After the Flood depicts the plight of the descendants of Noah beginning around the time of his death. The central character is Abraham who follows a lifestyle and attitude exemplary beyond that of his contemporaries. It's important that of all the characters mentioned in the Bible, Abraham (originally named Abram) is unquestionably the one who has the most universal reverence. Abraham is still living in Ur of the Chaldees. But, he moves to Haran from his homeland. He lives and prospers there for many years and, then, ultimately completes his journey to Canaan. The novel suggests that the wanderings from Ur to Canaan were driven by a combination of strategic military objectives by Abraham's fellow Hebrews, and God's intention to found a theocracy of non-pagan people worthy of his government.
After the Flood depicts the life of the Hebrews from the apparent start of Abraham's interaction with God until the probable first realization by Abraham that he had failed to fulfill God's objective to perfection. The story concludes at the time of the expulsion of his first son, Ishmael, and Ishmael's mother, Hagar, from the community. This sad event has a past and continuing affect on world affairs.