The Creation of Mankind As Told By Lilith—A Must Read
Ancient Historical Fiction, Mythology, Feminist Biblical Retelling
Alcove Press
October 10, 2023
ebook, audiobook, paperback
339
A triumphantly feminist retelling of ancient creation myths in the tradition of Madeline Miller and Claire North.
Lyrically rendered, this epic U.S. debut tells the story of the woman known as Adam's first wife and her fall from Paradise and quest for revenge.
Before Eve, there was Lilith.
Lilith and Adam are equal and happy in the Garden of Eden. Until Adam decides Lilith should submit to his will and lie beneath him. She refuses—and is banished forever from Paradise.
Demonized and sidelined, Lilith watches in fury as God creates Eve, the woman who accepts her submission. But Lilith has a secret: she has already tasted the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Endowed with Wisdom, she knows why Asherah—God’s wife and equal, the Queen of Heaven—is missing. Lilith has a plan: she will rescue Eve, find Asherah, restore balance to the world, and regain her rightful place in Paradise.
Lilith’s quest for justice drives her throughout history, from the ziggurats of Ancient Sumer, to the court of Israel’s Queen Jezebel, and to the side of a radical preacher in Roman Judea. Noah’s wife, Norea, Jezebel and Mary Magdalene all play their part in Lilith’s enlightenment. In the modern age, as she observes the catastrophic consequences of a world built on inequality, Lilith finally understands what must be done to correct the wrong done to women—and all humankind—at the beginning of time.
Inspired by ancient myths and suppressed scriptures, Lilith is a thought-provoking and ambitious novel with an evocative literary voice and a triumphantly engaging heroine.
“Gods are made by belief and unmade by disbelief.”
I don’t think Nikki Marmery could have timed her release of Lilith any better. Following the whirlwind summer full of Feminist icons: Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and the Barbie Movie–I believe readers all over the women can add Nikki Marmery and her main character, Lilith, to that list as well.
Marmery’s latest novel is written from the titled character’s voice. Lilith was one of two beings created by two married gods. The other being was Adam. Lilith’s story and journey begins when Adam numerous attempts at forcing her to submit begin to go too far. When once they were equals, to Adam females would be servants to man.
“This is why she is angry! The Holy Mother cannot tolerate such profanities. Her daughters to be traded like sacks of salt for the power of their wombs.”
After leaving Adam and Paradise, Lilith attempts to come to terms with the reasoning behind her existence. Why did Asherah create her? Where did Asherah go? And how can Lilith keep Asherah’s wishes for women alive? Asherah, in the simplest terms, is the female equivalent of the male God—his equal and wife. Her disappearance sends Lilith’s journey to the forefront of the novel.
Spanning millennia, Lilith is a tale of women’s enduring feminism despite so much that men bring against them. Following most of the high points as told in the Bible, Lilith is a novel that would have made me question my religious upbringing if I hadn’t given up religion years ago. While I realize leaving organized religion is not the point of Lilith, the strong voice and feminist tones are prevalent and well-stated throughout the entirety of Lilith. Even with the difficult themes and hard scenes with so much sorrow and sadness, Lilith remains true to her original cause. Each theme of violence was handled in a way that didn’t trigger me, but perhaps consider that violent acts like those depicted in the Bible occur within Lilith as their tales are interwoven.
“Men’s early power flowed from their sole male god who endured, still. Nothing would change until this god, too, was defeated. Until we became our own gods, as Asherah intended.”
I couldn’t put Lilith down. Nikki Marmery’s prose is engrossing and evocative. I admired Lilith’s strength in the face of so much sorrow and opposition. Her faith in women, and Asherah may wane, but it never breaks. After so much time, and so much atrocity, Lilith continues to see the good in women and her enduring belief to pass on the eternal knowledge of Wisdom throughout so many countless generations of women that stem from the very first woman she attempted to save: Eve. I am so wholly impressed by Nikki Marmery and the tale of Liliththat she has shared with us all. Lilith’s ire and fury are my own. The disbelief that Lilith had for men to subjugate women so easily for their own benefit and in the name of religion is mine as well.
From Paradise to the Great Flood, The Gates of Hell and the Fall of Babylon, Lilith is a triumphant novel. This is a must read for women who need to know that there is someone on their side. Lilith is a tale of enduring sisterhood, and one that that feels like a warm embrace from all womankind to every woman.
Jes is a self-proclaimed bookworm, who recently moved from the PNW back to the Midwest. When her nose isn’t in a book, she’s spending time with her husband, two kids, and her three fur babies, or exploring the globe. She also firmly believes that you should start the day with coffee, and end the day in bed with a good book.