Let There Be Light

The Real Story of Her Creation

NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • An “irreverent yet profound” (Publishers Weekly) retelling of the Book of Genesis, starring a female God, from the acclaimed New Yorker cartoonist and author of Passing for Human

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker

In this ambitious and transcendent graphic novel, Liana Finck turns her keen eye to none other than the Old Testament, reimagining the story of Genesis with God as a woman, Abraham as a resident of New York City, and Rebekah as a robot, among many other delightful twists. In Finck's retelling, the millennia-old stories of Adam and Eve, Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob and Esau haunt the pages like familiar but partially forgotten nursery rhymes―transmuted by time but still deeply resonant. With her trademark insightfulness, wry humor, and supple, moving visual style, Finck accentuates the latent sweetness and timeless wisdom of the original text, infusing it with wit and whimsy while retaining every ounce of its spiritual heft. 

Let There Be Light is proof that old stories can live forever, whether as ancient scripture or as a series of profound and enchanting cartoons. The Book of Genesis is about some of the most fundamental, eternally pertinent questions that we can ask: What does it mean to be human? What is the purpose of our lives? And how should we treat one another? The stories that attempt to answer these questions are an immediate link with the people who first told them. Unable to fathom the holiness and preciousness of that notion, or put it into words, Finck set out to depict it. The result is a true story of creation, rendered by one of our most innovative creators. 

LONGLISTED FOR THE CAROL SHIELDS PRIZE FOR FICTION
“An irreverent yet profound retelling of the Book of Genesis . . . Throughout, God and readers are reminded that light can’t exist without darkness, or creation without destruction. Finck’s exploration offers much light in both senses: levity and illumination.”Publishers Weekly
Liana Finck is a cartoonist living in Brooklyn. She is the author of Let There Be Light, Passing for Human, and Excuse Me; a children’s book, You Broke It!; and a memoir about motherhood, How to Baby. She is a regular contributor to The New Yorker. She is a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fulbright Fellowship, and a Wallant Award. View titles by Liana Finck

About

NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • An “irreverent yet profound” (Publishers Weekly) retelling of the Book of Genesis, starring a female God, from the acclaimed New Yorker cartoonist and author of Passing for Human

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker

In this ambitious and transcendent graphic novel, Liana Finck turns her keen eye to none other than the Old Testament, reimagining the story of Genesis with God as a woman, Abraham as a resident of New York City, and Rebekah as a robot, among many other delightful twists. In Finck's retelling, the millennia-old stories of Adam and Eve, Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob and Esau haunt the pages like familiar but partially forgotten nursery rhymes―transmuted by time but still deeply resonant. With her trademark insightfulness, wry humor, and supple, moving visual style, Finck accentuates the latent sweetness and timeless wisdom of the original text, infusing it with wit and whimsy while retaining every ounce of its spiritual heft. 

Let There Be Light is proof that old stories can live forever, whether as ancient scripture or as a series of profound and enchanting cartoons. The Book of Genesis is about some of the most fundamental, eternally pertinent questions that we can ask: What does it mean to be human? What is the purpose of our lives? And how should we treat one another? The stories that attempt to answer these questions are an immediate link with the people who first told them. Unable to fathom the holiness and preciousness of that notion, or put it into words, Finck set out to depict it. The result is a true story of creation, rendered by one of our most innovative creators. 

LONGLISTED FOR THE CAROL SHIELDS PRIZE FOR FICTION

Reviews

“An irreverent yet profound retelling of the Book of Genesis . . . Throughout, God and readers are reminded that light can’t exist without darkness, or creation without destruction. Finck’s exploration offers much light in both senses: levity and illumination.”Publishers Weekly

Author

Liana Finck is a cartoonist living in Brooklyn. She is the author of Let There Be Light, Passing for Human, and Excuse Me; a children’s book, You Broke It!; and a memoir about motherhood, How to Baby. She is a regular contributor to The New Yorker. She is a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fulbright Fellowship, and a Wallant Award. View titles by Liana Finck