Provoost, Anne, and John Nieuwenhuizen. In the Shadow of the Ark. New York: A.A. Levine, 2004. Print.
Re Jana and her family are migrating avoid the rising waters of their marshy homeland. It is in the dry desert where they find a magnificent structure being built by an old man and his three sons. The ark is said to shelter those who have been chosen by an unnamed god to survive a flood that is rumored to wipe out all evil on Earth. It is only when the rain begins to fall when she believes what she has been hearing. There is no room on the ark for the lover of one of the Builder's sons and her father; only Noah and his family may be saved. Even as the disaster begins, and the ark has been shut, Re Jana still believes she and her family can…show more content… The Unnameable God is said to be sending a flood to “cleanse” the earth of evil. In comparison, Re Jana is able to find water using a “divining rod” and so is able to cleanse the Builder and his sons of their sweat and dirt. Her gift for finding good water enabled her to grow closer to the Builder’s family and learn about the disaster that was to come. Furthermore, she was able to see Ham more often and devise a plan for their survival together. Alternatively, Re Jana’s father warns her that to the Hebrews -- or ‘Rrattika’ as Re Jana’s family calls them -- “A woman’s quality is judged by the taste of the water she brings,” (34, Provoost) and to bring the Rrattika water would be to become the “slave of a thirsty man,” (34, Provoost). This would make it seem she would be treated well, although because she is not Rrattika, she is treated by two of the Builder’s three sons as if she is a slave, just as her father…show more content… Those observing the construction of the ark and those who help build it are never told about the oncoming flood until it is too late. By then, it has already begun to rain. Ham also tries to hide Re Jana on the ark by building a secret niche for her. He believes the Builder will not find her. However, it was the Unnameable God who dictated the dimensions and occupant of the ark, and so Ham is actually trying to deceive his own god. Additionally, Re Jana and her father choose not to tell Re Jana’s lame mother of the truth of the calamity, for fear of her reaction. This was not a wise decision, as she was excluded in a way from her family. This also resulted in her death while in an angered state, which caused many regrets later on in the