Publishers Weekly
Naslund (Ahab's Wife) delivers a cheesy blend of futuristic thriller, pseudoreligious speculation, and idyllic romance. In 2017, Lucy Bergmann's astrophysicist husband is murdered just before he is to reveal the existence of extraterrestrial life. Now, as the keeper of a copy of his data, Lucy's being stalked by the leaders of a sect called Perpetuity, who intend to destroy any challenge to their fundamentalist beliefs. And when Lucy agrees to transport an ancient scroll that offers an alternate version of the Book of Genesis from Cairo to the Dordogne, she becomes a double target. Lucy pilots a plane (this convenient ability is indicative of the preposterous plot) and crash-lands in Mesopotamia, where she meets a gorgeous, naked man named Adam (an American GI gone a touch nutty) who nurses her back to health in a facsimile of the Garden of Eden. Their chaste but busy domesticity is eventually threatened by the evil Perpetuity crew, and they face even more danger after an escape to France. It's embarrassingly bad in every way, from the dopey conceit of a 21st-century Eden to the paper-thin characters who spout ersatz philosophy and spiritual theorizing while enjoying the cloying clichés of romance fiction. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
Exceptional...A richly detailed portrait of an opulent, turbulent time, revealing the Queen’s journey from frivolity to responsibility, and from palace to prison cell to be one of striking beauty and terrible loss. 4 stars.” — People
“This is a wonderful, wonderful novel ...[Naslund] has blown a deep breath of life into Four Spirits.” — Detroit Free Press
“Filled with the fear Naslund witnessed, the characters ...come to life ....Naslund succeeds splendidly in making history a page-turner.” — USA Weekend
“This is a brave and multifaceted book, propelled by a mission, and ...it is a page-turner.” — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“Scrupulously researched and vividly presented…it’s an irresistible story, and Naslund handles its big moments…with impressive assurance. Naslund has done her homework, and imagined her complex, bewitching protagonist in persuasive depth and detail. The result is an exemplary historical novel. ” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A wealth of period details...the queen faces imprisonment and beheading with both charm and a new dignity, even the most cynical reader will wish for a last-minute pardon.” — Christian Science Monitor
“Naslund’s insight and craftsmanship ...capture the complexities and cultural nuances of the times.” — San Diego Union-Tribune
“An intense treat, powerfully written, Ahab’s Wife is one of the best contemporary novels I have read in years. — Louise Erdrich on Ahab's Wife
“Surprisingly affecting. ” — New York Times Book Review
“[Naslund] shed[s] light on what the creation myth (and religious fanaticism) reveals about the human condition: that however formative our beginnings may be, they can always give way to the drama of rebirth. In Adam & Eve, Naslund asks, Which is really more important to us?” — Elle
“[A] charming parable...but along the way, Naslund weaves into the story an effective condemnation of dogma and religious zealotry as well as an understated plea for open-mindedness and tolerance.” — Boston Globe
“Adam & Eve has the potential of making not simply a splash, but a small tsunami. The novel is nothing less than a futuristic gloss on all creation, pitting religious fundamentalism against the discovery of extraterrestrial life” — Louisville Courier Journal
“To describe the elements of this ambitious novel is to sound unhinged, but Naslund pulls it off. This thriller is rich in brilliant discourses on religion, fanaticism, the meaning of ancient cave art, the speculative future, and love.” — Library Journal on ADAM & EVE
“[Adam & Eve] transcends the boundaries of the genres it flirts with. In the hands of a lesser storyteller, it might degrade into a flimsy pastiche, but Sena Jeter Naslund’s lyrical, exact prose kept me engaged.” — Bookreporter.com
“A really satisfying surprise ending.” — Alabama Writers' Forum on ADAM & EVE
“Adam & Eve is a book about passions—a carefully crafted mosaic of devoted love, gut-wrenching betrayal, religious extremism, scientific inquiry, artistic expression…a wonderfully imaginative romp.” — Huntsville Times on ADAM & EVE
“Provocative” — New York Times on ADAM & EVE
San Diego Union-Tribune
Naslund’s insight and craftsmanship ...capture the complexities and cultural nuances of the times.
Louise Erdrich
An intense treat, powerfully written, Ahab’s Wife is one of the best contemporary novels I have read in years.
Elle
[Naslund] shed[s] light on what the creation myth (and religious fanaticism) reveals about the human condition: that however formative our beginnings may be, they can always give way to the drama of rebirth. In Adam & Eve, Naslund asks, Which is really more important to us?
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
This is a brave and multifaceted book, propelled by a mission, and ...it is a page-turner.
New York Times Book Review
Surprisingly affecting.
USA Weekend
Filled with the fear Naslund witnessed, the characters ...come to life ....Naslund succeeds splendidly in making history a page-turner.
Detroit Free Press
This is a wonderful, wonderful novel ...[Naslund] has blown a deep breath of life into Four Spirits.
People
Exceptional...A richly detailed portrait of an opulent, turbulent time, revealing the Queen’s journey from frivolity to responsibility, and from palace to prison cell to be one of striking beauty and terrible loss. 4 stars.
Christian Science Monitor
A wealth of period details...the queen faces imprisonment and beheading with both charm and a new dignity, even the most cynical reader will wish for a last-minute pardon.
Huntsville Times on ADAM & EVE
Adam & Eve is a book about passions—a carefully crafted mosaic of devoted love, gut-wrenching betrayal, religious extremism, scientific inquiry, artistic expression…a wonderfully imaginative romp.
Alabama Writers' Forum on ADAM & EVE
A really satisfying surprise ending.
New York Times on ADAM & EVE
Provocative
Bookreporter.com
[Adam & Eve] transcends the boundaries of the genres it flirts with. In the hands of a lesser storyteller, it might degrade into a flimsy pastiche, but Sena Jeter Naslund’s lyrical, exact prose kept me engaged.
Boston Globe
[A] charming parable...but along the way, Naslund weaves into the story an effective condemnation of dogma and religious zealotry as well as an understated plea for open-mindedness and tolerance.
Louisville Courier Journal
Adam & Eve has the potential of making not simply a splash, but a small tsunami. The novel is nothing less than a futuristic gloss on all creation, pitting religious fundamentalism against the discovery of extraterrestrial life
