Z for Zachariah

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Ann Burden is fifteen and the sole survivor of global nuclear war. She lives with her dog, Faro, in a remote valley and, despite her desperate circumstances, is resourceful, calm and determined. She plants crops, drives the tractor, ploughs the fields, tends the animals and fully accepts that she is the caretaker of the only untainted land left in the world and that she will live and die alone. But one day, a man in a radiation suit turns up. Ann hides at first, wanting to know more about him before revealing herself. But when he washes in the river and contracts radiation poisoning she makes the choice to care for him. PDF / EPUB File Name: Z_for_Zachariah_-_Robert_C_OBrien.pdf, Z_for_Zachariah_-_Robert_C_OBrien.epub In February 1984, the BBC presented a film adaptation for its Play for Today series in which the setting was changed from America to Wales.

This book gave me far more than relief from fear of nuclear war. It gave me a life-long belief in the strength of girls and women. The nightmares still came, but when I woke shivering in the dark, I reminded myself of Ann’s bravery and competency and told myself that I was also capable of being such a person. Guthrie, Donald (ed.), New Bible Commentary. [3d ed., completely rev. and reset]. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970, ISBN 0-85110-615-3. Z For Zachariah study guide contains a biography of Robert C. O’Brien, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.The most important feature of the valley is that it is somehow separated from the surrounding atmosphere and has its own weather system. [11] Loomis calls it a meteorological enclave created by an inversion (i.e., air only rising, not falling), but he views its existence as so unlikely that it is only a theoretical possibility. [12] Major themes [ edit ] Stuhlmueller, Carroll, Haggai and Zechariah: Rebuilding With Hope. Edinburgh: The Handsel Press Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-905312-75-9. During the exile, many Judahites and Benjamites were taken to Babylon, where the prophets told them to make their homes, [4] suggesting they would spend a long period of time there. Eventually freedom did come to many Israelites, when Cyrus the Great overtook the Babylonians in 539BC. In 538BC, the famous Edict of Cyrus was released, and the first return took place under Sheshbazzar. After the death of Cyrus in 530BC, Darius consolidated power and took office in 522BC. His system divided the different colonies of the empire into easily manageable districts overseen by governors. Zerubbabel comes into the story, appointed by Darius as governor over the district of Yehud Medinata.

Online Bible at GospelHall.org (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English) Cullinan, Bernice E. and Diane Goetz. The Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature, New York: The Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005. p. 598. ISBN 0826415164

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Chapters 9–14 of the Book of Zechariah are an early example of apocalyptic literature. Although not as fully developed as the apocalyptic visions described in the Book of Daniel, the " oracles", as they are titled in Zechariah 9–14, contain apocalyptic elements. One theme these oracles contain is descriptions of the Day of the Lord, when "the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle." [19] These chapters also contain "pessimism about the present, but optimism for the future based on the expectation of an ultimate divine victory and the subsequent transformation of the cosmos". [20] The story of Z for Zachariah is all about survival in the face of nuclear annihilation. Young heroine Ann Burden finds herself quite possibly the only human being left on earth after the nuclear holocaust. Left to her own devices for survival in the lonely post-apocalyptic world of Amish country somewhere along the northern Atlantic coast, Ann manages to find not just the means to survive but the will. And then a man in a strange green plastic suit reveals that Ann is not necessarily the only survivor. The name "Zechariah" means "God remembered." Not much is known about Zechariah's life other than what may be inferred from the book. It has been speculated that his grandfather Iddo was the head of a priestly family who returned with Zerubbabel [6] and that Zechariah may have been a priest as well as a prophet. This is supported by Zechariah's interest in the Temple and the priesthood, and from Iddo's preaching in the Books of Chronicles.

The purpose of this book is not strictly historical but theological and pastoral. The main emphasis is that God is at work and all His good deeds, including the construction of the Second Temple, are accomplished "not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit." [15] Ultimately, YHWH plans to live again with His people in Jerusalem. He will save them from their enemies and cleanse them from sin. However, God requires repentance, a turning away from sin towards faith in Him. [16] This was the first novel I read as a teenager that utterly transported me. I’d never realised books could do that. It literally took me away from home and put me somewhere else. I clearly remember having to put the book down at meal times and force myself to journey home. I’d look at my family over the dinner table and think, “You’ve no idea where I’ve been…” Further information: Babylonian captivity Zechariah's vision of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, [11] engraving by Gustave Doré.According to Sally Conly in summer 1972, Z for Zachariah would be her husband's "second adult novel" following the months-old science-fiction thriller A Report from Group 17. [2] O'Brien had previously established himself as a children's writer with novels The Silver Crown (1968) and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (1971). In the event, Z for Zachariah was a runner-up for the 1976 Jane Addams Children's Book Award [3] [4] and it won the Edgar Award for best mystery fiction in the juvenile category. The valley is approximately 4 miles long, from Burden Hill in the north to an S-shaped pass in the south called "the gap". The largest of its two streams, Burden Creek, is radioactive because its source is outside the valley. It runs parallel to the road from north to south and exits the valley through the gap. A smaller stream originates from a deep spring on an eastern hillside and feeds a small lake with fish that provide a food source for Ann. The stream then meanders south and joins Burden Creek. Much of the valley is made up of woodlands. Eventually, Anne offers a compromise to share the valley. Loomis suggests she should act “more like an adult and less like a school girl”, implying she should submit to sleeping with him and stop being ridiculous. He steals the keys to the tractor, withholds supplies and finally shoots her, forcing her to run for her life.

For example, see allusion to Zechariah 9:9 in Matthew 21:5; also Zechariah 12:10 in John 19:37. These and other references between Zechariah and the New Testament are described in Gill, John, Exposition of the Entire Bible: Introduction to Zechariah, archived from the original on 2009-06-04 , retrieved 2008-12-27 The first oracle (Zechariah 9-11) gives an outline of the course of God's providential dealings with his people down to the time of the coming of the Messiah. Ann Burden is the prototype for the young women in my books. By allowing difficult things into their stories, I’ve discovered that the precious things have space to buzz and hum and sing. And the protagonists have room to grow and learn. Janeaddamspeace.org" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 April 2016 . Retrieved 9 November 2015.

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Dempster, Stephen G., Dominion And Dynasty: A Theology Of The Hebrew Bible. Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 2003. ISBN 0-8308-2615-7 It is revealed that, as a child, Ann had owned a Biblical ABC book which mentioned the prophet Zachariah. She remembers thinking that if Adam (who was used for the letter "A") was the first man on earth, Zachariah (who represented the letter "Z") must be the last, and likens this to her status as the last survivor of the war.