BLOG TOUR: FORTY DAYS (NEIMA'S ARK #1) by STEPHANIE PARENT

Welcome to The Bookish Babe's stop on the Forty Days Blog Tour.

The tour is being hosted by YA Bound. You can find the complete tour schedule here.
 

 

Series: Neima's Ark #1

Category/Genre: Young Adult Historical Romance

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: 2/10/13

Format: ebook

Pages: 123

Source: Received from author for review

The entire village knows Neima’s grandfather is a madman. For years the old man has prophesied that a great flood is coming, a flood disastrous enough to blot out the entire earth. He’s even built an enormous ark that he claims will allow his family to survive the deluge. But no one believes the ravings of a lunatic…

…until the rain starts. And doesn’t stop. Soon sixteen-year-old Neima finds her entire world transformed, her life and those of the people she loves in peril. Trapped on the ark with her grandfather Noah, the rest of her family, and a noisy, filthy, and hungry assortment of wild animals, will Neima find a way to survive?

With lions, tigers, and bears oh my, elephants and flamingos too, along with rivalries and betrayals, a mysterious stowaway, and perhaps even an unexpected romance, FORTY DAYS is not your grandfather’s Noah’s Ark story.

FORTY DAYS is approximately 45000 words, the length of a shorter novel, and is the first installment in a two-part epic story. It does contain a cliffhanger ending.

Readers looking for a traditional, religiously oriented version of the Noah’s Ark story should be warned that FORTY DAYS may not appeal to them. The novel will, however, appeal to lovers of apocalyptic fiction, historical fiction, and romance, as well as anyone who’s ever dreamed of having a baby elephant as a pet.

I feel as if Noah's Ark is one of the first stories I ever learned. It is ingrained in many of us from early childhood; a theme in baby nurseries, taught in the earliest of Bible classes. It's simply a story that always was. So, many months ago, when the author informed me about her upcoming story, about Noah's granddaughter, I was immediately intrigued. I know the subject should have seemed a bit out there, but having read Parent's gorgeous told story, Defy the Stars, I had complete faith in her.

Neima's Ark was pretty fantastic. I was absolutely fascinated by her reimagining of the tale of Noah's Ark, from his granddaughter Neima's point-of-view. For those who know the Bible story, we only know it through Noah, the man who heard God's voice, and did his bidding despite the ridicule he received. We didn't get the story of his family, who endured the scorn of their neighbors, who put their lives on hold to do a crazy man's bidding.

I love that Parent immerses the reader so deeply into the time and place of the story. The descriptive passages painted such a clear picture of what life must have been like at this time, and really one can only imagine. Her take on what Noah's family endured was beyond fascinating and completely imaginative. I am so, so proud that she wrote Neima's Ark, and cannot wait to read the conclusion of the story, Forty Nights.



Favorite Quote:

  He laughs again. "All right, I won't. But perhaps you can tell me--what does your grandfather plan to do with all these animals? Why has he built this great, smelly wooden thing that seems almost an animal itself?
  I think of all I could say: Noah is mad; or A voice in his head commanded him; or, A great flood is coming. Finally I settle on the truth:
  "I have absolutely no idea."  ~34%


  I'd swear the rain grows stronger as our mouths open, tongues meet, hands roam and clutch at each other's arms and shoulders and necks. Water swirls around us, slams into us from all sides, forcing us closer and closer together until our edges dissolve and we become one thing, one seeking, reaching, desiring being. The rain can go on forever, can pelt us like stones, break us to pieces. I don't care, so long as I can stay like this. ~ 96%

 Forty Days is on sale this week for $0.99. Get your copy at:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Kobo

 

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About the author
Stephanie Parent is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major. She moved to Los Angeles because of Francesca Lia Block's WEETZIE BAT books, which might give you some idea of how much books mean to her. She also loves dogs, books about dogs, and sugary coffee drinks both hot and cold.

Connect with Stephanie at:
Blog  |  Twitter  |  GoodReads  |  Amazon