Take care! I’m certainly interested in reading your future efforts!

Thank you for your thoughtful review. I always appreciate feedback, and the opportunity to assuage any concerns that readers or reviewers may have. You’ve listed a few so let me try to address those if I may. The length has not been an issue at all with young readers. In fact, most of them are 8-12 and are speedily reading the book in a matter of days. I’ve also heard from families with young children who have gobbled it up as a family read aloud, keeping the attention of their children and giving families welcomed together time. I believe the record though was a 7 year old who read it in 5 days! That one really amazed me but the kids have eagerly emailed me for more, hoping the second book is just as long. (Book two, The Dreamer, the Schemer and the Robe (August 2009) is a tad longer and all 40+ advance readers have expressed that it far surpasses The Ark, so I hope you’ll think so, too!

In regard to your concerns over doctrinal issues, remember that at the beginning of the book I say that “This is a work of fiction based on truth. For the true story read Genesis 6-9.” The reason for that disclaimer is that for this fiction work, there are many things included that did not happen in the real story. You could also express concerns that dogs and cats didn’t speak and hold animal talent night aboard the ark! But just as we didn’t know what Jesus did from age 2-30 except for a brief snapshot at age 12, plus the many things he did that the gospels said they could never record, I augmented some things God said at the end of the book, but not as a replacement for the biblical text. I make reference to that in the epilogue when the animals leave the ark that God gave further instructions to Noah (which I intended to imply as the specifics God gave to Noah in the biblical text). I did indeed gloss over the sacrifice scene, not giving indication as to what was causing the pleasing aroma to the Lord. I of course did not describe the sacrifice of the animals since it would have been traumatic to have book characters meet such an end! There again, for the true story, go to the Genesis account!

I respect your opinions and greatly appreciate your fervor for biblical accuracy, for I share it. I express it differently perhaps, but in the way God inspired me to write it. I hope you will read the story of Joseph in book two and let me know what you think.

God bless!
Jenny