THE GARDEN
Elsie V. Aidinoff, . . HarperTempest, $15.99 (416pp) ISBN 978-0-06-055606-8
In Aidinoff's provocative debut, God has given Eve to the Serpent to raise while He rears Adam. As the book opens, narrator Eve is just coming to consciousness, and her sense of wonder as the Serpent introduces her to her surroundings is one of the novel's strengths; it also sets the stage for Eve's later decision to eat the apple. The author characterizes the Serpent as the embodiment of Reason, Justice and Wisdom, whereas most of the time God comes through as a rather two-dimensional fiery Old Testament deity. One day God becomes impatient to discover whether or not he's designed the male and female to procreate properly, so he rushes Adam and Eve into intercourse ("It's just that—I want to see it happen, so I
Reviewed on: 04/26/2004
Genre: Children's
Hardcover - 403 pages - 978-0-385-60894-7
Hardcover - 403 pages - 978-0-06-055605-1
Paperback - 403 pages - 978-0-09-948407-3
Paperback - 416 pages - 978-0-06-055607-5