Eden

“My ways are not your ways,” he said. “But I promise that all things work together for the good of those who serve me. In the end, the faithful will find life that never ends, free of the evil that stalks your souls. That, too, is art of the promise I gave you in Eden, and as surely as I live, it will come to be.”

Eden by Brennan McPherson is a Biblical fiction occurring in Genesis chapters 1-4, following the world’s first family as they have no end of conflict and drama. This is not a light read, and there are a few content warnings that make this for more mature readers, so if you’re looking for entertainment, this isn’t the book for you.

However, if you want a thought-provoking, semi-depressing, Bible-based story about the fall of mankind, keep reading this review.

Plot

It’s been 641 years since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Enoch, God’s first prophet, is collecting the stories of generations past. But when he comes to Adam, he uncovers a vault of dark secrets and sorrows—how Adam broke the world and watched his family shatter. By the light of a campfire, the first man tells all.

All was good in the garden. Father walked with them every day and they enjoyed each other’s pure, untainted love. He taught them how to care for a garden, build a fire, prepare food, and all the things they would need to live in their paradise. But a certain serpent caught the eye of Eve, and things were never the same.

Now the couple is banished from Eden, pushed out into a barren world where the skills Father taught them are essential for a twisted, empty sort of life. The birth of children only complicates things. Adam and Eve long for the Redeemer their Father promised and the restoration of the world; little do they realize just how long they’ll have to wait.

Eden has little action and sparse dialogue. Some parts pick up and contain more standard novel narration, but much of the book is Adam’s reflections upon the bleak life he’s lived. Despite that, it kept me engaged and constantly returning to see how the book portrayed certain events.

The part that was the most poignant to me is near the end. Adam and Eve put tremendous pressure on Cain, as the firstborn, to act righteous and please the Almighty so that he might be chosen to be their redeemer.

But when God rejects Cain’s offering of his fields’ harvest, the young man finally breaks under the pressure. He kills Abel in the dead of night and flees, his wife (who is also Adam and Eve’s only daughter) soon following. The couple is left with nothing but broken hopes and crushed dreams.

Characters

Adam, after the fall, is driven primarily by his love for Eve. Though Father still meets with them outside the garden once a year, Adam largely has no contact with the only Thing that can truly satisfy him. So he’s left with his wife, wishing for the perfect woman he first met in Eden.

Eve is bitter and blames Adam for their banishment. Even childbearing does not satisfy her, thought she hoped it would. She conflicts with Adam constantly, and though they desperately want to love each other, the curse keeps them fighting.

“Every joy has been met with an equal pain,” she said. “We are chasing the wind. Clutching rain. Longing for a dream that’s long changed into a nightmare.”

Cain, Abel, and Sarah—their only daughter during the time of the book—also have distinct personalities. Cain in his youth is rebellious and intentionally causes chaos, but as the weight of the world is put upon his shoulders, he becomes hard and unfeeling. Abel is placid and meek, becoming his father’s obvious favorite.

Theme & Content Warnings

I can’t say there’s a definite message, but Eden is a tale of woe. It shows how sin can and does ruin people, families, and even the entire world. In an era where there was no Bible and the Holy Spirit did not dwell in God’s followers, the first family was largely left to fend for themselves.

It being close to Christmas, the main thing I got from this book was a deeper appreciation for the coming of Jesus. The redemption of the world is always the focus of Adam, Eve, and their family, even after their first two sons leave them empty-handed and still cursed. I think this is very plausible, as they could not have understood just how long the world would go on before the serpent’s head was bruised.

Their longing made me realize how blessed we are to live in a time where Jesus has already come, the Word of God is freely available, and the Holy Spirit lives inside of Christians. Adam and Eve would have been thrilled to have what we have now.

There were a few things in the book that don’t seem to line up with the Biblical account—Cain’s sacrifice is rejected not because it should have been a blood sacrifice, but because he gave it in pride; the angel with a flaming sword outside the garden is replaced by a mass of twisting fire; the climate doesn’t match up with the tropical climate the early world likely had.

These things bothered me a little, but it wouldn’t stop me from recommending the book. Just go into it with an understanding that this is a man’s imagination, and while it provides many good thoughts about early life, it is not infallible.

Content warnings include Adam and Eve being naked in the garden, which comes up a couple times, and Eve’s trying to get pregnant. McPherson discreetly handles the couple’s physical interactions, going into barely more detail than the Bible. Two births are also described—not gratuitous, but not for young readers. Cain and Abel nurse at Eve’s chest.

Overall

Eden is a book that shows the consequences of sin while contrasting them with the forgiveness of the Redeemer. The final pages include an in-depth study of Genesis 1-4 and explain some of the creative choices made.

While it contains some things that don’t completely line up with the Bible, it will definitely make me read the early chapters of Genesis in a new light and with a new attention to detail.

And as always, thanks for reading, and I’ll write you in the next one!