Praise for Eve
"The fate of the first woman after her banishment from Eden is the focus of B. K. O’Connor’s transcendent novel Eve...As Eve increases her knowledge, she comes near to glowing godhood herself—a narrative reinterpretation that elevates women’s agency, going beyond Eve’s “curse” to explain how she blesses the world to follow...Eve is a lush, resonant novel that reimagines Eve’s wandering quest for the answers of existence."
“Eve is a gut punch to the tired, patriarchal version of the world’s oldest story. This isn’t a gentle retelling of Genesis. It’s Eve, fully alive, fully awake, fully unwilling to stay in the cage that history built for her. She’s curious, questions, leaves, learns, and in doing so, she drags the whole narrative of “original sin” kicking and screaming into the modern era…The novel doesn’t shy away from the costs of autonomy. Exile isn’t necessarily a punishment here, but more of selfhood being born through fire and loss…What makes Eve crackle is how the story becomes political without ever being preachy. Her search for knowledge, her defiance, and her attempts to create spaces where women can learn and exist freely are mirrors of every fight for rights, recognition, and voice that’s happening right now.
This book isn’t subtle. It’s angry, smart, and unapologetic. Eve is a force, and reading her story is a reminder that myth, like history, is only as truthful as the people who get to tell it. By the time you finish, you’re left thinking about everything: power, freedom, motherhood, identity, and how much of the world is still waiting for its Eve to stand up…Let’s be honest: this isn’t a book for Christians looking for comfort in familiar texts, or for anyone who prefers the Bible served in neat, unquestioned packages. If your instinct is to protect the “sanctity” of Genesis or to defend traditional interpretations without question, Eve will make you squirm. It challenges dogma, tears apart inherited narratives, and shows that the first woman (like every woman after her) was never meant to be obedient or invisible. If you want myth served neat, move along. This is a necessary book for thinkers, rebels, and anyone ready to question everything they thought they knew.”
“This novel is a perfect blend of fiction and history. The writing style is unique and deeply introspective. The reader is consistently aware of the characters’ thoughts, making their journeys easy to follow and empathize with. The plot is well-served by these rich inner struggles, which make the story deeply engaging. Eve’s character is beautifully written. Her philosophical wisdom and persistent questions feel realistic and profound. They made me think about how we often overlook life’s simplest questions, whose answers are most complicated.We all have moments where we question our reality and ponder the paths not taken. Eve, upon reflection, realizes she has no regrets. If given the choice again, she would still eat the forbidden fruit. For her, the price was worth the reward, discovering the world and all the secrets the earth holds.
This book was A powerful and thought-provoking retelling of Eve’s story—emotional, bold, and unforgettable.
Overall, Eve was a fantastic read.”
“Eve is a bold and thoughtful reimagining that treats its source material not as something to correct, but as something to question. This Eve is curious, restless, and unwilling to accept simple answers—about creation, obedience, love, or divinity and that curiosity is what gives the novel its momentum.
The prose leans lyrical without losing clarity, and the story balances big philosophical ideas with an accessible, often quietly playful tone. I especially enjoyed how the novel allows Eve to move beyond the familiar confines of Eden and into a wider world, where myth, history, and human experience begin to blur together.
This is the kind of book that invites conversation rather than closure. It doesn’t hand you conclusions; it asks better questions. Readers who enjoy literary retellings, mythological reframing, and stories that trust their audience to think will find a lot to admire here.”
“This may well be my very favorite retelling of Eve ever! From the beginning I knew that this was going to be a different Eve than I had read before. If you love female characters that have strong development as well as an engaging sweeping story then you must read this. I don’t want to give anything away but I will say that you won’t soon forget these characters. The beauty of this story is in its brave feminist re telling. I was sad as I came to the end as I didn’t want this book to end. Absolutely fabulous!”
“What a fascinating book! It grabbed me immediately and then gave me more! As an exvangelical, I learned so many things about history, gods, goddesses, that I was never exposed to growing up with just Biblical mythology.
I think this book could appeal to all kinds of folks, religious and otherwise. Folks who love history. Or if you're just in the mood for a completely different kind of story, well told.”
“This is truly one of the most beautiful books I have read. Eve is my favorite female book character now; she is brave, wise, and had a deep yearning for knowledge and social change. She travelled and taught women their worth and was willing to leave everything behind for the sake of others. There were many religious elements that deeply resonated with me; I grew up mormon and have been deconstructing and figuring out my stance on who or what god is. What sets this book apart from other books was that God was portrayed as the antagonist. Lucifer was an incredible character that I grew to love very quickly. Not only was christianity discussed, buddhism was tied in as well. On Eve's journey, she is able to reach enlightenment through her seeking truth and knowledge. One of the key elements to reach enlightenment according to an unknown writer is, "Enlightenment is seeing the world and one's own existence as they truly are, free from illusion and misunderstanding." Eve is set free from the God and came to understand the meaning of life, she saw it how it is and because of that she was able to reach enlightenment. If I could give this book a million stars, I would. This was one of the most beautiful pieces of literature I have ever read. It will stick with me for the rest of my life.”
“A feminist retelling of Paradise Lost - this was such an interesting mix of historical fiction, mythology, philosophy, and feminism. The story starts with Adam and Eve's creation in paradise, but quickly moves to their exile and years spent living in Mesopotamia. I loved how the author dealt with the similarities and contradictions between what the Bible says happened, what ancient Mesopotamian myth says happened, and what archaeology says happened. It was so cool to see Adam and Eve live amongst real people in Nippur and Canaan. And I LOVED learning about all the different gods.
Eve was also a really compelling character. So often blamed for man's exile from Eden, this novel takes Eve's decision to take a bite of the forbidden fruit and turns it on its head. She is a woman who thirsts for knowledge, who deals with issues like leaving her own children to travel the world and understand more about what it means to live. It actually made me think so much about myself as a woman - I was honestly reflecting on so many things I hadn't really even thought about before.
Besides all of that, the writing in this book is wonderful. The chapters are short, I really liked the different POVs that are incorporated, and all of the characters really came to life. It's a poetic, artsy sort of book, leaning much more into the literary fiction genre than historical fiction, I would say. But I really really enjoyed it.”
“This book blew me away! Absolutely stunning and thought-provoking. I often wonder about what history has not told us. The Bible only has a few chapters about Eve, but what about all the other experiences she had? This book leaves nothing out! I don't agree with most of the storyline because it's not the biblical worldview. However, I really enjoyed the book anyway because it allowed me to learn what others believe or theorize about Eve. If you like historical fiction, feminist literature, or alternative theories to the Bible, this is the book for you.”
“As an English major who studied Paradise Lost in college, this retelling is so well done, and it made me think so much as I was reading it. I have pages of highlights in my kindle, all of which made me think about Eve’s position and choices in the Garden of Eden, why the tree of knowledge would be banished from the perfect first male & female, and how Eve has impacted the portrayal of women since first creation. The first part of this book follows Paradise Lost and the Bible more specifically, but I really enjoyed the second half better. This is Eve’s odyssey that parallels her abandonment of her children to seek knowledge and purpose while questioning God’s abandonment of her. This definitely has a feminist tone, and a motif of men choosing to dominate instead of lead. Pursue passion ahead of purpose. I really enjoyed it and the portrayal of Lucifer is really interesting as well, carrying more complexity than simply being evil and fallen. If we all contemplated our purpose and place in society, maybe our society would be less ego-centric and more connected?”
“This is a Paradise Lost retelling that positions Eve as the central subject. Eve faces relentless toil and pain, along with the resentment of Adam, after defying God's order not to eat from the Forbidden Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. But even as she is cast out of Paradise and into a barren, unforgiving world, Eve cannot quench her curiosity. While Adam is content to accept his fate, Eve finds herself questioning everything. She navigates harsh lands and difficult circumstances in the quest for meaning, but she is determined to root out the truth of her origins and that of those she encounters on her journey.
I found myself quickly lured into O'Connor's book. Eve is brimming with an urgency that I found irresistible, almost as if I were overcome with Eve’s thirst for knowledge. The author’s prose is evocative, really forcing the reader to feel the weight of Eve’s experience and decisions. There were moments when the narrative took turns that I wasn’t anticipating (largely the second half of the story) but it made for a rich reading experience. The story exceeds at capturing the same excitement and tension found in similar fantasy novels as Adam and Eve find themselves living in a strange world after being expelled from Paradise.
O’Connor’s approach to Eve and the Abrahamic mythology makes for quite the captivating read. It was exciting and I found myself eager to discover what happened next, forming judgment of characters and asking the same questions as the titular heroine. It was difficult to suppress the desire to throttle Adam as I made my way through the story and I grappled with my own questions about free will, like Eve often finding myself angered by God’s rationale. Eve is a feminist take on Christianity’s first woman, dealing strongly with themes of agency and self-determination, that will be of strong interest to readers who enjoy works by authors like Madeline Miller or Jennifer Saint.”