. Naamah has crazy dreams, a surprising amount of sex considering there are only 7 other people still alive in the whole world, and, for some reason, can’t see any of the animals onboard. There are some feminist themes-vaguely. There is some questioning of religious principles-vaguely. Mostly, it’s just crazy dream sequences.
October 13, 2018
Simply put, this novel is gorgeous. The writing casts such a spell that 50 pages would go by in the span of what felt like it could be no more than 10. Sarah Blake's poetry background is clearly evident in this book, with writing that feels like the very best that prose poems have to offer. But for all its lyricism, this book is not a poem; it is a fiercely narrated story about Noah's wife, Naamah, who's struggling with timeless questions of faith, purpose, and what it means to be a woman. At times lushly surreal, at others hyper-realistic and modern (even in its ancient setting), this novel will captivate you from start to finish.
April 16, 2019
This book was so unique and imaginative. I loved Sarah Blake's take on what Naamah would be going through and struggling with in the aftermath of the flood. Her writing is so beautiful and compelling that I was immediately immersed in the story. Absolutely loved this and recommend it to everyone!
Thank you to Riverhead Books for providing a free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to Riverhead Books for providing a free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
July 17, 2019
Many thanks to the author for gifting me a copy of this one! It’s a truly unique premise for a book and an enjoyable read - if a bit confusing at times. And don’t forget my NSFW warning from when I was currently reading this one!
.
Naamah is a retelling of the story of Noah’s Ark, told from the perspective of Noah’s wife Naamah while they’re on the boat with the flood waters still high, with some flashbacks! In this reimagining, Naamah, the matriarch of the ark who very much keeps them afloat (pun not intended) is bisexual and mourning the lover she left behind when the earth flooded.
.
By far my favourite parts of this novel were the logistics of managing an ark filled with animals! I loved the little added details, like how they took ten or something pairs of gerbils rather than just one because they die so easily, and how they cared for big cats and other dangerous animals while onboard a ship. I also enjoyed the prophetic dreams Naamah has, travelling through time to see the world at different stages.
.
As I mentioned before, this book is STEAMY! There’s a lot of sex, so if that’s not your thing, move along. I am not adverse to a sex scene, but I was sometimes confused as to WHY Naamah was having sex with some of these women? Like what were her motives behind it? Just an insanely high sex drive? Unsure.
.
Blake’s storytelling abilities and writing were fab, no issues with the style from me! I just would have liked some more clarity from it, more substance than sex I guess. But an intriguing novel, and certainly an individual one!
.
Naamah is a retelling of the story of Noah’s Ark, told from the perspective of Noah’s wife Naamah while they’re on the boat with the flood waters still high, with some flashbacks! In this reimagining, Naamah, the matriarch of the ark who very much keeps them afloat (pun not intended) is bisexual and mourning the lover she left behind when the earth flooded.
.
By far my favourite parts of this novel were the logistics of managing an ark filled with animals! I loved the little added details, like how they took ten or something pairs of gerbils rather than just one because they die so easily, and how they cared for big cats and other dangerous animals while onboard a ship. I also enjoyed the prophetic dreams Naamah has, travelling through time to see the world at different stages.
.
As I mentioned before, this book is STEAMY! There’s a lot of sex, so if that’s not your thing, move along. I am not adverse to a sex scene, but I was sometimes confused as to WHY Naamah was having sex with some of these women? Like what were her motives behind it? Just an insanely high sex drive? Unsure.
.
Blake’s storytelling abilities and writing were fab, no issues with the style from me! I just would have liked some more clarity from it, more substance than sex I guess. But an intriguing novel, and certainly an individual one!
July 11, 2019
This was not the story I was expecting! Take a little Old Testament mythology, add in the Divine Feminine, some good old Mother Earth paganism, a few scenes of lesbian erotica and then read it after washing down a couple of peyote buttons with a bottle of red wine. Yep, that is what my experience reading this story felt like. The character of Naamah is someone I aspire to be before I leave this life - unpretentious, completely honest with herself, and as authentic of a person I have ever come across - in person or in literature. Sarah Blake has done a masterful job of sharing her image of the mother of humanity (post flood), as well as defining the kind of partner/husband she pictured Noah as being. In fact, I loved these two characters so much I almost wish I believed the ancient fable. Life on the ark is described from Naamah's perspective as the ultimate caregiver to both her family and the animals, and it is quite a refreshing outlook. The reader is also treated to the magical adventures of Naamah when she is OFF of the ark as well. If I say anymore it would include spoilers, so I will conclude with a strong recommendation to read this book if you are hungry for a mystical fantastic story.
November 10, 2018
This novel is so magically inventive and incantatory. I can’t wait for the world to read and experience NAAMAH. Because the plot of the story (the flood, etc) is a given, Blake devises some ingenious ways to create suspense, to keep us asking “What’s going to happen?” I was so surprised/delighted by the questions that kept me reading, not to mention (of course) the language.
July 27, 2019
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review....
Unfortunately I only made it to page 187, then I just had to call it quits. I am surprised I made it that long though, really. The book made absolutely no sense at all and was really strange. I kept hoping that it was going to get better or that it would make more sense the more I read, but it did the exact opposite the further I made it into the book. I hate not finishing a book that was sent to be to be reviewed....but I just couldn’t do it. I truly pushed myself to even make it as far as I did. Maybe others will have better luck.
Unfortunately I only made it to page 187, then I just had to call it quits. I am surprised I made it that long though, really. The book made absolutely no sense at all and was really strange. I kept hoping that it was going to get better or that it would make more sense the more I read, but it did the exact opposite the further I made it into the book. I hate not finishing a book that was sent to be to be reviewed....but I just couldn’t do it. I truly pushed myself to even make it as far as I did. Maybe others will have better luck.
April 6, 2023
The best way to describe this novel by Sarah Blake is imaginative. Off-the-charts imaginative. Wildly imaginative. Even weirdly imaginative.
This is a smart and sassy reimagining of the Bible's tale of Noah and the Arc told from the perspective of Naamah, Noah's wife. When God told Noah to build the ark, Naamah was a middle-aged woman with three grown sons and three daughters-in-law. She is about to become the matriarch of the entire world after first being chosen by God and then enduring and surviving a global climate catastrophe. In Sarah Blake's hands, Naamah is no cowering, obedient wife. She is assertive, bold, and brassy. And while she is totally in love with her husband, she has a lover on the side who is left behind to die in the flood. Naamah knows her own mind.
The plot is fascinating and as realistic as it can be under the circumstances. The ark takes years to build. Housing, feeding, and caring for the animals is a mammoth undertaking. All the daily, difficult, and intensive labor that goes into building and then living on an ark during a worldwide deluge and flood is fully recounted. But even more interesting are the dynamics and interpersonal relationships between these eight people on the ark. Naamah, especially, has trouble being confined in such a way, and the release she figures out is where the book really takes off into a world of farfetched fantasy.
A fable is a story with animals as characters that also conveys a moral. This is definitely a fable for our time. (And the tiger on the book's cover has a special meaning and moral, too.) Ingeniously plotted, this is a remarkable, highly imaginative novel that stretches the boundary between realism and fantasy.
A word of caution: This is not a religious book. If you are offended by a reimagining of a biblical story, don't read it. There are several sexually explicit scenes and quite a bit of swearing—even when speaking directly to God. This is a book that can inspire but also offend. Some may even view it as sacrilegious.
This is a smart and sassy reimagining of the Bible's tale of Noah and the Arc told from the perspective of Naamah, Noah's wife. When God told Noah to build the ark, Naamah was a middle-aged woman with three grown sons and three daughters-in-law. She is about to become the matriarch of the entire world after first being chosen by God and then enduring and surviving a global climate catastrophe. In Sarah Blake's hands, Naamah is no cowering, obedient wife. She is assertive, bold, and brassy. And while she is totally in love with her husband, she has a lover on the side who is left behind to die in the flood. Naamah knows her own mind.
The plot is fascinating and as realistic as it can be under the circumstances. The ark takes years to build. Housing, feeding, and caring for the animals is a mammoth undertaking. All the daily, difficult, and intensive labor that goes into building and then living on an ark during a worldwide deluge and flood is fully recounted. But even more interesting are the dynamics and interpersonal relationships between these eight people on the ark. Naamah, especially, has trouble being confined in such a way, and the release she figures out is where the book really takes off into a world of farfetched fantasy.
A fable is a story with animals as characters that also conveys a moral. This is definitely a fable for our time. (And the tiger on the book's cover has a special meaning and moral, too.) Ingeniously plotted, this is a remarkable, highly imaginative novel that stretches the boundary between realism and fantasy.
A word of caution: This is not a religious book. If you are offended by a reimagining of a biblical story, don't read it. There are several sexually explicit scenes and quite a bit of swearing—even when speaking directly to God. This is a book that can inspire but also offend. Some may even view it as sacrilegious.
August 13, 2021
I would have given this 4 stars, but ya gotta cancel out the angry christian ladies who are upset that they were tricked into reading lesbian sex scenes between a biblical figure and an angel somehow, amirite?
Truthfully, I was thinking about giving this 5 stars for the first third or so of the book anyways. The writing is simple and gorgeous, yet there is a distinct flavor of religious irreverence that I find intoxicating. The combination of those two features is something I truly enjoy in a book. Blasphemy that’s nice to read just really presses all the right buttons for me. This is almost certainly because I get nostalgic for the security/comfort and traditions of organized religion (as I was raised Catholic), but I now practice no religion/heavily dislike organized religion.
But then one specific thing tripped me up, lowering my rating just a bit. This was Naamah’s thoughts and discussions with folks like the angel (her eventual underwater lover), Jael (a cockatoo who Naamah spoke with in her dreams who really existed on the ark, and who I adored), and members of her family about what it means to be a woman. There’s nothing explicitly transphobic (in fact, at one point Naamah decidedly says that she does not want her gender, and by implication, anyone else’s gender, to be tied to their biology/body parts/how others view them, which I thoroughly appreciated), but Naamah does allude to motherhood being important to being a woman. Sadie (one of her daughters-in-law) also comes to Naamah at one point to admit that she may not want children and Naamah basically says, “You will eventually.” That’s a phrase I’ve heard repeatedly myself, so it hits a particular nerve for me, but it’s also just such a presumptive thing to say in general. The worst part is that Sadie does want kids soon after that, proving Naamah right and grinding my gears.
So obvs I can’t get on board with that particular line of thought in this book, but without this fatal flaw, this truly would have been a 5 star book for me.
If you want to read about biblical figures like Noah and Naamah saying words like “fuck” regularly, having lovely sex (both inside and outside of their marriage), and blatantly and explicitly questioning their god (who does exist in this story) then have I got the book for you.
Truthfully, I was thinking about giving this 5 stars for the first third or so of the book anyways. The writing is simple and gorgeous, yet there is a distinct flavor of religious irreverence that I find intoxicating. The combination of those two features is something I truly enjoy in a book. Blasphemy that’s nice to read just really presses all the right buttons for me. This is almost certainly because I get nostalgic for the security/comfort and traditions of organized religion (as I was raised Catholic), but I now practice no religion/heavily dislike organized religion.
But then one specific thing tripped me up, lowering my rating just a bit. This was Naamah’s thoughts and discussions with folks like the angel (her eventual underwater lover), Jael (a cockatoo who Naamah spoke with in her dreams who really existed on the ark, and who I adored), and members of her family about what it means to be a woman. There’s nothing explicitly transphobic (in fact, at one point Naamah decidedly says that she does not want her gender, and by implication, anyone else’s gender, to be tied to their biology/body parts/how others view them, which I thoroughly appreciated), but Naamah does allude to motherhood being important to being a woman. Sadie (one of her daughters-in-law) also comes to Naamah at one point to admit that she may not want children and Naamah basically says, “You will eventually.” That’s a phrase I’ve heard repeatedly myself, so it hits a particular nerve for me, but it’s also just such a presumptive thing to say in general. The worst part is that Sadie does want kids soon after that, proving Naamah right and grinding my gears.
So obvs I can’t get on board with that particular line of thought in this book, but without this fatal flaw, this truly would have been a 5 star book for me.
If you want to read about biblical figures like Noah and Naamah saying words like “fuck” regularly, having lovely sex (both inside and outside of their marriage), and blatantly and explicitly questioning their god (who does exist in this story) then have I got the book for you.
April 19, 2019
So I didn't so much as read Sarah Blake's debut novel, Naamah, as much as enter into it, one tentative step at a time. It is a world unto itself and once inside I continued to be drawn deeper as if an incantation had been cast over me. This story is like none other. Told through the perspective of Noah's wife, we are on the ark after the great flood, and experience the sense of loss and overwhelming responsibility experienced by Namaah as she wrestles with her new reality which is, in effect, that she is the new Eve. Haunting and dream-like, we dive into her subconscious and encounter divinity and humanity interwoven in a stew of contradictions. This is well worth the read. This will take you places you will contemplate for a long time. Bravo Sarah Blake!
February 28, 2019
I would describe this book as an amazing technicolor dream about the woman who save the Earth during the Great Flood.
It's poetic, imaginative and enthralling. A book you cannot put down once you're involved.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Riverhead Books and Edelweiss for this ARC
It's poetic, imaginative and enthralling. A book you cannot put down once you're involved.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Riverhead Books and Edelweiss for this ARC
May 24, 2020
Wooooow this is THE quarantine novel. Cooped up with your family? Restless? Stuck in one place? Overwhelmed and angry by what’s happening in the world? Naamah gets you.
I kept picturing how this would be as a movie. Some of the dream sequences I think would be clay-mation (like when Naamah is a giant made of stone), but not all. When God speaks to Naamah in human form (not as a vulture), he should not be depicted. We should only see the shadow of a figure standing over Naamah and focus on her face looking at Him, her reactions. Some of my casting ideas:
Naamah: Viola Davis OR Tara Fitzgerald (I also pictured Sarai as Tara Fitzgerald sometimes, OR Gugu Mbatha-Raw if we are going for a younger-looking Sarai)
Adata: Brenda Song
Neela: Sarah Gadon
Ham: Manny Jacinto
Japheth: Trevor Noah
Need ideas for Sadie and Shem, Noah, the voice of God, the angel (who would have to be CGI’d to be almost unrecognizable), and Bethel
I think this could be really cinematically incredible but also would be very hard to film. You’d need a kick-ass animal trainer.
Also, I was very surprised that the curse of Ham didn’t become a thing in this book. Also, they already had wine on the boat, which takes away OT claim that Noah invented winemaking only after the waters receded.
Anyways, this makes the feeling of the Flood so visceral in a way you never really think of. The horror of the world destroyed. How much effort to care for all the animals on the boat. The fear and uncertainty. And I never thought about how the floodwaters weren’t just endless ocean, it would have been a different kind of body of water. Not that deep, not salty... the world was just built so exquisitely.
I kept picturing how this would be as a movie. Some of the dream sequences I think would be clay-mation (like when Naamah is a giant made of stone), but not all. When God speaks to Naamah in human form (not as a vulture), he should not be depicted. We should only see the shadow of a figure standing over Naamah and focus on her face looking at Him, her reactions. Some of my casting ideas:
Naamah: Viola Davis OR Tara Fitzgerald (I also pictured Sarai as Tara Fitzgerald sometimes, OR Gugu Mbatha-Raw if we are going for a younger-looking Sarai)
Adata: Brenda Song
Neela: Sarah Gadon
Ham: Manny Jacinto
Japheth: Trevor Noah
Need ideas for Sadie and Shem, Noah, the voice of God, the angel (who would have to be CGI’d to be almost unrecognizable), and Bethel
I think this could be really cinematically incredible but also would be very hard to film. You’d need a kick-ass animal trainer.
Also, I was very surprised that the curse of Ham didn’t become a thing in this book. Also, they already had wine on the boat, which takes away OT claim that Noah invented winemaking only after the waters receded.
Anyways, this makes the feeling of the Flood so visceral in a way you never really think of. The horror of the world destroyed. How much effort to care for all the animals on the boat. The fear and uncertainty. And I never thought about how the floodwaters weren’t just endless ocean, it would have been a different kind of body of water. Not that deep, not salty... the world was just built so exquisitely.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2019
I haven’t written a review on goodreads in forever, but I loved this book so much, I felt the need to tell everyone about it.
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Naamah is about Noah’s wife—you know, from the Ark—and her experience. It’s beautifully written, thought provoking, and everything I never knew I needed from a bible story. Naamah has so many doubts and she’s such a multi-layered and nuanced character. Everything she thinks and every action she takes feels so of her person; she’s so fully realized. And the writing—Blake has such a powerful command of the language, and she somehow manages to make the writing feel modern and biblical at the same time.
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There’s a lot of strangeness to this book; I don’t know if it’s considered magical realism, but I definitely think the strangeness of the Bible is integrated so well here. And there’s also a lot of sex. But unlike erotica where it seems solely about pleasure, the sex here is just another way to understand these characters and where they are. It really is brilliant. The way it normalized human behaviors had me mind blown, especially coming from my conservative Pentecostal household growing up.
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This even pushed me back into writing on my blog, because I so desperately wanted to spread my love of this book
•
Naamah is about Noah’s wife—you know, from the Ark—and her experience. It’s beautifully written, thought provoking, and everything I never knew I needed from a bible story. Naamah has so many doubts and she’s such a multi-layered and nuanced character. Everything she thinks and every action she takes feels so of her person; she’s so fully realized. And the writing—Blake has such a powerful command of the language, and she somehow manages to make the writing feel modern and biblical at the same time.
•
There’s a lot of strangeness to this book; I don’t know if it’s considered magical realism, but I definitely think the strangeness of the Bible is integrated so well here. And there’s also a lot of sex. But unlike erotica where it seems solely about pleasure, the sex here is just another way to understand these characters and where they are. It really is brilliant. The way it normalized human behaviors had me mind blown, especially coming from my conservative Pentecostal household growing up.
•
This even pushed me back into writing on my blog, because I so desperately wanted to spread my love of this book
May 12, 2019
I will begin by stating right out front that I didn't finish this book.
I was hoping for a book that explored what life could have been like for Noah's wife. In my mind, such a book would most likely fall into the category of Christian fiction. But this is as far from that as you can get.
The first few scenes were OK. I was interested enough to keep reading and didn't mind the writing style. But it quickly went downhill from there.
When it came fairly quickly to a very descriptive sex scene between Namaah and another woman, I knew this wasn't the book for me. I have read some LGBTQ stories before, so that in and of itself wasn't what turned me off. It was how heretical this book was obviously becoming.
If you know the story of Noah, he and his family were saved from God's judgment and were the only ones God deemed worthy to survive the flood. Someone who was cheating on her spouse would probably not have met God's measure for righteousness and would not have been sparked.
This is one book I will gladly pass along in hopes that someone will enjoy it - that's certainly not me or any of my friends.
I was hoping for a book that explored what life could have been like for Noah's wife. In my mind, such a book would most likely fall into the category of Christian fiction. But this is as far from that as you can get.
The first few scenes were OK. I was interested enough to keep reading and didn't mind the writing style. But it quickly went downhill from there.
When it came fairly quickly to a very descriptive sex scene between Namaah and another woman, I knew this wasn't the book for me. I have read some LGBTQ stories before, so that in and of itself wasn't what turned me off. It was how heretical this book was obviously becoming.
If you know the story of Noah, he and his family were saved from God's judgment and were the only ones God deemed worthy to survive the flood. Someone who was cheating on her spouse would probably not have met God's measure for righteousness and would not have been sparked.
This is one book I will gladly pass along in hopes that someone will enjoy it - that's certainly not me or any of my friends.
April 1, 2019
Exquisitely rendered, astonishing read about the mother of all great disasters--the Great Flood--NAAMAH is as gorgeous as it is frightening. Teeming with allegory, metaphor, and more.
This book. This book. THIS BOOK!! I am in awe. I can't stop thinking about it. NAAMAH (Riverhead, April 9th) is a stunning foray into one of the oldest and most well-known Bible stories--that of Noah and the Ark, but this telling is from the POV of Noah's wife, Naamah. In the Bible, she is unnamed, but in Sarah Blake's hands, she is truly actualized. She's a wife, a mother, a mother-in-law, a lover, a caretaker, and she has worries-- struggles on what it means to be a woman, faith, her purpose, and so much more.
Sarah Blake's background as a poet is evident. Her prose is lush but stark, weaving in plenty of lyricism, but make no mistake, NAMMAH is fiercely told with a strong narrative. In many ways, reading this story is like being dropped into a Salvador Dali painting , everything is a little surreal, a little dreamy (and there are plenty of actual dream sequences)...there's a lucidity here that will absolutely captivate and enthrall. NAMMAH is literary fiction at its best-- poetic, wildly imaginative, and Blake creates new ways of suspense and momentum, making this an utterly unputdownable read.
[Fair warning: if you're looking for a clean, wholesome Christian look at this story, you might want to stick to another telling. There are some erotic scenes and some troubling imagery].
Although this is an ancient story, I found the language bright, relevant and modern , a tough feat for someone working with such an old story, which could get bogged down in dreary language. Is it bold? Absolutely? Is it gorgeous and stunning? You bet. Do you need to read this book right now? Yes.
I found the writing and content similar to the work of Margaret Atwood (maybe most like THE HANDMAID'S TALE or ORYNX & CRAKE ) meets Laurie L. Patton's collection of poetry in HOUSE CROSSING meets THE RED TENT (Anita Diamant)--but in all honesty, I don't think I've read anything quite like NAAMAH.
For all my reviews, including author interviews, please see: www.leslielindsay.com|Always with a Book
Special thanks to Riverhead Books for this review copy. All thoughts are my own.
This book. This book. THIS BOOK!! I am in awe. I can't stop thinking about it. NAAMAH (Riverhead, April 9th) is a stunning foray into one of the oldest and most well-known Bible stories--that of Noah and the Ark, but this telling is from the POV of Noah's wife, Naamah. In the Bible, she is unnamed, but in Sarah Blake's hands, she is truly actualized. She's a wife, a mother, a mother-in-law, a lover, a caretaker, and she has worries-- struggles on what it means to be a woman, faith, her purpose, and so much more.
Sarah Blake's background as a poet is evident. Her prose is lush but stark, weaving in plenty of lyricism, but make no mistake, NAMMAH is fiercely told with a strong narrative. In many ways, reading this story is like being dropped into a Salvador Dali painting , everything is a little surreal, a little dreamy (and there are plenty of actual dream sequences)...there's a lucidity here that will absolutely captivate and enthrall. NAMMAH is literary fiction at its best-- poetic, wildly imaginative, and Blake creates new ways of suspense and momentum, making this an utterly unputdownable read.
[Fair warning: if you're looking for a clean, wholesome Christian look at this story, you might want to stick to another telling. There are some erotic scenes and some troubling imagery].
Although this is an ancient story, I found the language bright, relevant and modern , a tough feat for someone working with such an old story, which could get bogged down in dreary language. Is it bold? Absolutely? Is it gorgeous and stunning? You bet. Do you need to read this book right now? Yes.
I found the writing and content similar to the work of Margaret Atwood (maybe most like THE HANDMAID'S TALE or ORYNX & CRAKE ) meets Laurie L. Patton's collection of poetry in HOUSE CROSSING meets THE RED TENT (Anita Diamant)--but in all honesty, I don't think I've read anything quite like NAAMAH.
For all my reviews, including author interviews, please see: www.leslielindsay.com|Always with a Book
Special thanks to Riverhead Books for this review copy. All thoughts are my own.
April 6, 2019
Naamah is so intensely good. Built on a fantastic premise, plank by plank, and then let loose on us. It forced me to read slowly, and every time I went back it broke me open again. It’s so beautiful I almost thought I shouldn’t finish it—not until I could my hands on Blake’s next one.
April 18, 2019
More beautiful than I could have imagined. Surreal, thoughtful, complex but not in an exhausting way, feminist, and surprisingly erotic.
I highly recommend this novel. Whether or not you are or have ever been religious.
Imagine being charged with repopulating the earth, caring for all animals from mice to tigers in the same space. For months on end. Nothing to see but flat flood water all around. Being one of the last humans left on earth. You weren't chosen, not really. You just belonged to the man who was. How would you deal with all of that? Naamah not only gives a name to Noah's wife, but explores all of that and more, and creates an impressive, strong, complex character.
Possibly my new favorite book.
I highly recommend this novel. Whether or not you are or have ever been religious.
Imagine being charged with repopulating the earth, caring for all animals from mice to tigers in the same space. For months on end. Nothing to see but flat flood water all around. Being one of the last humans left on earth. You weren't chosen, not really. You just belonged to the man who was. How would you deal with all of that? Naamah not only gives a name to Noah's wife, but explores all of that and more, and creates an impressive, strong, complex character.
Possibly my new favorite book.
June 7, 2019
Frankly, one of the WEIRDEST books I’ve ever read but I loved it I think? Everything about it was so strange, so wonderfully spiritual while also being decidedly un-Christian (this is a compliment). I’m here for Naamah, that beautiful bisexual queen, her relationships with all the women in her life pre- and during-Ark, her relationship with Noah and with God. I don’t know if I’d recommend it to everyone, but there’s a certain subset of queer former Catholics that might dig it as much as I did. Also; my favorite interaction:
Naamah: I think I kissed God
Noah: How was it?
Naamah: I couldn’t feel it. I was dreaming.
Noah: Not very good then.
Naamah: I think I kissed God
Noah: How was it?
Naamah: I couldn’t feel it. I was dreaming.
Noah: Not very good then.
May 26, 2019
3.5/5 stars.
"She steps back out of the pool, takes her sharpened bone, and chips away at the crust on the rocks, hacks away at it. Enough to leave a deep mark and change its shape. Enough that she's covered in sweat. And she promises herself that she'll return and do it over and over again.
If she is the bearer of this new world, then let everything be touched by her hand."
I would love to rate this book higher, firstly because I genuinely enjoyed much of it and thought the writing was beautiful, and secondly because from a glance it looks like the 1-star ratings it's received are from people who are just AGHAST that Naamah—of the title and Noah's wife—has sex with women in this book. (This is, by the way, one of the main reasons I even picked this up. Ha!)
I'll also say that I found reading this book almost effortless, which was such a pleasure. I'd sit down and start reading and 100 pages would fly by, something that rarely happens for me when reading something so literary and strange. I don't think this would apply to everyone but something about the writing/flow of this story really clicked with me.
That being said, much of this felt like a fever dream to me and I'm thinking back on so many scenes knowing that a lot of their meaning went over my head. I don't mind a certain degree of confusion because, as I do with poetry, I like when there are things beneath the surface for me to dig up and unpack. But some of it just felt too elusive, like water running through my fingers. This isn't a book that spoon feeds you and while I really respect that there were a few points where I wish I had more clarity just so I could connect all the dots a bit better.
I might find myself liking this one even better in future after thinking about it some more; this is the kind of book that would absolutely benefit from processing time and discussing it with other people! I'd recommend this one to anyone who enjoyed Circe by Madeline Miller and isn't opposed to fiction that doesn't hold back when it comes to getting REALLY FRICKIN' WEIRD. And also lots of Sex Stuff because there is a lot of sex in this book, and also a combo of the two like that dream scene where Naamah's cockatoo friend flew into her vagina, if I recall correctly. That's this book for ya.
"She steps back out of the pool, takes her sharpened bone, and chips away at the crust on the rocks, hacks away at it. Enough to leave a deep mark and change its shape. Enough that she's covered in sweat. And she promises herself that she'll return and do it over and over again.
If she is the bearer of this new world, then let everything be touched by her hand."
I would love to rate this book higher, firstly because I genuinely enjoyed much of it and thought the writing was beautiful, and secondly because from a glance it looks like the 1-star ratings it's received are from people who are just AGHAST that Naamah—of the title and Noah's wife—has sex with women in this book. (This is, by the way, one of the main reasons I even picked this up. Ha!)
I'll also say that I found reading this book almost effortless, which was such a pleasure. I'd sit down and start reading and 100 pages would fly by, something that rarely happens for me when reading something so literary and strange. I don't think this would apply to everyone but something about the writing/flow of this story really clicked with me.
That being said, much of this felt like a fever dream to me and I'm thinking back on so many scenes knowing that a lot of their meaning went over my head. I don't mind a certain degree of confusion because, as I do with poetry, I like when there are things beneath the surface for me to dig up and unpack. But some of it just felt too elusive, like water running through my fingers. This isn't a book that spoon feeds you and while I really respect that there were a few points where I wish I had more clarity just so I could connect all the dots a bit better.
I might find myself liking this one even better in future after thinking about it some more; this is the kind of book that would absolutely benefit from processing time and discussing it with other people! I'd recommend this one to anyone who enjoyed Circe by Madeline Miller and isn't opposed to fiction that doesn't hold back when it comes to getting REALLY FRICKIN' WEIRD. And also lots of Sex Stuff because there is a lot of sex in this book, and also a combo of the two like that dream scene where Naamah's cockatoo friend flew into her vagina, if I recall correctly. That's this book for ya.
June 17, 2019
This book brings a lot of interesting ideas into the world of the Old Testament. It was just... weird. I may have to think on this a bit to really understand my feelings.
June 18, 2020
I don't really know where to start with this. Naamah is such a brilliant engagement with the traditional text; it challenges narrative convention - questioning silences, amplifying forgotten or ignored voices - in an incredibly intelligent way without ever sacrificing readability. At times it is quite confronting, and the time shifts and magical flourishes might not be to everyone's taste, but if you are willing to give yourself over to what Blake has set out to do you will find it infinitely rewarding. I will be thinking about this book, and what it taught me about how we "read" history (particularly biblical) for a long time to come.
December 22, 2021
This novel starts out with a wonderful concept: What was life actually like on the ark for Noah's wife, Naamah, and their family? Author Sarah Blake does a great job of imagining the everyday details most of us have probably never thought about, in all their drudgery, grime, stink, and danger. (Just how did the eight humans keep thousands of animals separated? how did they prevent the primary predators from tearing down the boat's wooden walls out of frustration, if not hunger?)
However, that's a setup; that's not a story.
Part of the problem is inherent in the Biblical narrative. Noah and his family are saved because they are good, but good people are boring to read about. Unlike with the standard eight-people-stuck-for-a-long-time-in-a-confined-space genre, there's no rivalry, jealousy, revenge, murder, or even nagging. The book hints at some deeper themes, including anger at God. For instance, one of Naamah's and Noah's daughters-in-law demands, why didn't God save her parents and siblings? Unfortunately, the book backs away from exploring those emotions and questions.
The author seems to have chosen, instead, to flesh out her narrative by putting Naamah into various dream worlds: visiting a village of dead children, having sex with an angel, talking to a vulture who claims to be the voice of God. Some readers may like that, but magical realism is not my cup of tea.
Three stars to Sarah Blake for imagining this novel, but for me, it ultimately fails to deliver on its intriguing premise.
However, that's a setup; that's not a story.
Part of the problem is inherent in the Biblical narrative. Noah and his family are saved because they are good, but good people are boring to read about. Unlike with the standard eight-people-stuck-for-a-long-time-in-a-confined-space genre, there's no rivalry, jealousy, revenge, murder, or even nagging. The book hints at some deeper themes, including anger at God. For instance, one of Naamah's and Noah's daughters-in-law demands, why didn't God save her parents and siblings? Unfortunately, the book backs away from exploring those emotions and questions.
The author seems to have chosen, instead, to flesh out her narrative by putting Naamah into various dream worlds: visiting a village of dead children, having sex with an angel, talking to a vulture who claims to be the voice of God. Some readers may like that, but magical realism is not my cup of tea.
Three stars to Sarah Blake for imagining this novel, but for me, it ultimately fails to deliver on its intriguing premise.
April 8, 2019
I only read up to chapter 2. I really thought it would be an interesting book when I read the description. I love my Bible too much to read something like this. Just not for me. Sorry
May 8, 2020
The Old Testament story of Noah's Ark, told from the perspective of Noah's wife. (This premise immediately intrigued me ngl)
A dream within a dream within a dream. Biblical modernity. Surrealism and stream of consciousness. Motherhood, God, time, space, earth, the destruction of earth and people and society and the rebuilding of all of that. Surprisingly humorous at times.
I read this outside on the back porch basically all in one sitting. Mental notes for pages 22, 99, 176, plus others i don't remember. This was gorgeous and ethereal and vast, and I don't have any criticisms of it right now because my mind is still wrapping around it, but that might change.
A dream within a dream within a dream. Biblical modernity. Surrealism and stream of consciousness. Motherhood, God, time, space, earth, the destruction of earth and people and society and the rebuilding of all of that. Surprisingly humorous at times.
I read this outside on the back porch basically all in one sitting. Mental notes for pages 22, 99, 176, plus others i don't remember. This was gorgeous and ethereal and vast, and I don't have any criticisms of it right now because my mind is still wrapping around it, but that might change.
September 5, 2022
This book is genius and I loved it. I love Naamah, what an iconic character! I will never think about the story of Noahs ark in the same way and I assume that was the authors intention. Reading this highlighted just how badly the women of the bible are neglected from their own stories, and what a fun way to tell this story of Noah's wife (unnamed in the bible). Giving Naamah female lovers too was also very welcome I'm obsessed with that creative decision.
April 12, 2019
Made it partway through Chapter 2. Chapter 1 did not capture my interest and Chapter 2 turned me off.
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