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Leaving Eden
Leaving Eden brilliantly brings to life the moment in our history when man-and woman-turned their backs on ancient laws in order to strike out in independence. Na'amah, Adam's daughter by his first wife Lilith, tells of the passing of the ancient Goddess and the birth of the new God.
When Lilith returns to her clan to reclaim Adam after a long absence, young Na'amah is thrilled to see her long lost mother. However, Adam has his sights set on Eve for his new wife. The ancient law of the Great Mother commands that no man may take a second wife while the children from his first union are still alive. But Adam has heard the word of the new God and is ready to take Eve and face the wrath of the Old Goddess.
When Lilith returns to her clan to reclaim Adam after a long absence, young Na'amah is thrilled to see her long lost mother. However, Adam has his sights set on Eve for his new wife. The ancient law of the Great Mother commands that no man may take a second wife while the children from his first union are still alive. But Adam has heard the word of the new God and is ready to take Eve and face the wrath of the Old Goddess.
256 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 15, 2023
I stopped reading for awhile before picking it back up again. And I'm glad I did. It gave me time to regroup and forget a huge chunk of the book that left me wanting to sleep.
I liked where the story went towards the end. It was interestingly full of what-ifs. I curiously wanted to know if they would have been expelled and how they would have reacted if they were, but the book didn't continue past the last, open-ended, chapter.
Would they blame Adam and Eve? Would the newly reborn Noreah even tell the story of how that came to be? After all, their sanctuary was infiltrated by both Adam and Eve's 'love'.
I felt like there could have been just a little more than what readers were given.
I liked where the story went towards the end. It was interestingly full of what-ifs. I curiously wanted to know if they would have been expelled and how they would have reacted if they were, but the book didn't continue past the last, open-ended, chapter.
Would they blame Adam and Eve? Would the newly reborn Noreah even tell the story of how that came to be? After all, their sanctuary was infiltrated by both Adam and Eve's 'love'.
I felt like there could have been just a little more than what readers were given.
August 13, 2009
Disappointing execution of a promising premise. At times clever, more often too clever, even more often superficial & irritatingly New Agey. In addition to the New Age ecology, there's cloying feminism, with Eve giving up the traditional solidarity among women for submission to Adam's will.
November 26, 2007
Leaving Eden starts out interesting, but the ending comes out of left field in my opinion.
July 4, 2008
An evolutionary version of Adam and Eve including Lilith.
Want to Read
January 8, 2017Adam and Lilith's daughter is determined Eve shall never be Adam's 2nd wife.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews