THE PRESERVATIONIST

Noah’s story--Noe as he’s called here--is reconstructed in this brilliant debut novel by David Maine. Until now, the characters have never seemed so haplessly human nor the tale so plausible. In Noe’s time, rape, incest, prostitution, and moral squalor were the rule. Maine draws a powerful portrait of the 600-year-old Patriarch with all his grousing fanaticism in place. The dutiful building of the ark, the rounding up of pairs of animals, the ridicule of neighbors and their piteous deaths in the Deluge, and the day-to-day drudgery of life on a floating zoo are spoken by Noe, his long-suffering wife, his three sons, and their wives. A perfect fit for audio, Maine’s witty, always credible monologues, performed by an exceptional cast, will draw listeners into familiar yet stunningly original territory. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 04/ JAN 05]