Celia Gurevitch Jewish Community Library

Susanne Batzdorff reviewed a new book for the AJL newsletter and donated it to the library:

Elliott, Elissa. Eve, a Novel of the First Woman. New York , Delacorte Press, 2009. 421p. $ 24.00 (ISBN-978-0-385-34144-8).

A fictional account of the biblical first family, seen from the perspective of the women, Eve and her daughters. Eve wrestles with the reasons for their expulsion from Eden and longs to return to it, until she finally gains an understanding of how she can live in the present and make her peace with it and still maintain a loving relationship with Elohim. The dynamics in Adam and Eve’s are vividly imagined, and there is a good deal of sibling rivalry, conflict between monotheism and idolatry, love, hate, family affection and jealousy, sex and violence in the mix. In her afterward, Elliott gives evidence of an impressive amount of biblical study and research of ancient cultures, particularly Sumerian, in preparation for writing her book. Though the tone is somewhat didactic at times and the characters black and white, this is a readable, even suspenseful novel. Recommended for adult fiction collections.