E.A.G.L.E:

by Stéphanie Cousté

You don't read a book, you are not watching a movie... You are reading a movie... Story written in the form of screenplay. Après la perte de son père qui la marque profondément, Stéphanie Cousté imagine cette histoire en film et en écrit le scénario. Quelques années plus tard, elle nous traduit "son film imaginé" en livre, à travers une histoire pleine de questions, de recherches de soi et de réponses à tant de contradictions de la vie. L'éternel combat existentiel de ne pas accepter la disparition des êtres chers, sous un fond de film d'action, confrontant le monde scientifique au surnaturel, qui peut-être, au final, ne sont pas si opposés que cela. Une aventure dans laquelle on progresse et découvre à travers le personnage "Eagle", accompagnée de son aigle, guide et conscience ? A la recherche d'un passé, seule clef de son possible futur salvateur. America, beginning of the new millennium. Jack Thomas, a genius in human sciences and high technology, is a scientist working for the American government. After 20 years of research, he has just completed a project with a view to saving the human race in case of an the creation of a being (a young woman, “Eagle”) who concentrates in her brain exceptional knowledge essential for the reconstruction of human society. In order for her to survive the Apocalypse, he has developed all her primary senses to maximum potential, and especially her survival instinct. The time has now come to test the project by releasing her in the middle of nowhere and to see whether her autonomy and survival instincts are operational or not. All within the time lapse of one month. This biological machine, outcome of long, arduous scientific research, conceived with the sole aim of recreating and procreating, is basically devoid of spirit, conscience, subconscious, and of course of feeling. These aspects have been carefully analyzed in order to avoid all the weakness typical of the human being. By some mysterious occurrence, perhaps accidental, a soul has taken possession of her body and simultaneously manifests itself physically as an eagle which will guide her, will sometimes replace her own eyes and protect her along the way. A sinuous path in search of its identity. The confrontation, which since the beginning of time opposes the world of science with the esoteric world (in the present case, reincarnation in the traditions and religious beliefs of the American Indians), will disappear for the first time. Two worlds completely distinct are at last going to merge… The exception which proves the rule.

135 pages, Paperback

Published August 23, 2018

About the author

I’m a French passionate creator, 80% self-taught. My first career was as a professional rider, driven by my love for nature, animals, and sports. A serious riding accident changed the course of my life and led me to my second passions: images and storytelling, which opened the doors to cinema.

Over the years, I explored nearly every aspect of film creation — from set design to camera work to animation — building a broad vision of visual narration. This eclectic journey naturally led me to writing and to my lifelong project: E.A.G.L.E.

First imagined as a feature screenplay in 1998, then adapted into a novel in 2016, both works have now been translated into English and updated to resonate with today’s world.
E.A.G.L.E. is a visually powerful story about resilience, the unbreakable bond between Human, Animal, and Nature, and the courage to always rise again — a reflection of my deepest values.

My little reading tip :) If you read this book, imagine the role of "Jack" played by Robert Redford, at the age he was in "The Horse Whisperer" ;-)

Reviews

[Lukas Eberhard · Rating 5 out of 5]

E.A.G.L.E is a well-written novel that dares being more than just an action spectacle. The writer is building suspense by letting the reader get to know Eagle, Reg and the mysterious Jack and their personalities before shifting the pace in the second half of the novel. The writing is enjoyable and the author is managing to keep the attention high even when exploring human nature and the more complex side of relationships.

While the dialogue is building a unique voice for every charcter, there could be a bit more to build upon the subtext. But this is only a minor criticism, since the structure of the novel is building suspense right until the end and the elegant prose allows the story to move forward and make the read effortless. E.A.G.L.E feels like a screenplay novelization, which is its strength, not downfall. And while it is sometimes testing the limits of suspension of disbelief, the author, Stéphanie Cousté, manages the balance between character development, plausibility and action with impressive skill. Eagle's connection to horses and the eagle watching over her and the peaceful episodes spent on Reg's rural farm outside of Washington D.C. give the reader a close and almost intimate look on her true character.

For anyone enjoying an adventurous read with strong and humane characters at its core, E.A.G.L.E is a great novel to enjoy instead of watching a Hollywood blockbuster.