Gold in Havilah: A Novel of Cain's Wife

by Jean Hoefling

Akliah is a daughter of Adam and Eve who has grown up at the foot of the pristine holy mountain where the Garden of Eden lies. She and Adam's other children know well the story of their parents’ fall from innocence and their banishment from Eden. And they know the prophecy, that Cain, their privileged brother, will soon crush the head of the ancient serpent who tempted their parents there.

Fiercely in love with Cain, Akliah is determined to become his wife. But her schemes are shattered when Cain kills his brother, Abel, and abducts Akliah to a barren land east of Eden. In Nod, she grieves her mistakes while Cain spirals into ever-deepening tiers of delusion through his bondage to a beautiful fallen angel. When she finally meets a man who offers a chance for genuine love and redemption, Akliah is torn between an honest confession of her past and her longing to be admired. Against the backdrop of life in a city dedicated to dark powers, Akliah must finally make the life-threatening choice to regain her integrity, or perish trying.

Genres: Biblical Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fiction

326 pages, Paperback

Published October 24, 2016

About the author

Jean Hoefling’s biblical fantasy novel Ashes Like Bread won the 2019 Readers’ Favorite bronze medal in Christian Fantasy. Her third book in the series, Stones of Fire, is an Amazon #1 Best Seller.

Jean lives, writes, and copyedits in her native Colorado, and loves dancing, Colorado's rare fog days, and the beauty of the Orthodox Church.

Contact her at jeanhoefling3@gmail.com

Reviews

[Merry Bones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gold in Havilah is a multilayered story of family, faith, disillusionment, and the search for truth and salvation in the time of Genesis, the book of the Bible that describes humanity’s beginnings. Told in a way of myth as truth, the fantastical world of Adam and Eve after their fall from Eden comes back to life. If the world these characters live in seems too impossible to be true, Akliah’s skill as the story’s narrator makes it easy to drift into a world where anything is possible in a world far more vibrant than the one we know today.
Akliah, the youngest of Adam and Eve’s children, tells her story in prose so spare and simple that even ordinary human needs become poetic in either their beauty or harshness. She lives in Havilah, protected by the Holy Mountain where her family goes to worship, and content with the belief that she and her family are the only humans on Earth. They are sustained by a prophecy that Akliah’s brother Cain will eventually lead them back into Eden. She’s also convinced by a vision that she is meant to be Cain’s wife together they will help populate the Earth. But that’s not how things work out. Cain instead turns away from Adam’s beliefs and the choices he makes, and the consequences he forces onto his family, will reverberate through all of mankind’s history.
Admittedly, my knowledge of what happens in Genesis doesn’t go beyond what I remember learning in Sunday school as a kid, but I definitely enjoyed this book. I admire how a skilled writer can take the scant mention of a person or event from ancient texts and craft a well thought out, profoundly moving novel. The characters, even those that straddle the line of divinity, are all too human, which makes them relatable. In Akliah, our narrator, we have an imperfect heroine who still manages to be stronger than she thought possible.
There are some dark events and themes so it’s not for younger readers. I do, though, highly recommend this book for anyone who either likes Biblical/Christian fiction or any historical fiction that takes place in ancient times.

[Brianna Stenvick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually wandered upon this book quite by accident, but I wasn't disappointed. This is a very intriguing story and very well done! First of all, to make things clear, this is biblical FICTION; the near entirety of this book of this book is made up of extra-biblical stories/myths (hence Akilah and her sister's existence), as well as many theories proposed by biblical scholars and "ordinary" Christians. However, the author manages to weave these themes and concepts together very well, such as the existence of other humans created outside of Eden around the time of Adam and Eve's creation.

This story, while not horrifically explicit, doesn't shy away from showing the depravity of man, the corruption of sin, and what happens when man decides to seek power away from God; Murder, Rape, Demon/devil worship, polytheistic religions, sex with evil spirits, "marriage" by abduction and rape, slavery, child sacrifice, black magic, vampirism; literally anything horrible you can think of comes into the world pretty soon after the 2nd generation of humans is born.

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

Akilah is a very interesting POV character as, while leaning towards sin and openly confessing that she wants it more than God, she isn't entirely corrupt and knows the difference between good and evil. While she initially was willing to partake in Cain's rebellion and did everything that she could to seduce him and be the one to bear him children, she eventually comes to realize how truly horrible he is; lets just say that the Cain of the simple bible narrative is NOTHING compared to the utter monster shown here.

I also have to admit that my favorite character was Abel. Unlike Cain, who is described as beautiful and perfect, Abel in this story was born crippled with a bad leg and is frail-looking. His parents are alternately harsh and indulgent towards his elder brother, who they believe to be the promised "Crusher" who will lead them back to Eden and bliss, and shove him aside completely, even after Cain reveals his true corrupt nature and desire for dark power. Despite this, he remains the most faithful and innocent member of the family. It's especially interesting because, initially, Adam refuses to even let Abel help with their offerings and Sabbath rituals because he believes that his youngest son's "flaw" is an offense to God. This was actually very appealing and comforting to me. I myself am an Autistic young adult and a Christian. I've spent many years struggling with my identity and God's purpose for my life and my disability, and this portrayal of Abel resonated with me. The famous sacrifice was extremely significant here because the handsome, powerful man that everyone put their faith in was rejected, yet the seemingly broken and useless man who no one noticed was the one who was accepted. Despite his whole family, even his beloved little sister who he calls "his pride and joy", being very broken and struggling to trust God, he decides that he wants to be fully "united with God" no matter what the cost is. Even though this is only biblical fiction based largely on myths, it was still a very poignant reminder of how God choses people who the world sees as useless and how the heart, not outward appearances, is what truly matters.

Even though, again, this is very much extra-biblical biblical fiction, this book is amazing as a story and; provided that you are wise, use discernment, and are aware that this book isn't biblically accurate; there are some very good truths to be gleaned from this story.

[Joel Thimell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gold in Havilah: A Novel of Cain's Wife is an unusual and intriguing novel. Although there are dozens of books retelling the story of Cain and Abel, I am unaware of any quite like this one. The author, Jean Hoefling, bases her plot on a unique hypothesis of how Adam and Eve interpreted God's prophecy that the seed of the woman shall crush the head of the serpent and the serpent shall bruise his heel.

The book is well-written and vividly creates a powerful vision of how the Earth was different in those ancient days just after Adam and Eve left the Garden. It's a dark and fearsome tale, not for the faint of heart, but there is a redemption arc for those who press on. The major characters are, for the most part, well-developed and interesting. I particularly thought the family dynamics were poignantly depicted. Adam and Eve's relationship is distant and awkward, riddled with shame and blame decades after their sin in the Garden while the children--Cain and Abel and their twin sisters, Luluwa and Akliah--struggle to understand what really happened before they were born. Each of them construct their own personal interpretation of the way Eden once was...and plan and dream of finding a way to enter Eden for themselves.

The story is told by Akliah which makes it very personal and intimate. It also means the reader doesn't know what she doesn't know and can only judge other characters by what they say and do, not by their thoughts and intentions. (Just like real life.) The dialogue is natural and appropriate to the time and place.

The book is a bit slow in the early chapters and wraps up a little too quickly for my taste but at 344 pages I can understand why the author might feel that the average modern reader might not agree with me.

I liked "Gold in Havilah" with a couple of caveats. The book is not appropriate for children as it is full of very mature themes and scenes. In addition, some readers will struggle with the author's interpretation of the Genesis account. I re-read the relevant Bible passages over and over to see how they compared--and isn't that the best possible response to any Christian novel?

The issues here are not central to one's faith and as a wise Christian leader once wrote: "In essentials, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity." I am proud to call Jean Hoefling a fellow Christian. Whether you agree or disagree with her interpretation, you will find your own faith challenged and tested which is gold of better kind...

7/10 stars

[Jasmine Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the heart of this imaginative, astonishing, and at times heart breaking story, is the power of love. The love between God and worshipper, parent and child, man and woman, and siblings. The love that can get you into trouble, and save you from yourself. There’s nothing more powerful, more shattering, more healing, than love. Not even hate can compete against the force of love.

Akliah is the daughter of Adam and Eve, born many years after their fall from grace that exiled them from the Garden of Eden. During her idyllic childhood, safe in the golden light of her innocence, Akliah knows love. She loves her parents, even if she wishes they’d stop sighing over the loss of Eden and pay more attention to her and her siblings. She loves her sister Luluwa, who is like a mother to her, and who does the hard work to make sure the family is fed and clothed. She loves her twin brother Abel, for his gentle, Holy Spirit, and pities him for his deformity. She loves Adam’s God, who they worship ritually, even if she doesn’t understand any of it. Most of all, she loves her brother Cain, for he is the one prophesied to wage a holy war that will defeat evil and bring them back to Eden.

In her budding maturity, Akliah (which means She Knows, a key element in Akliah’s search for truth and redemption) loves Cain the way a woman loves a man. As life does for all of us, Akliah gets her heart broken on all fronts as Cain destroys their old life and kidnaps her to another land, where she finds new love and new problems. For all its mythical overtones, love is what really matters here. Akliah withstands nightmarish scenarios for the sake of those she loves most. And it is love that eventually guides her back to her true self and back to God. Along the way, the reader confronts important questions. Is there truth and goodness in beauty? If both evil and good can love, then what separates us? Are mercy and compassion weaknesses to be exploited, or the greatest strengths of all? Provocative, rich with detail, told in clear, straight-forward prose, I couldn’t put this book down. Because the story of Cain and Abel only focused on the altercation between the brothers, there was room for interpretation of the lives of the first family after the all of Eden.

From a Christian standpoint, there is a lot that can be discussed in this book, but I understand that this story is purely for entertainment, not evangelizing. For me, the story never lagged, and as the tension pulls us to the story’s climax, I had to know what Akliah was going to do. It’s a thought-provoking read and I hope to see much more from this author.

[Peter Younghusband · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I stated in my review of Ashes like Bread, this author writes well with an excellent command of the English language. It is also constructed well and holds your attention. The first person narrative adds a great layer of intimacy with the character and yourself as she becomes very relational.

Yes, I give a tick to all other things relating to a novel. I was entertained and given a view of life in this era of the biblical timeline and this is done well.

My only beef with this novel is the use of her poetic licence in relation to the "other" humans that are present that Akilah comes across who are also in search of the One True God and who are not offspring of Adam and Eve. Hoefling adds a reference to where this came from and the author of this supposition that she includes is just that.

I love poetic licence where this is used to fill in any gaps between an established narrative/account or truth or fact where it does not undermine these. In this novel, Hoefling uses poetic licence to add that God created other humans besides Adam and Eve so there was no lineage or offspring directly from the latter.

This undermines the Bible and its theology and the motive for God to have created Adam and Eve as the first humans. To me, it also adds other motives that are not explained as to why God did this.

I am willing to ignore this use of poetic licence when it is used by authors who are not Christian or do not believe in the Sovereignty of God, doctrines of the Bible and its doctrines as they know no better or feel they can write as they please as they are accountable to none other and can write what they want. That is between them and God in the final analysis.

I do have a problem when Christian authors do this. I do not feel it is worth it to change what we know, what the Bible says or the motives of God. Despite it being fiction, this use of poetic licence in this way could become a stumbling block to those whose faith is weak or those who are seeking to know the truth of God and His Word. Hence my grading of 3/5 stars.

Despite this, I am still interested in seeing what Hoefling does in her next novel, an account of Zyla's brother, Mahalalel. I liked him and his storyline in Ashes Like Bread.

[Mary Hosmar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many of us have wondered about the story of Cain and Abel. We understand, on a basic level, what jealousy or anger can do. But what brought on this jealousy and anger on Cain’s part? And how did Cain survive after he was banished? How did he grow to become a nation? Jean Hoefling has taken some of those questions and woven them into an exciting story which touches all readers at some level.
While much of Hoefling’s novel is believable, there are times when scepticism surfaces in the reader. It is at those times one needs to remember that this is a work of fiction based on speculative research. Hoefling, herself, admits that, although the protagonist, Akliah, and her sister Luluwa’s names are mentioned in extra-biblical texts as having been among Eve’s children, nothing more is known about them. Remembering that man was created to live forever also helps to bridge some of the scepticism.
The scheming of Satan, or Serpens as he is called in this story, is brought out clearly as is the way of atonement. Each character undergoes, in his/ her own way, the temptations first visited upon Adam and Eve. And each character must reach the promised salvation for him/herself.
While this novel does not undertake to answer all our questions about humanity’s beginnings, it does present some interesting possibilities and food for thought. And since there are no records of those days, other than God’s Genesis story, one person’s speculation about this history is just as valid as another’s. Hoefling has stayed true to the Genesis account and woven those few facts into an entertaining and thought-provoking story well worth the read.
I received a copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.

[Dani Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was drawn to the premise of this book, being both a lover and skeptic of monotheistic religions, unfortunately I was let down. The first 60% of the book (literally 60% according to my Kindle) was incredibly dull. I went to the book of Genesis and saw that Hoefling didn't have much to work with, so she should have embellished. In the last 40% of the book, where she let her creative thoughts flourish, was incredibly interesting. I feel like she was tied down to the limited paragraphs of Genesis until Cain left for Nod and suddenly she could finally "make up" the story. Hoefling should have taken that creative liberty throughout the entire novel, rather than just waiting until she didn't have to follow the outline of the Bible, which was sparse.

The last 40% of the book, I truly enjoyed. It took me half the time to get through those last chapters than it had to trudge through the dullness of the beginning. That being said, I quite liked her interpretation of the suffering felt by Adam and Eve at having been kicked out of paradise and the doubt posed by their children who could literally see the beauties of Eden and the divinity of God. Having Lilith, create paradise without substance was an interesting way to look at Satan's influence on the life of mortals. Aside from the dragging on of the first half of the book, it was an intriguing take on one of the oldest stories ever told.

[Maribeth Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Akliah’s story (a daughter of Adam and Eve)
Jean Hoefling makes the Genesis story come to life in this biblical novel. I enjoyed Akliah’s story and found her a bit frustrating in her lust for Cain, but as she grew as a character and became more reliant on God and stubbornly cared for her son in a dark world, telling him all the stories of her God and some of her family, I found that her character shone through. Ultimately this novel was really well-written and I liked Akliah and found her relatable. The hope of a Savior coming is a major part of the novel, and Akliah actually sees God (Jesus) with his hand wounds and he speaks to her. It was interesting that the author chose for Him to have his wounds before the crucifixion, but I found it very symbolic. Overall, this was a great novel.

[Avis Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a religious fiction story during the time of Adam and Eve. Their son’s Cain and Abel, of which most everyone knows, that Cain kills Abel because of jealousy. But what about Cain’s wife?
Fiercely in love with Cain, Akliah is determined to become his wife. But her schemes are shattered when Cain kills his brother, Abel, and abducts Akliah to Nod, east of Eden. Thee she grieves her mistakes and Cain spirals into ever-deepening tiers of delusion through his bondage to a beautiful fallen Angel.
When Akliah meets a man who offers her a chance for redemption, she is torn between an honest confession of her past and the longing to be loved. But her courage and devotion to truth will soon be challenged to death.

[Patricia Schudy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the idea of a fictional followup to the biblical story of Cain —the oldest son of the first family of Genesis who murdered his younger brother. I wanted to know what kind of woman the author imagined as Cain’s biblically unnamed wife who had, according to the accounts of Genesis, provided him with a son. Hoeffling’s knowledge of archaeolgy and of the beliefs of Judaism and Christianity lend credibility to her imaginings. Though at times slow-paced due to the author’s detailed descriptions, Hoefling’s story kept me reading to the book’s end. I recommend the book to anyone intrigued by “a story behind the story.”

[Sheila M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, let me state that I love Christian Biblical Fiction books! I have read hundreds of this type of genre, but to me, this book truly was one of my utmost favorites! The author wove a story of profound loss, love, hate and redemption based on the book of Genesis, but in a way that no other author has dared to go! She weaves a story that will intrigue, mesmerize and leaves you wanting more! You feel like you are there and you actually place yourself into the characters. You feel what they feel! Writing such as this is a God given talent and gift! I can not wait to read her next novel! I could not put this book down! It has everything including spiritual warfare! LOVE THIS BOOK!

[Kathy O'Dell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creatively interesting

I give the book 4 stars for extreme creativity and thought provoking content. I especially liked the love between Akliah and Eli's son.

[Laura Daw · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was very disappointing. It's not at all biblical, and went off in some strange directions.

[Sherry Frye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy of Eden

The author sure used her imagination!!! I found the book interesting!! Although I got lost keeping up with who each character was!

[Margaret Ashton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story woven from the "in-between" not mentioned in the account of Genesis. This well-researched and paced tale from the perspective of Cain's wife is a fun read with character development that makes them stay with you long after the book is finished. Highly recommend!

[Cathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reluctantly admit to not wanting to read yet another clichè-d Christian fiction that would leave me still hungering for some depth and meaning. However, I found this book to be riveting from cover to cover. But my favorite part was the beginning as the author artistically described the beauty and perfection of the original garden and what it must have been like for our progenitors to have been cast out. It's exactly as I have imagined but her words expressed a profound beauty that I loved. Without any reservation, I would highly recommend this book.

[Joanne Valcourt]

didn't like it

[Zu Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars, I really enjoyed this novel, I think Christian publishing could use more books like this! I couldn't put it down...

I do think this is a title that is most enjoyed if you already are a Christian and are familiar with the Genesis account. Not that you have to be to read it, but the beginning would probably seem to drag if you weren't. For me though, I loved getting such a long an in depth look at the psyche of these characters I was so familiar with in a new light. That's the thing about most of the Bible, the style of writing isn't meant to give you that super inside glimpse into people's thoughts and motivations. Reading this really made me consider how I as a Christian interpret my Bible and how we often misalign the Bible's true meaning.

How Jean interpreted the beliefs and feelings of all of these people struck a chord with me. Do I think this is a factual representation of what actually happened? No, but I don't think it was trying to be either. So many of christian books can come across as preachy and lack plot. The characters become shallow and predictable and the message tries to hold up everything else. Rather, I felt like the characters and plot held up the message, which is how it should be.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jean Hoefling has given us a plausible rendition of the Biblical account of mankind's first generation. The book has well written word pictures so you can imagine along with the author what it must have been like when creation was new. Several question arise in the Biblical account of mankind: Why did God not like Cain's sacrifice? What was the malice Cain had towards Able? Who were the wives of the sons of Adam and Eve? What were the Nephilim? What must it have been like to be cast out of paradise? What would have happened to the psyche of Adam and Eve because of this?

Full of adventure and good character development, Jean Hoefling invents some fiction that keeps the reader on the edge of your seat. She stays true to the Biblical narrative, and brings up some thought provoking questions about the role of evil in the world.

Akliah is the young daughter of Adam and Eve that is the focus of the story. Like many young people, she makes some bad choices. Jean takes us though a long adventure, so that Akliah can come to grips with what she has done, and who she really is.

[Corey Hatfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a historical fiction, Stephen Lawhead fan. I love his books because they are so well researched and descriptive. This book rivaled all of his books that I've read. It was creative and almost mythical, yet seemingly well researched. It was hard to distinguish the line between fact and fiction, which in my opinion made for a fast and interesting read. It was not cheesy Christian historical fiction which was also a plus for me. Even with holidays, I had a hard time putting it down. I was thoroughly engaged!