The Heavens Before (Genesis Trilogy) (Paperback)

by Kacy Barnett-Gramckow (Author) "ANNAH SIGHED and settled herself into a crook of the feathery branches of the ancient Tree of Havah..." (more)
Key Phrases: grass bag, hair bindings, shell carving, Most High, Promised One, Tree of Havah (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Marginalized by society and mistreated by her own family, Annah befriends a young man she's never seen before. Shem is captivated by Annah's courage, and he risks everything to help her gain her freedom. Trusting in the Most High, Annah marries Shem and joins her strange new family in their solitary faith that will ultimately separate them from an ancient world of amazing beauty and appalling violence -- a world fast approaching the unimaginable catastrophe of the Great Flood. Out of this chaos, only eight people will survive. Their world is our world. Their future is our own.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Moody Publishers (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802413633
• ISBN-13: 978-0802413635
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #369,113 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Your Typical Romance., April 27, 2004

By	tvtv3 "tvtv3" (Sorento, IL United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I admit that I haven't read a lot of fictional romance books. In fact, I can only think of about three truly fictional romances that I have ever read in my entire life: one was secular, one was a Christian romance, and the other one falls somewhere inbetween. I read those books more out of duty and as a way of at least exposing myself to that type of writing. I really have had no intention of reading another fictional romance again, but when I had the opportunity to read THE HEAVENS BEFORE, I figured, "why not". Surprisingly, I was quite impressed with what I read.

The story is a retelling of Noah's Ark, told from the perspective of a young woman named Annah. Annah has not spoken since the murder of her father by her brother several years ago. Since she does not speak, everyone in her village assumes that she is an imbecile and they treat her as such. Annah's life seems miserable and one day she contemplates ending it all by drowing herself in the river. However, she is stopped from doing so by a handsome young man who lives on the other side of the river. From that moment on Annah's life changes forever.

I was struck by the careful use of visual imagery that Barnett-Gramckow uses throughout the book. She uses words to paint colorful pictures that evoke the mood of each scene in the book; for example warm descriptions for joyful places; jagged and harsh descriptions for violent people, places, and events. This is a somewhat unique style of writing and one that I really haven't come across before.

I also enjoyed reading about the story of the flood told from a different perspective. Noah's Ark was always one of my favorite Bible stories growing up (and it still is really) and I thought the author brought an interesting take to the tale. People who might not have ever seriously thought about Noah's Ark might actually learn a thing or two by reading this book.

As much as I enjoyed reading THE HEAVENS BEFORE, it still is a fictional romance. Despite the fact that the writing is better than the few romances I have read in the past and that the author brings something original to a very old story, it's still a romance and I'm just not much of a romance reader.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars She was a human, a woman, a nothing..., July 10, 2005

By	Rebekah Martin (MI,USA) - See all my reviews

Annah was once happy, but everything changed after her father was murdered. She watched as her brother, Yerakh, killed him in anger. Now to keep Yerakh from killing her as well, Annah must shroud herself in silence and assumed mindlessness, doing as she is told by a family that hates her.

However, in a chance encounter, Annah meets Shem, the son of Noahk, and finds his family is completely different from her own. Instead of the hate and treachery she has known, Shem's family loves each other. When Shem asks for her hand in marriage, she believes she has finally found a safe haven.

The Heavens Before was an excellent Flood novel. The believability of the whole story was fascinating. Thoughts on how a preFlood world would be like showed time spent in research of theories and the author's own creativity. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the Genesis Trilogy.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written, well researched story!, November 8, 2004

By	Debbie (Alpena, AR United States) - See all my reviews

I have almost given up on fiction retellings of Biblical history as very rarely does an author actually stick to what the Bible states on the subject. Therefore, I was tremendously pleased to read a wonderfully written story about Annah's life (pre-Flood and during the Flood) which also faithfully stuck to the Biblically provided information. This author not only is a talented writer, but she put a lot of time, research, and thought into what the pre-Flood world and the ark would have been like. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.