Mrs. Benary-Isbert is a born storyteller who [in The Ark] has been able to create living characters in the midst of the aftermath of war in a defeated country. Whether drawn from life or from the imagination of the author, every one of them takes a natural place in the story. While it is a true picture of life and death among a homeless people, it is lighted by a courage and a warm human sympathy and understanding that leave a glow in the heart of the reader. (p. 102)