Rewriting Adam

by Connie Mae Inglis

In this debut novel from Connie Mae Inglis, readers travel with Ethan Adam on his quest to find answers to questions he has barely articulated.



All his life, Ethan's felt betrayed by the ones he's loved.



Feeling homeless, and without hope, Ethan travels from the Canadian prairies to Southeast Asia, searching for he knows not what.



When his path crosses with an archaeologist heading to an unexplored area of northern Myanmar, Ethan goes on a journey into an Edenesque world of welcoming telepathic humans, strange voices, and a cunning enemy. For what purpose? He doesn't know.



Can he figure it out? And through it, will he discover the true meaning of home?



About the Author

Connie Mae Inglis has a passion to share stories. She has spent much of the last 25 years in Southeast Asia with her husband and children, serving as a literacy specialist, teacher, and editor. This cross-cultural living has fed her curiosity and given her lots of material for telling stories, always with the desire to offer restoration hope. Connie has published poetry, short stories, and devotionals in several magazines and collections. She and her husband divide their time between Alberta, Canada, and Southeast Asia. Rewriting Adam is her first novel. 

356 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 22, 2021

About the author

Connie Mae Inglis has a passion to share stories. She has spent much of the last 25 years in Southeast Asia with her husband and children, serving as a literacy specialist, teacher, and editor. This cross-cultural living has fed her curiosity and given her lots of material for telling stories, always with the desire to offer restoration hope. Connie has published poetry, short stories, and devotionals in several magazines and book collections. When she's not writing or editing, she's spending time being a grandma. Now, she and her husband divide their time between Alberta, Canada and Southeast Asia. Rewriting Adam is her first novel.

Reviews

[Fred Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read my fair share of fantasy novels, but I have never before encountered a world like that created by Connie Mae Inglis in her book Rewriting Adam. I have also read by fair share of theology books, but I have never met an interpretation of the Trinity like that which Connie Mae Inglis has presented. Good fantasy novels challenge our way of looking at our own world, of facing our own encounters with evil and of overcoming evil with good. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for hope and encouragement, who also loves exploring strange, new worlds.

[Travis Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inglis takes us on a Crichtonesqe adventure into the jungles of Thailand with a gold digger and a young man who has questions about why everyone in his life has made him so miserable. Early on she hints that the protagonist is on a Lewis Carroll adventure, but that rabbit hole is a feint that drops you into the middle of an altogether different adventure that has more in common with C. S. Lewis’s science fiction worlds or Tolkein’s Eä.

Well written, Inglis as narrator never distracts; inventive, just recognizable enough to cause culture shock; and evangelical, while also delightfully allegorical yet never preachy, Rewriting Adam sets a new standard for Christian science fiction that will get stuck in your head like a tune you want to keep on humming.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! The literary style, the international flavour, the fantastical intrigue. Thank you, Connie.

[Cindy Buckshon · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great read

I enjoyed the contrast of reality and stunningly beautiful imagination in this book. It is a story of hope that will appeal to most people.

[Eleanor Bertin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inglis's lyrical writing and detailed knowledge of the exotic Far East setting made this an intriguing read. Even more fascinating, to me was the exploration of an imaginary Eden. Exactly what would that fabled land have been like? What would human beings, untainted by dark urges and tendencies, have been like? I loved how the author portrayed the bubbling-over joy and robust zest for life these unsullied ones have. No ethereal wraiths here!
There's a strong emphasis on human will and choice in the book that doesn't quite square with that pull to the dark side we all experience, but the author does manage to examine the clash between a perfect world and the one we live in.
More from this writer would be welcome.

[Robert Stermscheg · Rating 4 out of 5]

It liked the story. A young man, Ethan, alone, discouraged, at fhe end of his rope. Inglis takes the reader into another world, Myanmar. That’s where Ethan has a chance at redemption . I found myself drawn into the story, hoping things would turn around for Ethan.
Inglis, through her rich storytelling, delivers a satisfying read. Check it out for yourself.

[N. MacCameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meeting people who eat different foods, wear different clothes, and speak different languages is fun and exciting. Travel widens our perspective. But what happens when we move and those people become our daily contacts? What if we didn't mean to go there, or were taken by our parents because of their jobs?
Ethan Adam , the main character in Rewriting Adam by Connie Mae Inglis, has clear thoughts and ideas about how life should be, how people should interact, and how he should be rewarded for living the life he thinks is a good one. Suddenly he finds himself transported into a culture he has to discover by trial and error, lots of error. Life is almost completely opposite to what he expects. People interact in really weird ways, and he finds out that his reward is not coming to him like he wants.
I have had these experiences and found Ethan very easy to relate to and identify with. His flawed humanity is realistically written, as is his confusion and battle to prove that he has worth, even when the rules change. The people who help him along the way are compassionate, and yet they never force the issue with him. He is free to investigate and question, and eventually choose the way as it seems right to him.
We all need encouragement to do this. Too many books are written from a legalistic point of view, almost like Ethan takes at the beginning. "My way or the highway."
I find Connie Mae Inglis's book a refreshing story of freedom and healing. The message of hope and compassion for people struggling with the impossibilities of life, the questions that are not easily answered, and the answers that are looking for satisfying questions, pours forth in her delightful, imaginative, and redemptive novel, Rewriting Adam.

[James Inglis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely refreshing, in terms of fantasy tropes that deal with theological matters. Few attempt it, and even fewer are this imaginative and endearing in doing so.

Connie writes with deep characterization and realism. I found myself drawn into her protagonist as if living in their shoes. The supporting cast is developed just as well.

The style is clear, consice, and easy on the eyes. Rewriting Adam contains vivid details of foreign lands, with a perspective only a true traveller - such as Connie is - can provide.

Great novel for all ages, teen to adult. There is something to experience here. And not only experience - but to be challenged while in the midst of it.

God is not an easy topic to write about and interpret - let alone in the context of representing the trinity.

[Avery Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rewriting Adam is a thought-provoking and imaginative story that blends adventure, spiritual depth, and emotional healing. Connie Mae Inglis takes readers on a journey that begins in the loneliness of the Canadian prairies and stretches all the way to the mysterious landscapes of Southeast Asia mirroring Ethan’s inner search for belonging, purpose, and truth.

Ethan is a deeply compelling character, shaped by betrayal and a sense of rootlessness. His decision to leave everything behind leads him to an unexpected adventure with an archaeologist, pulling him into an uncharted region of northern Myanmar. What he discovers there is both wondrous and unsettling: an Eden-like world of telepathic humans, haunting voices, and a hidden enemy whose intentions challenge everything Ethan believes about himself.

[Karlissa J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read this book twice now. Vivid descriptions of Thailand and Myanmar, thoughtful poetry, haunting ghost stories, fascinating myths, and an Edenic realm - such an interesting combination of elements, all woven together by the protagonist's believable spiritual journey. And I find myself reflecting on the author's portrayals of Lyric and Melody. Enjoyable read!