Happy Friday Bookish Lovelies :)
I pray today finds you all doing well, and I'm so thankful you decided to join me (Kirby) here on The Preppy Book Princess for another book review.
As someone who has been a lifelong fan of Christian fiction, it's probably surprising for me to admit that I've never really read any Biblical fiction before.
For some reason, I just wasn't how I would feel about using Biblical figures in a fictional story, and as such, I'd never picked one up before.
However, when I stumbled upon the title I'm going to be reviewing today, I was intrigued, and wanted to give it a try.
Keep reading below to find out how my first foray into Biblical fiction went!
Daughter of Eden: Eve's Story by Jill Eileen Smith:
Publisher: Revell
Publication Date: February 14th, 2023
Genre: Biblical Fiction
Synopsis:
The first time she opens her eyes, Eve gazes on One whose beauty nearly blinds her, whose breath is in her lungs. Her Creator takes her hand and gives her to one like her and yet different. Together, she and Adam experience pure joy as they explore Eden. But her favorite moments are when the Creator comes to walk with them, day after day.
Until everything changes. With one act of disobedience, Eve finds that her world is no longer a friendly place. With remorse in her heart, she must face the unknown future--the births, the deaths, the sacrifices, the loss of the one home she has ever known. Perhaps worst of all is the loss of trust, not only with her Creator but with the man who shares her life. How will they ever survive out of Eden?
Bestselling biblical fiction author Jill Eileen Smith imagines the life of the first woman to ever live, unspooling a story of love, loss, and the promise of redemption.
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
Daughter of Eden was a first for me in a lot of ways. It was not only my first time reading a novel by Jill Eileen Smith, but it's actually also the first time I've ever read a Biblical fiction novel. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect going into it, but I was hoping I'd end up loving it, and perhaps even find a new favorite genre in the process.
This particular novel is an interesting take on the story of creation, and focuses on the life of Adam and Eve, from their creation right through Enoch being taken up to be with God. It illustrated many scriptural passages, and showcased just how much effect Adam and Eve's sin and separation from God had on all of creation. I loved that reading this one caused me to want to dig deeper into Genesis, as I wanted to study what was actually stated in the scriptures versus what the author took creative liberties with to make her story come together for her reader's.
Obviously, since so much of Adam and Eve's story is never given in detail in the Bible, you have to be willing to accept that this is fiction, and is simply one author's imaginings of what their life might have been like after they found themselves separated from God. That being said, I did enjoy the way the whole story came together, and I especially loved how Eve felt the loss wholeheartedly of her close connection with God once she made the foolish decision to listen to the serpent.
Daughter of Eden is definitely a tough read in many ways, and while I'm thankful I took the time to read it, it did take me awhile to get through it just because of how hard hitting so much of the content was.
Final Rating: 4/5.
I'm thankful my first experience with Biblical fiction was a positive one, and I'm especially thankful that this book inspired me to want to dig even deeper into studying the scriptures of the creation story.
Thanks so much to Revell Publishing for allowing me to read and review this one!
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher (Revell) as part of the Revell Reads Blogger Program. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.
Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your weekend :)
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