Eve is not someone we have a lot of information of in the Bible. We know she was created to be Adam’s helpmate, taken from his rib. She’s the first to succumb to the serpent and receives the curse that she will bring forth children in pain and that her desire will be to her husband. She gives birth to Cain, Abel, and Seth + other children obviously. Beyond that? Nothing else. So a lot is left to the imagination. Jill Eileen Smith attempts to chronicle the life of the first woman God brought into being and life after Eve and Adam fell. 

Is it compelling? Definitely. I was surprised and appreciated Mrs. Smith tackling the creation of the angels, satan’s fall, and the divine counsel of the Godhead concerning the creation of the world and man. My only complaint is that they were brief and mostly scattered, as if the author was unsure how far to go with those scenes. But moving on. 

I loved how the description of the idyllic life Eve lived with Adam. Freedom to roam, time spent with her beloved Adam, and best of all, fellowship with the Father. No hours spent looking at the sky wondering if there was a Creator or where He was. No, God Himself came down to walk and sit with the children He had formed with His own hands. 

Then there is the fall, and life isn’t perfect anymore. It’s sweat and tears, loneliness and bitter regret. Both Adam and Eve now struggle to adapt to the new state of things and even with their own feelings regarding each other. I can’t say I liked how Adam was portrayed in this. Adam came across as a selfish and sullen cur with anger issues he’d take on Eve, because he blamed her for eating the fruit. While we did touch on the anger at his own inaction, most of it was focused on blaming Eve. Plus, he’d struggle with not wanting to ask God for any help learning to live, because he wanted to do everything himself. Personally, I feel if you’re walking and talking with the Creator and experiencing perfect fellowship every day, then go to almost nothing, you’d be grieving like you lost a loved one. Not looking to prove you can do everything yourself. If anything, you’d be doing that after a few centuries.  

With Eve, she too avoided calling on God’s help, but it was done a little differently. Eve truly missed God’s presence and love, and she continually felt like a failure and wondered whether God still loved her for what she had done. Which I can totally appreciate and expect, because I think it’s only natural. But it really grated because of the lack of remorse you saw with Adam.

The rest of the story focuses on Adam and Eve learning how to survive in their fallen world and building a civilization. There’s a lot of fast-forwarding through the years and even centuries which does tend to jar the story a bit. You have mini-subplots that will encompass a couple chapters, get resolved, then zoom! We’ve advanced another century or decade. I’m not saying the subplots were not interesting. Conflicts with their now-grown children who are now questioning the Creator’s ways, the devil’s plans to corrupt man with the fallen angels, a rescue, Enoch’s attempts to warn humanity to repent—it’s all enough to keep you turning the pages. But it’s far too brief before you’re carried along to the next part in the story.

But finally you reach the end. And while I think it could have been done differently, it was still sweet and beautiful as Eve gets to meet God once more and understands how much she is still and forever loved.  

Gripes aside, it was still a poignant story with a lot of lessons to learn. But the most important is while we see the price of disobedience, we see also that God’s mercy is never-ending and He will never desert you or stop loving you. And that is what will stick with you long after closing the pages. 

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review. The views expressed are completely my own.

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Two posts from me on here within the same month. Talk about shocking, isn’t it? *smiles* Anyway, since this blog has been languishing in the hole for a bit, I decided to post a review on some poetry on here that I wrote up on my other blog, A Dark Wolf’s Haunt. So without any further ado…

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I recently finished reading two books of poetry by author Ophelia-Marie Flowers, and as they were so good, I decided to write up a review on them.

The two books from the author are Sixteen So in Love with You, and Zeal Aspiring. Now I’ve never been a fan of poetry. I rarely read any, and as for writing them, I think there is only one I can say that I ever wrote. When I started reading these books, however, I was immediately captivated by what lay on each page.

There several poems that deal with life’s questions, the pain many of us go through and hide from others, and our struggle to be different from the rest of the world. And in every one, God’s power is always present. Each poem is a heartfelt reminder of God’s goodness and mercy, and reminds us that no matter what, no matter how many times we think we know it all and fail, God is always there to take our hand and pick us up.

Sixteen So in Love with You, and Zeal Aspiring are both uplifting and inspiring. They are books that not only glorify God, but also His unfailing love towards us, His children. Whether or not you’re a fan of poetry, if you’re looking for a word of encouragement, or a simple reminder of God’s love, I highly recommend buying these books by Ophelia-Marie Flowers. You won’t be disappointed.