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The First Daughter Eve's Story
The First Eve’s Story is book #12 in the Extraordinary Women of the Bible historical fiction series.
Eve awakens to a perfect world and to a perfect love. God, her Father, and Adam, the man she’s intended for, bring her tremendous joy and companionship. But peace within the Garden of Eden is soon shattered when she and Adam succumb to the temptations of a conniving serpent. Everything comes crashing down with one act of disobedience.
Now cast into a forbidding and fast-changing world, Eve must learn to survive in a harsh environment and endure the cycles of birth and death, of loss and suffering—all because of sin. Can she trust her Father to redeem what was lost, including a broken marriage and family? And does He still have a plan for her life, regardless of what she’s done?
Eve awakens to a perfect world and to a perfect love. God, her Father, and Adam, the man she’s intended for, bring her tremendous joy and companionship. But peace within the Garden of Eden is soon shattered when she and Adam succumb to the temptations of a conniving serpent. Everything comes crashing down with one act of disobedience.
Now cast into a forbidding and fast-changing world, Eve must learn to survive in a harsh environment and endure the cycles of birth and death, of loss and suffering—all because of sin. Can she trust her Father to redeem what was lost, including a broken marriage and family? And does He still have a plan for her life, regardless of what she’s done?
252 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 12, 2024
51 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Jenelle Hovde
13 books463 followersJenelle Hovde writes regency romance, cozy mysteries, and Biblical era fiction. She especially loves antique stores and vintage books. Often found writing at the Florida beach, she navigates homeschooling with her family and manages two saucy cats who insist on interrupting her creative endeavors.
Stay updated with her latest works and musings by subscribing to her newsletter at jenellehovdeauthor.com.
Stay updated with her latest works and musings by subscribing to her newsletter at jenellehovdeauthor.com.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 30, 2024
I was deeply touched with the loss of a perfect world and marriage. The consequences of man's fall and Eve's eventual hope made this a compelling novel. I couldn't put it down. It's thought provoking and full of hope at the same time.
March 17, 2025
Great story
What a great fictional account of Eve’s story! There was some parts right out of the Bible, with a lot of fiction thrown in. This made the story fun to read and enjoyable! Thank you Janelle for this wonderful book!
What a great fictional account of Eve’s story! There was some parts right out of the Bible, with a lot of fiction thrown in. This made the story fun to read and enjoyable! Thank you Janelle for this wonderful book!
February 15, 2025
Another incredible book in this series from Jenelle Hovde. I liked that she did not make Eve into a villain for her bad choice. It was so sad that at that time Eve or even Adam did not know how to ask for forgiveness. They certainly had their share of troubles, but it did all come right in the end.
November 15, 2025
Such pain
The feeling of not being satisfied, wanting more, feeling like something is missing or is better than what we already have is not new to anyone alive. It often infuriated me that God's plan of perfection in Eden failed. Why create it? Why allow such a massive failure that would affect the entire Earth for so many generations?
Then, quietly, years later, in my spirit God's spirit spoke to me... His plan was never for Eden to save mankind. His plan was always to send His only Son to save us since before the foundation of the world.
His Plan A didn't fail causing Him to go to Plan B. Jesus was always Plan A.
The beauty of this simple truth is a picture of God's perfect love. He knows each of us and our weaknesses to the temptation to sin. Judging others in regards to their weakness is actually a sin.
God,
Help us to be thankful to You for Your creation which includes You, Your mercy, and Your forgiveness.
The pain and heartache experienced by this first family is beautifully described in such a way that their struggles and pain inflicted on those they love was brought to life for me in this story. It evoked true empathy and compassion for them that I didn't previously have for them and their regret and shame.
It was a beautiful and realistic portrayal of real humans having to overcome real consequences for bad choices that softened their rebellion into repentance. I loved it.
The feeling of not being satisfied, wanting more, feeling like something is missing or is better than what we already have is not new to anyone alive. It often infuriated me that God's plan of perfection in Eden failed. Why create it? Why allow such a massive failure that would affect the entire Earth for so many generations?
Then, quietly, years later, in my spirit God's spirit spoke to me... His plan was never for Eden to save mankind. His plan was always to send His only Son to save us since before the foundation of the world.
His Plan A didn't fail causing Him to go to Plan B. Jesus was always Plan A.
The beauty of this simple truth is a picture of God's perfect love. He knows each of us and our weaknesses to the temptation to sin. Judging others in regards to their weakness is actually a sin.
God,
Help us to be thankful to You for Your creation which includes You, Your mercy, and Your forgiveness.
The pain and heartache experienced by this first family is beautifully described in such a way that their struggles and pain inflicted on those they love was brought to life for me in this story. It evoked true empathy and compassion for them that I didn't previously have for them and their regret and shame.
It was a beautiful and realistic portrayal of real humans having to overcome real consequences for bad choices that softened their rebellion into repentance. I loved it.
February 19, 2025
The First Daughter is one of those books I had to sit with for a while before reviewing it. It's a tough read, because although the story of Adam, Eve, and their temptation and expulsion from Eden is familiar, reading it again always hurts. Seeing it with the sensory details and characterization of fiction hurts arguably more, because the Biblical narrative sticks to the facts and at least allows some measure of detachment. The First Daughter is a poignant and thought-provoking read though, because it awakens the actual emotions to be gleaned from the Biblical narrative. Under Jenelle Hovde's pen, the details of that narrative come to life, too.
Eve as a protagonist is deftly and beautifully written. In her, Jenelle captures every strength and weakness found in human nature and explores the complexities of our motivations, actions, and reactions. For instance, Eve is innocent and naive, but that doesn't excuse her choice to eat the forbidden fruit. At the same time, she legitimately struggles because Adam didn't defend her or take responsibility for his mistakes. Eve yearns for compassion and understanding, and offers it to others as freely as possible. Yet she either can't or won't understand when compassion must be tempered with discipline. She wants to trust, but grapples with fear and anger toward the God and people she should love and trust most, because in their mind, they hurt her the most. As a woman, I found myself identifying heavily with all her troubles, and also reaching for a deeper understanding of God with her.
Eve carries the story, but the other characters are three-dimensional and vital, too. They each have multifaceted personalities, a mix of strengths and weaknesses that again, exist in the real world. I also love that Jenelle didn't make anyone an almost perfect human or a walking example of sin, even if they might look that way at first (e.g., Cain and Abel). At the same time, Jenelle sticks to the Scriptural narrative and makes clear who is in the right or wrong at all times, and why. That's a hard part of characterization, especially when the characters come from the Bible and have shaped the faith of so many readers. So major kudos to Jenelle for pulling it off.
The plot itself is again, heart-wrenching at times, but engrossing. Often, I hated putting The First Daughter down. Admittedly, this was sometimes because I wanted to "rush" Adam and Eve through the tough scenes, like their first moments after expulsion. But more often, it was because I wanted to see how they handled life after Eden--situations whose basic parameters were familiar to me, but would've been completely new to them. For instance, how would they deal with marital issues? How would they handle questions regarding the different parenting approaches needed for each child? How would, or could, they restore their relationship with God?
Within her plot, Jenelle writes some wonderful details and miniature scenes. They don't necessarily "pop," meaning they aren't all enjoyable. But they will stick in my head for a long time. Keep a particular eye out for:
-Adam's embrace and declaration of love to Eve after the expulsion
-Eve's insights into the natures of her kids, Cain in particular
-Eve's observations of how things changed after Eden--not just sin-related stuff, but things like, dealing with hunger or the need to bathe or the temptation or need to slay animals. Again, this is commonplace for me and for other readers because we're thousands of years removed from Eden, but wow. For me, it was definitely thought-provoking and in a way, raw and touching.
-The diametrically opposite developments of Cain and Abel's characters, and why they might have developed that way
-Eve's prayer near the end (one of my favorite scenes)
I won't go into Jenelle's specific spiritual threads because as you can likely tell, they cannot be separated from the plot. This usually happens with great Biblical fiction, but it struck me as particularly well done here. I think without quite knowing she was doing so, Jenelle ended up saying a lot about the human condition, how humans have tried to resurrect Eden, and what part God can and will play in our lives if we allow Him. It's a lot to pack in one little book, and I applaud her for the final result.
I did remove a star because, as well as The First Daughter is written, I thought the pacing was a bit off in places. Now of course, I don't know the "real" Genesis timeline, so this is on me. But for instance, I always pictured Cain and Abel as closer in age, and maybe slightly younger when their final conflict ended in tragedy. I also pictured Eve as having many more children and many more people with whom to interact throughout the story. Then again, that may be because I've read another retelling that *did* have these elements, that I actually liked a bit better, so again, it's a nitpick.
Additionally, I took a star because I actually wanted more of God in The First Daughter. Again, I am a believer. I grew up with this story. I understand, deeply, that the relationship was broken. And I do like that Jenelle worked in some answered prayers and some communication between Eve and the Father at the end. However, I also know God never lost His love for humanity, and I'm still debating how clear that was throughout this book. The long stretches of silence seemed odd at times. Again, I did not expect God to be depicted as talking to Adam and Eve as He did in Eden. Yet, I can't deny that I wanted a little more--maybe just a bit more hope in all the darkness.
Don't make the mistake of thinking four stars, less than perfect, makes The First Daughter a lesser book, though. It's actually one of the strongest books I've seen from the Extraordinary Women series. It requires a pretty major emotional investment, and it will invite some deep introspection, the kind you may not always expect even from a "heavy" Biblical fiction novel. But that investment is worth every page. Brava, Jenelle, and please bring readers more like this soon.
Eve as a protagonist is deftly and beautifully written. In her, Jenelle captures every strength and weakness found in human nature and explores the complexities of our motivations, actions, and reactions. For instance, Eve is innocent and naive, but that doesn't excuse her choice to eat the forbidden fruit. At the same time, she legitimately struggles because Adam didn't defend her or take responsibility for his mistakes. Eve yearns for compassion and understanding, and offers it to others as freely as possible. Yet she either can't or won't understand when compassion must be tempered with discipline. She wants to trust, but grapples with fear and anger toward the God and people she should love and trust most, because in their mind, they hurt her the most. As a woman, I found myself identifying heavily with all her troubles, and also reaching for a deeper understanding of God with her.
Eve carries the story, but the other characters are three-dimensional and vital, too. They each have multifaceted personalities, a mix of strengths and weaknesses that again, exist in the real world. I also love that Jenelle didn't make anyone an almost perfect human or a walking example of sin, even if they might look that way at first (e.g., Cain and Abel). At the same time, Jenelle sticks to the Scriptural narrative and makes clear who is in the right or wrong at all times, and why. That's a hard part of characterization, especially when the characters come from the Bible and have shaped the faith of so many readers. So major kudos to Jenelle for pulling it off.
The plot itself is again, heart-wrenching at times, but engrossing. Often, I hated putting The First Daughter down. Admittedly, this was sometimes because I wanted to "rush" Adam and Eve through the tough scenes, like their first moments after expulsion. But more often, it was because I wanted to see how they handled life after Eden--situations whose basic parameters were familiar to me, but would've been completely new to them. For instance, how would they deal with marital issues? How would they handle questions regarding the different parenting approaches needed for each child? How would, or could, they restore their relationship with God?
Within her plot, Jenelle writes some wonderful details and miniature scenes. They don't necessarily "pop," meaning they aren't all enjoyable. But they will stick in my head for a long time. Keep a particular eye out for:
-Adam's embrace and declaration of love to Eve after the expulsion
-Eve's insights into the natures of her kids, Cain in particular
-Eve's observations of how things changed after Eden--not just sin-related stuff, but things like, dealing with hunger or the need to bathe or the temptation or need to slay animals. Again, this is commonplace for me and for other readers because we're thousands of years removed from Eden, but wow. For me, it was definitely thought-provoking and in a way, raw and touching.
-The diametrically opposite developments of Cain and Abel's characters, and why they might have developed that way
-Eve's prayer near the end (one of my favorite scenes)
I won't go into Jenelle's specific spiritual threads because as you can likely tell, they cannot be separated from the plot. This usually happens with great Biblical fiction, but it struck me as particularly well done here. I think without quite knowing she was doing so, Jenelle ended up saying a lot about the human condition, how humans have tried to resurrect Eden, and what part God can and will play in our lives if we allow Him. It's a lot to pack in one little book, and I applaud her for the final result.
I did remove a star because, as well as The First Daughter is written, I thought the pacing was a bit off in places. Now of course, I don't know the "real" Genesis timeline, so this is on me. But for instance, I always pictured Cain and Abel as closer in age, and maybe slightly younger when their final conflict ended in tragedy. I also pictured Eve as having many more children and many more people with whom to interact throughout the story. Then again, that may be because I've read another retelling that *did* have these elements, that I actually liked a bit better, so again, it's a nitpick.
Additionally, I took a star because I actually wanted more of God in The First Daughter. Again, I am a believer. I grew up with this story. I understand, deeply, that the relationship was broken. And I do like that Jenelle worked in some answered prayers and some communication between Eve and the Father at the end. However, I also know God never lost His love for humanity, and I'm still debating how clear that was throughout this book. The long stretches of silence seemed odd at times. Again, I did not expect God to be depicted as talking to Adam and Eve as He did in Eden. Yet, I can't deny that I wanted a little more--maybe just a bit more hope in all the darkness.
Don't make the mistake of thinking four stars, less than perfect, makes The First Daughter a lesser book, though. It's actually one of the strongest books I've seen from the Extraordinary Women series. It requires a pretty major emotional investment, and it will invite some deep introspection, the kind you may not always expect even from a "heavy" Biblical fiction novel. But that investment is worth every page. Brava, Jenelle, and please bring readers more like this soon.
October 19, 2025
This is an extraordinary woman
I had never read a story about Adam and Eve. It was an interesting take on their story, the interweaving of the fall of their years outside the garden and Cain and Abel's fight, but at the end, there was repentance and forgiveness and peace that despite all the mistakes made, Hashem will never give up on them or us if we earnestly seek him. These were the moments I had along with crying a few times. I can say Hashem had spoken to me a few times as well, giving me strength and peace. This book may not give these experiences but it was a good read.
So thank you, Jennelle.
I had never read a story about Adam and Eve. It was an interesting take on their story, the interweaving of the fall of their years outside the garden and Cain and Abel's fight, but at the end, there was repentance and forgiveness and peace that despite all the mistakes made, Hashem will never give up on them or us if we earnestly seek him. These were the moments I had along with crying a few times. I can say Hashem had spoken to me a few times as well, giving me strength and peace. This book may not give these experiences but it was a good read.
So thank you, Jennelle.
September 20, 2025
Perfectly imperfect
This book puts more light on the biblical Creation story. Written as a story rather than a composition of facts, the reader can identify with the characters and their lives, finding parallels between them and themselves. We feel all the emotions they did. Great writing.
This book puts more light on the biblical Creation story. Written as a story rather than a composition of facts, the reader can identify with the characters and their lives, finding parallels between them and themselves. We feel all the emotions they did. Great writing.
September 1, 2024
Wow. I wasn't prepared for tears reading this. It ends very hopeful, but my heart was taken through the wringer. Eve's fall from grace felt so believable and sorrowful. I felt so much for her as she tried to keep her family together. A believable and tender account.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews