Emily is Smiling

Step into the Garden of Eden and survey what God has made.  All of creation, perfect and brand new.  And amidst it all: the adam and Havah. 

The story of the Garden of Eden and The Fall is such an iconic tale that sometimes Adam and Eve can seem more like cardboard cutouts than real people who actually felt and lived and loved.  All of this changed with the novel Havah by Tosca Lee.  I'll admit, I was a little skeptical before reading this story.  I was afraid that it would be a cheesy Biblical story that puts Adam and Eve on to a pedestal like most other books of this genre, but I was shocked at the realism and questions behind this novel.  It was an amazing read. 

Summary-
Told from Eve's- or Havah's- point of view, Havah begins with the moment Havah first opens her eyes to God's murmur, "Wake!"  The rest of the novel unfolds in a whirlwind of beauty, turmoil, and temptation.  Explore the Garden of Eden through the fall of mankind.  Read about the births of Havah's children, of the murder of Hevel by Kayin.  Rea Havah's story as the first woman, first mother, and first human to ever sin.

What I Liked-
Although Havah is obviously fictional, I love all of the questions it raised.  Was the animal that God skinned a friend of Adam and Eve?  When Abel died, how did they even understand what death was?  How did Eve realize she was carrying a child... and what a child even was?

I also loved the personalization and human feel that Havah gave to Eve.  Eve is no longer a Renaissance painting of a two-dimensional Bible character in my mind.  She now feels like a real person who existed.  She felt fear, pain, joy, and love.  She was a real person, just like you and me.

What I Didn't Like-
Some theological aspects I did disagree with.  In Havah, Havah and Adam eat meat, when according to the Bible in Genesis 9:3, God did not give men meat for food until the time of Noah.  Similarly, Havah mentions rain, while I believe it did not rain until the time of the flood, after reading Genesis 7:11-12.

I Recommend This Book For-
I would recommend Havah for  PG-12 audience.  Sex is mentioned once or twice, although not in inappropriate detail whatsoever.  Havah is deep and intensely written, more of an adult book than a book for children or young teens.  Havah is great for those who love to delve into scripture and personalize Biblical characters.

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Tosca Lee is my new favorite female author after reading Havah; it was that good.  Havah is eloquently-written and beautiful in every way.  I could not stop talking about it for days.  If you love stunning and thought-provoking novels, then this book is for you.