In this mesmerizing debut novel, Elissa Elliott blends biblical tradition with recorded history to put a powerful new twist on the story of creation’s first family. Here is Eve brought to life in a way religion and myth have never allowed–as a wife, a mother, and a woman. With stunning intimacy, Elliott boldly reimagines Eve’s journey before and after the banishment from Eden, her complex marriage to Adam, her troubled relationship with her daughters, and the tragedy that would overcome her sons, Cain and Abel. From a woman’s first awakening to a mother’s innermost hopes and fears, from moments of exquisite tenderness to a climax of shocking violence, Eve
explores the very essence of love, womanhood, faith, and humanity.
“
Eve is a beautiful novel, richly imagined. Elissa Elliott has written about Eve in such a new way, and by exploring her heart, conflicts, desires, and choices, she illuminates our own. I loved the intimate tone, and although I know how the story goes, I found myself reading on the edge of my seat. This novel is irresistible, and if it were an apple, I would have to eat it.”—
New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice
"
Eve is an enchanting novel, rich with emotion and power. Elliott's masterful prose brilliantly brings an ancient world to vibrant life. A truly remarkable debut, thought provoking and intriguing."—India Edghill, author of
The Queenmaker and
Wisdom’s Daughter: A Novel of Solomon and Sheba
“Elliott has crafted a powerful story, beautifully told, of a family in crisis. Her voice is sure, her prose lyrical, her characters memorable.”—Jeanne Kalogridis, author of
I, Mona Lisa and
The Borgia Brides
“Elissa Elliott's debut is Biblical fiction at its absolute best. Like Anita Diamant and Marek Halter, Elliott reaches across the millennia to embrace a woman whose story has never fully been told. A thought-provoking and gripping read, Elliott has triumphed with her wholly original
Eve: A Novel of the First Woman.”—Michelle Moran, author
of
Nefertiti and
The Heretic Queen
“In this novel hauntingly beautiful poetic language, a powerful imagination and extensive scholarship combine. Together they weave tender love and dark passions, suspense and drama into a richly textured, colorful and strikingly beautiful tapestry.
Eve is an intense and fascinating read that will keep you spellbound until the last engrossing page.”—Eva Etzioni-Halvey, author of
The Song of Hannah,
The Garden of Ruth, and
The Triumph of Deborah
“An imaginative and deeply felt debut … Exotic setting aside, this could be any contemporary family plagued by a manic-depressive son, a sulky teenager and a father who is shockingly deficient in the wisdom expected…. Highly original.”—
Kirkus Reviews
"Put[s] a definite female spin on the familiar saga....Readers who loved Anita Diamant’s
The Red Tent will welcome this fresh addition to the biblicalfiction genre."—
Booklist
"Drawing on scholarly studies of Genesis, Judaism and Mesopotamia, and written in the easy-to-read style of The Red Tent and Queenmaker, Elissa Elliott's first novel offers a fresh and insightful vision of the life of the first women.... Raises spiritual questions about free will, creation and the human relationship with God."—Associated Press
"You won't stop turning the pages."—
USA Today