Story Behind The Book
A Wall of Eden began as a writing project. The challenge: Take an existing plot with which everyone is familiar. Without changing the story or its outcome, make it fresh and new. The story of the Garden of Eden was chosen because, in addition to being a familiar story, it is one which allows no references to the past. It also precludes the use of modern axioms and idioms. For example, neither Adam nor Eve could have been depicted as 'being so happy that they did cartwheels'. No cart, no wheels. As the writing of the story progressed, another challenge presented itself. Portray the characters (Adam, Eve, the Serpent, the Lord) in such a way that the reader can start to see himself in the story. The story of Adam and Eve, like the rest of the Bible, has to be seen as each of our stories, else it is nothing but history at best, or even irrelevant myth or fable at worst. I once saw, in a college curriculum, a course called The Bible As Literature. I never did sign up for the course, but the name stuck in mind over the years. A Wall in Eden is 'the Bible as literature', or at least an entertaining, made-up story with familiar characters and themes.