World Eve Left Us

by Boston Teran

In the Italian community in the Bronx of 1950, Clarissa-Catholic and uneducated-dies at the hands of her husband, a small-time drug dealer. Eve, his deaf and dumb daughter, is threatened with the same fate. A German refugee, Fran, taught the child how to communicate through sign and photography. This woman, marked by the unspeakable violence of Nazi barbarism, protects Eve, channels her rebellion, and encourages her to exploit her talent. But can she protect the girl against her violent criminal father? It is no accident that Eve flourishes as a woman and as an artist when the Vietnam War threatened to divide the country, where the music takes a radical turn, where violence is necessary in film: the reign of ambiguity and paradoxes began. Advocacy against the injustice that plagues the weak-women, the disabled, African Americans-it is also a cry of alarm about how the world keeps turning while evil thrives with impunity.

350 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Boston Teran is the internationally acclaimed author of twelve novels, many of them translated into foreign languages. He has been named alongside great American writers like Hemingway and Larry McMurtry, as well as filmmakers John Ford and Sam Peckinpah, for his singular voice and ability to weave timely social and political themes into sweeping page turners that pierce straight into America's soul. GOD IS A BULLET, currently in film development, is considered a cult classic that has been compared to such seminal works as Joan Didion's THE WHITE ALBUM and John Ford's THE SEARCHERS. NEVER COUNT OUT THE DEAD has been called a modern equivalent of MacBeth. THE CREED OF VIOLENCE sold to Universal, with Todd Field (Little Children) set to direct and Daniel Graig in the starring role.

The author has been nominated or won over 17 awards, including The EDGAR AWARD for Best First Novel and the FOREWORD "Book of the Year Award" as well as the INTERNATIONAL IMPACT AWARD OF DUBLIN for Best Novel, the Best Novel of the Year in Japan and the John Creasy Award in England.

Reviews

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a long time fan of the author, I've come to expect greatness from every book, and was pleased that The World Eve Left Us lived up to those expectations. This story, however, deviates a bit from what I've experienced with Teran's work in the past. There is a grittiness, a prickly quality to the writing that makes entry more challenging than usual.

Perhaps it is the raft of antisemitic language, or the profound sense of hatred and bigotry that the reader must get past in order to access the marrow of this story. Whereas in many of Teran's books, the writing is almost poetic, here is rough edged and raw, the better to portray the living conditions of the protagonist, a girl born deaf, brought into a world of drugs and violence and crime and misery. Yet through it all, Eve grows and discovers a will of steel, with the help of Fran, another strong female character that shares central duties within this tale.

This book is a tribute to strong women and the trials they face, often at the hands of those closest to them. It reveals a sense of inner strength born of adversity, of sisterhood, and of eventual triumph of spirit. Eve is a strong and fascinating character, deeply scarred and flawed, yet noble in her own way. Fran, a victim of Nazi brutality and a role model of an indomitable spirit for Eve is, perhaps, an even more compelling character. Together, these women serve to carry the reader through hell and back, delivering a taught and savagely unforgiving look at their lives, loves, sorrows and joys.

The only thing that held me back from a full five stars was that, at times, I felt as though Teran's writing was a bit too abstract or abstruse, denying the reader an easy entry-- it was as if the reader had to really want to continue-- to struggle a bit which, perhaps, was by design. In any event 4.5 stars and a great read for fans of the author.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommend to me to read. I'm glad I did read it. Found it very well written and the characters made it worth the read. You felt like you was right there with them and fighting along with them to serve. I call this a one powerful read and gives you something to think about. Could you serve and make a better live for yourself.

This is very brilliantly written. The author has done a lot of research in written it. She has given us a lot of murder, kidnapping, some drug deals that have gone bad and has thrown in some not very nice males that think the are God's gift to us.

We meet Eve a young girl who is a survivor that has seen to much for a child, and two other women that have had not good lives.

This takes us into the Bronx and their lives in the 50's which was not a place to be during that time.

We follow these three ladies on a journey through their lives and see the strength and will to serve the the odds that they are given. It shows us how no matter what we are given we have to ask are selves are we willing to fight to serve and fight to give ourselves a chance at life or just give up and cry that we do not have the chance to better ourselves.

This is one powerful story and well worth the read. I would recommend this book

[Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very good book by Boston Teran. I don't know if Teran is a male or female, or a group of authors. The first book I read, God Is a Bullet, I thought definitely a man. Now this book, similar style, high quality writing, engaging, BUT with all the sensitivity and understanding of female issues. Must have much female influence. The World Eve Left Us is slightly outside the genre of crime fiction, but a good dose of murder, kidnapping, drug deals gone bad, and male bullies, for the lovers of crime novels. However, the coming together of the three women protagonists is compelling and very real. Set in the 1950s Bronx, Eve is a true survivor through many tragic events.
I've researched Boston Teran for many hours, talking to publishers, asking for interviews and the like. Well, I don't know, but I hope he/she/they keep producing great material.

[kohey · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best I’ve read this year.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book fascinated me - not just the novel itself, which played itself out inside my head in dreams as well as during those half-asleep-half-awake moments - but because of the author. Who or what is Boston Teran? The writing style seemed to change, quite noticeably, about halfway through the book, which led me to think this could be a group of authors. In addition, there were sections which sounded quite strongly as if they had been written by a male author, and other sections which had a distinctly female sound to them. And, although the novel is set in New York, there were some strange sentence constructions and word usages which suggested it had been translated from another language.

I loved it - it was a clear five star read - but the authorship intrigue is threatening to become more important than the content.

[Krista Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to get into the book but then I fell in love with the main character, Eve and I could not put book down. I really enjoyed all the photography and how it was used in the story. I love photography and the kind of photography that Eve likes.
It was accurate but was hard to read all racist slurs…I know it is part of real life but ugh, yuck.

[Donna RB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing but brutal

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

The "Bestseller in France" call-out and the haunting black & white photo compelled me to pull it off the shelf.

But the strong female characters kept me entranced as I read their tragic and triumphant intertwined stories. The writing made me feel like I was dropped in the Bronx in the Italian district in the 1950s...a hard read with much sadness but yet, strength in female relationships made me enjoy the "French Bestseller" including all the errors in the translation.

[Chrissie]

Currently free in the Kindle format. In France it is called Trois Femmes. Is this going to be a waste of time? I just made such a mistake. Do I do it all over again? I have three days to make up my mind.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really my type of book. But I did read it all. Don't go by the cover picture, it does NOT depict
the book correctly............ Never does the name of the book.
****** Ok I read this & realized I had read it before. This time I liked the book. Not real happy with the end.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The translation was awful, but the story was good.

[Pamela Hale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think Boston Teran is a collaboration of 2 or more authors- the writing did not flow as it would with one mind directing the traffic.

[Hitomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sad, so intense, so great story.