“You want me to tell of how I broke the world.”
It’s the year 641 since the beginning of everything, and when Eve passes away, she leaves Adam the only man on earth who remembers everything since they walked in Eden.
When Enoch, God’s newly appointed prophet, decides to collect the stories of the faithful from previous generations, he finds Adam in desperate need to confess the dark secrets … dark secrets he’s held onto for too long.
Beside a slowly burning bonfire in the dead of night, Adam tells his story in searing detail. From the beginning of life, to how he broke the world, shattered Eve’s heart, and watched his family crumble.
Will Enoch uncover what led so many of Adam’s children away from God? And will Adam find the redemption and forgiveness he longs for?
“Eden is in a class by itself. It’s biblical fiction with an emotional depth that laid my heart bare. Not only does Brennan McPherson vividly describe the first days of human awakening; he also masterfully unmasks sin’s effects through the broken relationship of Adam and Eve.” – Mesu Andrews, Christy award-winning author of Isaiah’s Daughter
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Thank you HFVBT and the author for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Eden: Biblical Fiction of the World’s First Family
By: Brennan S. McPherson
REVIEW
Eden is a unique story. It is an imaginative account of what life might have been like for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Told through Adam’s eyes, the story is an accounting of everything from the beginning to the present time in the story and is being preserved by Enoch for posterities sake. No person knows what Adam knows, so he is the only one who can tell the story. The author weaves biblical facts and fiction into a new vision of Eden. Adam tells of his relationship with Eve and the crumbling of their family. It is a sad story in my opinion. Adam is forlorn and melancholy for much of the story. I don’t agree with everything the author portrayed, but I found the story interesting and compelling, nonetheless. If you want a different experience in thinking about the Garden of Eden, this book will give you that. Whether you agree or disagree, it is thought provoking and meaningful in many different ways.
Told from the perspective of Adam, this book looks at the time from creation on for Adam and Eve. Adam is retelling the events to Enoch so someone will know what happened besides God.
Taking it from the view that the Bible does not give us a clear picture of everything that happened, so some things are left for us to imagine I found this book worth reading. I think it would be interesting to be able to know all that Adam and Eve felt and went through from the time of creation.
I think my favorite part of this book was the detailed and intimate interactions between God, Adam, and Eve before The Fall. The author does an excellent job of capturing what it may have been like for the pair to be with God so intimately. I also appreciated how the concept of a day of rest was clearly illustrated.
So if you want to read a book that gives one idea of what life might have been like for Adam and Eve, check out this book for yourself.
I received a copy of this book for my fair and honest review.
This was an awesome book, but it was sad as the fall of mankind away from God is sad and our state without God is sad. It was an interesting look at Genesis 1-4.
I concur with some other reviewers who found this biblical tale rather dark for their taste. But hey, it really is a gripping narrative . . . and what an awesome idea for a biblical novel! What happened with Adam and Eve for the next, oh, 950 years of life after forfeiting their Eden home?
The drama of the Fall is wrenching and tender, as Father God grieves over their error. And of course, Christians have pondered for millennia why, oh why, did one bite of an apple have to plunge an entire planet into such suffering? But our First Couple’s arduous story of survival outside the gates of paradise is well told and with lots of intriguing conjecture. Cain and Abel are now twins, and the author doesn’t spare details about the reality that these boys must marry sisters if the race is to survive.
If you can bear with the domestic reality that Eve basically holds a grudge for something like nine centuries (that’s a lot of pouting and frosty anniversaries,) this is an adventure worth considering.
As a lover of book historical fiction, I found this genre, biblical fiction very fascinating and wondered why I have not read more of these as I really enjoyed this mesmerizing and charismatic read by McPherson, EDEN, Book one of the Fall of Man Series.
McPherson’s brilliance is his take on the account of Adam and Eve’s lives taken from Genesis Chapters one through four. With a blank canvas and use of an enthralling imaginative storyline taking on the themes of the stories, he creates a masterful retelling that I was drawn into.
The stories in the Bible had always been a source of inspiration for me and arguably also contain some of the most shocking and profound stories ever been told. The themes of good, evil, sin, faithfulness, and wrath are all part of the saga and plot in one of the most holiest of books.
Reading about Adam and Eve, their relationship with God our Father the Almighty really was fascinating and told in a way that made me really understand the Scriptures better. Though I understand that this is fiction and imaginings of The Beginning, this is really a novel approach that I found to be so satisfying to read.
Adam’s story and his love for his father and family, and his wanting to tell his story and to be forgiven, really touched me to my core. The way Adam was portrayed was very poignant and really game me a perspective on my own relationship with God. in the end no matter what, we have a forgiving God whose sacrifices we have seen as we read through the Bible. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. McPherson’s writing really resonated with me and my love for reading Scriptures.
I highly recommend this fascinating and highly enjoyable biblical fiction.
I love reading biblical fiction! It doesn’t matter how many times I read the same story, I always find them interesting and intriguing.
This was my first book that I’ve read by this author and I really enjoyed it. The very first chapter of the book immediately drew me in and kept me hooked until the very end. The characters and story line were very dramatic and enthralling. I could feel the emotion jump from the pages-the anger, frustration, grief and love.
Highly recommend if you enjoy reading biblical fiction-biblical facts from Genesis mixed in with fiction.
I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.
Over the past couple of years, Biblical fiction has become one of my favorite genres—but only when it’s done well. And that is where it becomes thorny, and where it sinks or swims. The key to writing Biblical fiction is twofold: illuminating the Word without adding anything to it or contradicting it, and causing readers to think more about the Bible and to want to study it more deeply. This is especially important when writing about Biblical accounts themselves, as opposed to fictional characters who lived during Biblical times. Suffice it to say, succeeding is very difficult. In spite of this, however, Brennan McPherson excels at crafting Biblical novels that stem from the original Bible stories and that take readers on thought-provoking journeys into the heart of God’s Word.
“Eden,” Brennan McPherson’s latest Biblical fiction novel, approaches the story of the first couple in a unique manner. Told from Adam’s point of view, McPherson employs the mise-en-abyme technique. Thus, instead of a detached third-person account, the story is related by Adam himself to Enoch. This infuses untold emotion and empathy into what is for many a very familiar story. Adam relates, “I was Adam. Man fully formed. Reflection of perfection,” a description that stood out to me because it reminds me that we are all created in God’s image. In the novel, God appears in human form in the Garden, and this is one aspect that I’m not entirely comfortable with; I’m not sure if I can accurately articulate what bothers me about it, but I have issues with how God’s character is portrayed in these passages. I think that what I struggle with is not so much how God appears, because of course He later in history comes to earth as a man to ultimately die for our sins, but some of His actions. Adam notes His reticence as the event of the fall approaches, and how at various times He has expressions of regret or unhappiness on His face. While I agree that He would of course have known that the fall was going to happen, I personally do not think that He would have allowed this foreknowledge to taint the time He spent with Adam and Eve.
While reading, many things caused me to stop and ponder, which is, again, a mark of well-written Biblical fiction. Adam observes in hindsight that God taught him and Eve everything they would need to know in order to survive after being cast out of Eden. There are also some beautiful descriptions of life with God in Eden before the fall, which in my mind prefigure the face-to-face relationship that we will have one day in God’s Kingdom. On the other hand, from the time of her creation, there seems to be tension between Eve and Adam, and this intensifies after they leave Eden. Adam describes fallen human nature by relating that “Everyone strives to blame another for sin, but sin is inside us. Sin is the purposeful twisting of our hearts to anything other than our original Father.” Indeed, this brought up another point; in this novel, Adam is hated and heavily criticized in the story for “breaking the world.” For some reason, this surprised me; I never considered that he would be treated almost as an outcast among his own family, because today I think that most of us acknowledge the fact that we all sin and fall short of God’s glory, but to bear the blame for all of humanity’s fallen-ness would be tortuous. It is another example of God’s great love for us, that Jesus took our blame, our sin upon Himself.
McPherson has added some commentary at the end of the book; it takes readers through Genesis 1-4, upon which “Eden” is based, and explains some of the choices that the author made in writing this story. The note about Cain and Abel is one that I also found interesting, but I will leave that to readers to discover on their own. I will say that I am intrigued by the author’s view that some level of pain may have existed in Eden based on the phrasing of some of the Biblical text. While much of the story itself is somber and forlorn, there is a thread of hope, just as God has placed in the very first chapters of the Bible. Throughout the heartaches and strife that comprise his life after Eden, Adam eventually comes to a peaceful conclusion: “He realized then that the Father’s will had not been broken by his evil, yet was still coming to be.” Because God had a plan from the very beginning and nothing ever takes Him by surprise, we can always rest confidently in Him, knowing that He holds all our yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows, and that when we accept Jesus as our Savior, we have the promise of an eternity with Him, free of pain and suffering, to look forward to, a glorious promise that shines brightly in the darkness.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.
When Eden by Brennan McPherson was offered us to be read through Celebrate Lit, I was excited. I had read his Babel, #3 The Fall of Man, and loved it. Eden is book one in that series. I am not so much a fan of this book. “Man’s pervasive fallenness compared with God’s incredible mercy” is McPherson’s stated theme. I could relate to man’s incredible fallenness, though I felt it was heavy and dark. I could not see so much of the incredible grace of God.
Eden includes some action but is in a large part a book of attitudes and memories. It’s the sad tale of Adam and Eve, after creation, sinning and losing their place of fellowship with the Father. Not only is life now cursed, but Adam spends much of his life trying to win Eve’s love. Eden gives the impression Adam can only have God’s love or Eve’s following the fall. Eve alternately loves Adam or is angry and bitter at Adam. Then Adam withdraws, hurting Eve, and the cycle repeats as Eve falls away from not only a relationship with Adam but her original trust in God. I found there was way too much emphasis on the discord between Adam and Eve. It was difficult to read, as Eve seemed very evil and cruel, but yet the Father holds Adam responsible for her behavior. Once again, as I read the notes at the end, I began to understand why McPherson wrote this way, but I feel God ultimately holds each person responsible for his/her own sin. Also, “God” seems to demand unreasonable obedience, as in the First “Day of Atonement.” God may ask us to do the hard, seemingly impossible, but He understands our human limitations. God’s supposed demands on Eve that day do not show the God of either the New or the Old Testament Law concerning birth. I think it would be fair to say I am very uncomfortable with making God a “character” in Biblical fiction.
Again, when Cain and Abel bring their differing sacrifices to the Father, some will, like me, have difficulty with the reason McPherson gives as to why God was unhappy with Cain’s sacrifice. I agree it had to do with pride. However, God made it clear sins could only be atoned for by a blood sacrifice. So the fruit of the earth as a sacrifice? One other thing I must mention. McPherson, in his notes, admits to including some fantasy. In my thinking, fantasy has no part in Biblical fiction.
The notes at the end actually caused me to pause and think. I looked up the birth of Cain and Abel in several versions. Is it possible they were twins? With the textual notes McPherson added, I would have to say that’s not impossible, although not what I’ve been taught.
I also understood better why he wrote as he did. I wish he would have had footnotes to refer the reader to his notes. I could have read with a more understanding heart.
Many people may not be bothered by the examples I’ve mentioned. This book may also be for you if you enjoyed The Shack.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit. This in no way influenced my opinions, for which I am solely responsible.
My Thoughts on Eden:
Biblical fiction is a genre all it’s own. Sometimes books in this category are epic and amazing. Other times, they’re so horrible you can’t read past the first chapter or two.
Eden is of the first category. It’s a spellbinding book that will have you deep thinking and give you a slightly different picture of Adam and Eve and what really went down in Eden.
I love how the author wove the Bible and truth in with fiction to come up with a spellbinding tale. It’s one of those books that even though you know the story you just have to keep reading because suddenly Adam is a living breathing person and his story is so captivating that you can’t break free from the pages.
This is one of the Biblical fiction pieces that I highly recommend and I hope you get a chance to read it.
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
He will never leave us
What a fascinating book! The author has taken the well known story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and brought it alive. The relationship shown with the Father warmed my heart and I loved how they learned many lessons directly from the Master. Years later, Enoch is the only other man alive to have heard the voice of Adam’s father, Almighty Creator God. As scribe, he needs Adam to tell him how it all began so that it may be passed down to future generations and what a story it is!
From the beauty of the Garden of Eden to the hard ground of life, the choices made affect everything around them. There are many dichotomies or opposites in this accounting. Good and evil, mercy and violence, holiness and sin all are seen in the lives of that first family, in their relationships with each other and the Father. Some might struggle with the idea of taking a Bible story and bringing it down to our level, so to speak. However, I found that it brought the story to life and made it much more understandable. The Father will never leave or forsake us – we can hold on to that promise.
I received an ARC through CelebrateLit. The impressions and comments are my own, and have in no way been solicited.
Adam stands by the fire, with Enoch, a descendant. God has chosen Enoch to document Adam’s story, “for posterity sake,” since Adam has neglected to tell his story to his family. Periodically, throughout the book, Adam and Enoch return. Sometimes Enoch nudges Adam to continue, and sometimes Enoch asks Adam questions, like in an interview.
Adam has just recently lost his wife, Eve, mother of all. The author presents most of Eden from Adam’s point of view, in the first person. As a reader, I found this point-of-view very pleasing. I could almost feel what it was like―to walk within the Garden paradise.
What I love about Brennan McPherson’s work is that it makes the greatest story ever told so much more accessible. A modern reader seldom needs to stop and wonder, what does that word mean? It sounds current, and yet it feels like the beginning of time.
McPherson’s writing ability brings the senses to bear. Imagine beginning life as a full-grown man, rather than being born an infant. Imagine experiencing the sights, scents, sounds, tastes, and feel of the world all at once, for the first time, as an adult. The author presents this beautifully, and eloquently, and the similes and metaphors within Eden add to the value of the prose.
The relationship between Adam and Eve is complicated and is a major part of this book. As they begin to experience difficulties, Adam says, “And the space between my intentions and her understanding was the beginnings of a shattered world.” I think it is fair to summarize by saying they weren’t thoroughly kindred spirits. Later, Adam explains, “We coexisted without striking sparks in each other’s eyes.” The wisdom of the Bible shines through as the author presents Adam’s angst, “For loneliness is the deepest pain the human heart can endure.” The author also brings the characters to life by revealing their thoughts and feelings. Here’s an example, “…since Eve’s passing last year, he had lived alone feeling the weight of a life filled with regrets.”
The author expertly uses facial expressions, body language, and describes non-verbal communications. Take this sentence, for example, “Exhaustion lay heavy across my shoulders, but every time I nearly fell asleep, anxiety woke me like hands around my throat.” I might suggest there was a little too much lip chewing happening in this book.
I’ll leave the good versus evil for the reader to experience.
This re-telling significantly adds to the experience and understanding of the story of Adam and Eve, and makes you feel like you are there at the beginning of time.
I loved it so much I read the whole series.
I understand that when an author writes Biblical fiction, they may choose to take some liberties in retailing the story. I have taken that fact into consideration as I write this review. I am disappointed in this story for many reasons. I didn’t want to read an account of Adam and Eve that barely resembles the true story from the Bible. Unfortunately this is one that took too many turns away from the truth and made it almost a completely different story that is unrecognizable .
The very beginning is easy to follow when God creates everything. We are introduced to Adam and suddenly I felt like God was not a Heavenly being but an actual person. We see the two chatting like old friends and walking around together like buddies. One of the things that really struck me as weird was Adam having conversations with the serpent. I don’t ever remember Adam walking around talking to the serpent about cucumber seeds or anything at all. Why does that bother me so much? It has to do with Eve being the one the serpent enticed. The Bible clearly states that Eve was tempted by the serpent and never was there any mention of Adam talking to the serpent.
I enjoy Biblical fiction but not when it completely rewrites the story in a way where facts that are important have been embellished in a way that is almost a fantasy. I can appreciate the imagination that an author has while writing a story ; so in that aspect the author has achieved his goal.. The author does portray the serpent pretty close to what the Bible describes but again I don’t think Eve looked to Adam to give the final say in eating the forbidden fruit.
There are a few things I did like about the book. I like that the author reminds us that God never goes back on His promises . He will never leave us nor forsake us. He wants us to repent of our sins but He gives us free will. We decide if we want to ask for forgiveness and feel the unconditional love of The Heavenly Father. Perhaps I am being too hard and not appreciating what the author wanted to do with this story. After all it is a fictional account of Eden. I can’t recommend this book, but I always want readers to decide for themselves.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
I like biblical fiction that sticks to the facts of Scripture rather than changing things recorded in the Bible This novel disappointed me because the author penned a wild fictional tale following the basic outline of Adam’s story. I think he took too many liberties and made all the characters hard to relate to along with incidents that seem quite unlikely. Also, things the first couple would not have experienced in Eden were added, such as seasons—probably came after the Flood when the Earth tilted on its axis since not mentioned until Genesis 8; animals eating meat—no vulture circling a carcass (Genesis 1 says he gave animals and man plants for food); and much more. The characters had so much personal conflict that the story wasn’t pleasant to read. I think Adam would have been more repentant and loving, like his heavenly Father, and I doubt God would appear so human in manner and actions as portrayed here with His creation. If you want a fantasy type story, this could be considered speculative fiction. I did like the way the author included how Adam and Eve might have discovered things and figured out how to make things using what they found. I received a copy from Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own.