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Waiting for Eden
Eden Malcom lies in a bed, unable to move or to speak, imprisoned in his own mind. His wife Mary spends every day on the sofa in his hospital room. He has never even met their young daughter. And he will never again see the friend and fellow soldier who didn't make it back home—and who narrates the novel. But on Christmas, the one day Mary is not at his bedside, Eden's re-ordered consciousness comes flickering alive. As he begins to find a way to communicate, some troubling truths about his marriage—and about his life before he went to war—come to the surface. Is Eden the same man he once was: a husband, a friend, a father-to-be? What makes a life worth living?
192 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2018
239 people are currently reading
7327 people want to read
About the author
Elliot Ackerman
17 books679 followersELLIOT ACKERMAN is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Halcyon, 2034, Red Dress In Black and White, Waiting for Eden, Dark at the Crossing, and Green on Blue, as well as the memoir The Fifth Act: America’s End in Afghanistan, and Places and Names: On War, Revolution and Returning. His books have been nominated for the National Book Award, the Andrew Carnegie Medal in both fiction and nonfiction, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize among others. He is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and Marine veteran who served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart. He divides his time between New York City and Washington, D.C.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 763 reviews
October 7, 2018
Many moons ago, when I was a junior in high school I read a book for my contemporary history class, called, Johnny got his gun. Several years back I read a novel called, Never let you go, and I had such a strong, visceral reation to those two books that they haunt me to this day. This book will join that list. In this slim, relatively short book, Ackerman has penned a powerful narrative on the horrible cost of war. Centering this story, that I'm sure is a reality for some, on only a few people, and limiting the setting to only what is necessary, he has created an insular novel, from which it is hard to look away. The narrative voice, a friend of Edens, takes us back and forth, but only as far as what the reader needs to know. How Eden got here, and how his wife and daughter, Tangled their lives together. We also hear the inner thoughts of Eden as he lays in his bed.
Waiting, the many who wait, for news of their loved ones, for lives to restart, for healing, moments of grace, and of course waiting for death. The terribly, high costs of wars that seem to gain do little, but cost so much. The author also employed what I consider another masterful stroke, a repeating description of something that brings out the human side of Eden, making him personal and memorable to the reader. In the novel, She rides Shotgun, the author used a teddy bear that talked and emoted, I won't forget that detail and hence for me it made the book unforgettable. Here,the detail is not as innocuous or harmless as a teddy. I won't tell you what it is but it is equally if not more so memorable.
This is not a happy, little book, but a necessary one. A wake up call, a shock if you will to those of us lucky enough not to be waiting, not to be personally involved in the horrible effects or after effects of war. Those of us who can sit on our couches and just watch various scenes play out on the television. I won't forget this incredibly powerful and moving story.
ARC from Edelweiss
Waiting, the many who wait, for news of their loved ones, for lives to restart, for healing, moments of grace, and of course waiting for death. The terribly, high costs of wars that seem to gain do little, but cost so much. The author also employed what I consider another masterful stroke, a repeating description of something that brings out the human side of Eden, making him personal and memorable to the reader. In the novel, She rides Shotgun, the author used a teddy bear that talked and emoted, I won't forget that detail and hence for me it made the book unforgettable. Here,the detail is not as innocuous or harmless as a teddy. I won't tell you what it is but it is equally if not more so memorable.
This is not a happy, little book, but a necessary one. A wake up call, a shock if you will to those of us lucky enough not to be waiting, not to be personally involved in the horrible effects or after effects of war. Those of us who can sit on our couches and just watch various scenes play out on the television. I won't forget this incredibly powerful and moving story.
ARC from Edelweiss
October 19, 2018
A soldier lies in a hospital bed, charred beyond recognition.
His wife and the ghost of his friend, whom narrates this, wait for him in death.
After 3 years, he becomes conscious- unable to communicate but memories flood back.
Wow. Amazingly descriptive writing- disturbingly so. A heartbreaking read bringing back the realities of war and the loss for those who go, those who return and the families left to cope.
This was a stunning but too short of a read. I’m left feeling haunted.
4.5⭐️
His wife and the ghost of his friend, whom narrates this, wait for him in death.
After 3 years, he becomes conscious- unable to communicate but memories flood back.
Wow. Amazingly descriptive writing- disturbingly so. A heartbreaking read bringing back the realities of war and the loss for those who go, those who return and the families left to cope.
This was a stunning but too short of a read. I’m left feeling haunted.
4.5⭐️
May 16, 2025
ASPETTA E SPERA
Il luogo dell’incidente (esplosione) in Iraq.
Comincerei a ragionare sul titolo. Su quanto sia banale “Aspettando il cielo”, che a me fa pensare a quegli sceneggiati televisivi che non finiscono mai, durano vent’anni e centinaia d’episodi. Tipo Love Boat, La casa nella prateria… Quelli che si guardavano prima che i Sopranos rivoluzionassero il linguaggio televisivo e cinematografico e nascessero le moderne serie.
Il titolo originale è Waiting for Eden, dove Eden potrebbe sì essere l’eden, e quindi il paradiso, e quindi il cielo: ma in realtà è il nome di battesimo del personaggio protagonista.
E la persona che lo sta aspettando, che sta aspettando Eden, è sua moglie Mary.
Lo aspetta per oltre tre anni: Eden torna dall’Iraq (che nella bandella dell’edizione italiana diventa Afghanistan, chissà perché) ridotto molto male. Il mezzo su cui viaggiava nella valle di Hamrin è saltato su una bomba, lui è l’unico sopravvissuto, tutti gli altri sono morti.
Ma “sopravvissuto” è parola grossa. E forse perfino “lui” è un termine esagerato: perché quello che torna a casa e sopravvive per oltre tre anni nel letto di un ospedale militare per grandi ustionati, collegato a macchine e perennemente monitorato, è un tronco senza estremità.
Dell’uomo che pesava centodieci chili ed era una forza della natura che amici e commilitoni chiamavano affettuosamente BASE Jump sono rimasti trentacinque chili. Il cervello è danneggiato, la vista più che appannata.
L’unica attività che sembra in grado di compiere è battere i denti. E con quelli al momento clou lancerà un segnale messaggio in alfabeto codificato tipo morse.
Mary non è l’unica ad aspettare Eden che si capisce subito bene viene tenuto in vita più in attesa di un miracolo che nelle certezza scientifica di una qualche forma d’esistenza.
Ad aspettare Eden c’è anche il narratore, forse il migliore amico di Eden, amico e più che amico anche di Mary. Di lui non conosciamo mai il nome, ma sappiamo che era sullo stesso mezzo saltato in aria: lui, il narratore, non ce l’ha fatta, non è sopravvissuto, è morto, e si considera più fortunato di Eden.
Tutto questo si apprende nell’incipit, nelle prime scarse quindici righe.
Aspettando Eden, questo suo amico e commilitone (entrambi col grado di caporale, il che vuol dire che avevano un paio d’anni più dei soldati della loro squadra) ci racconta tutta la storia. Di Eden, Mary, la sua, e quella di Andy, la figlia di Mary, che nasce quando Eden è già un rottame umano sul letto d’ospedale. Andy, diminutivo di Andromeda.
Elliot Ackerman è stato soldato, ha avuto una carriera militare, onorificenze, ha combattuto sia in Afghanistan che in Iraq. Ed è la dimostrazione, se mai fosse necessaria, che anche un orrore come la guerra può generare qualcosa di bello: in questo caso bella narrativa, buona letteratura. Sono contento d’averlo incontrato e credo che adesso andrò a prendermi i suoi primi libri, visto che questo è il terzo.
Il luogo dell’incidente (esplosione) in Iraq.
Comincerei a ragionare sul titolo. Su quanto sia banale “Aspettando il cielo”, che a me fa pensare a quegli sceneggiati televisivi che non finiscono mai, durano vent’anni e centinaia d’episodi. Tipo Love Boat, La casa nella prateria… Quelli che si guardavano prima che i Sopranos rivoluzionassero il linguaggio televisivo e cinematografico e nascessero le moderne serie.
Il titolo originale è Waiting for Eden, dove Eden potrebbe sì essere l’eden, e quindi il paradiso, e quindi il cielo: ma in realtà è il nome di battesimo del personaggio protagonista.
E la persona che lo sta aspettando, che sta aspettando Eden, è sua moglie Mary.
Lo aspetta per oltre tre anni: Eden torna dall’Iraq (che nella bandella dell’edizione italiana diventa Afghanistan, chissà perché) ridotto molto male. Il mezzo su cui viaggiava nella valle di Hamrin è saltato su una bomba, lui è l’unico sopravvissuto, tutti gli altri sono morti.
Ma “sopravvissuto” è parola grossa. E forse perfino “lui” è un termine esagerato: perché quello che torna a casa e sopravvive per oltre tre anni nel letto di un ospedale militare per grandi ustionati, collegato a macchine e perennemente monitorato, è un tronco senza estremità.
Dell’uomo che pesava centodieci chili ed era una forza della natura che amici e commilitoni chiamavano affettuosamente BASE Jump sono rimasti trentacinque chili. Il cervello è danneggiato, la vista più che appannata.
L’unica attività che sembra in grado di compiere è battere i denti. E con quelli al momento clou lancerà un segnale messaggio in alfabeto codificato tipo morse.
Mary non è l’unica ad aspettare Eden che si capisce subito bene viene tenuto in vita più in attesa di un miracolo che nelle certezza scientifica di una qualche forma d’esistenza.
Ad aspettare Eden c’è anche il narratore, forse il migliore amico di Eden, amico e più che amico anche di Mary. Di lui non conosciamo mai il nome, ma sappiamo che era sullo stesso mezzo saltato in aria: lui, il narratore, non ce l’ha fatta, non è sopravvissuto, è morto, e si considera più fortunato di Eden.
Tutto questo si apprende nell’incipit, nelle prime scarse quindici righe.
Aspettando Eden, questo suo amico e commilitone (entrambi col grado di caporale, il che vuol dire che avevano un paio d’anni più dei soldati della loro squadra) ci racconta tutta la storia. Di Eden, Mary, la sua, e quella di Andy, la figlia di Mary, che nasce quando Eden è già un rottame umano sul letto d’ospedale. Andy, diminutivo di Andromeda.
Elliot Ackerman è stato soldato, ha avuto una carriera militare, onorificenze, ha combattuto sia in Afghanistan che in Iraq. Ed è la dimostrazione, se mai fosse necessaria, che anche un orrore come la guerra può generare qualcosa di bello: in questo caso bella narrativa, buona letteratura. Sono contento d’averlo incontrato e credo che adesso andrò a prendermi i suoi primi libri, visto che questo è il terzo.
November 24, 2018
So incredibly sad!
I rarely read books like this. Heck, I’ve never read a book like this.
The Iraq war - 15 years in at least seven countries-
yet -it’s hard to feel the magnitude of how much this war has affected my life.... and my kids lives.
I don’t know what I don’t know.
This book has the potential to change thoughts in people. It has me.
Mary is waiting for Eden: her husband to wake up and return to her.
He’s returned from the war barely alive. His body is in horrific physical shambles.
Eden’s dead friend, the narrator of this novel, is waiting for Eden to join him on his side: death’s side.
Every day of ‘our’ lives we ‘wait’ for something ....
not as extreme as sitting next to a blind - deaf - burned - soldier with a third of his brain totally damaged- with no legs.....
but we wait.
To me there are a half dozen ways we might look at this book...
It’s BRILLIANT!!
The plot itself is simple and easy to follow...
yet, we as readers are invited to examine... “what ‘did’ we just read?”... and keep looking....
...Its a story about the horrors of war, about a marriage, a troubled marriage, about betrayal, about the tedious predictable days of our lives, about loneliness, about pain and suffering, about having no voice, about children and choices we make for them, about control and no control, and about life and death choices.
It’s also a very introspective book: What would we do in these situations?
...This small novel packs a punch.
...Three memorable characters.
...Deeply felt, devastating, sad, - but not in a
bubbly- crying - way.
Outstanding as can be!!!
5+ stars!!
I rarely read books like this. Heck, I’ve never read a book like this.
The Iraq war - 15 years in at least seven countries-
yet -it’s hard to feel the magnitude of how much this war has affected my life.... and my kids lives.
I don’t know what I don’t know.
This book has the potential to change thoughts in people. It has me.
Mary is waiting for Eden: her husband to wake up and return to her.
He’s returned from the war barely alive. His body is in horrific physical shambles.
Eden’s dead friend, the narrator of this novel, is waiting for Eden to join him on his side: death’s side.
Every day of ‘our’ lives we ‘wait’ for something ....
not as extreme as sitting next to a blind - deaf - burned - soldier with a third of his brain totally damaged- with no legs.....
but we wait.
To me there are a half dozen ways we might look at this book...
It’s BRILLIANT!!
The plot itself is simple and easy to follow...
yet, we as readers are invited to examine... “what ‘did’ we just read?”... and keep looking....
...Its a story about the horrors of war, about a marriage, a troubled marriage, about betrayal, about the tedious predictable days of our lives, about loneliness, about pain and suffering, about having no voice, about children and choices we make for them, about control and no control, and about life and death choices.
It’s also a very introspective book: What would we do in these situations?
...This small novel packs a punch.
...Three memorable characters.
...Deeply felt, devastating, sad, - but not in a
bubbly- crying - way.
Outstanding as can be!!!
5+ stars!!
November 4, 2018
The opening line:
“I want you to understand Mary and what she did. But I don’t know if you will. You’ve got to wonder if in the end you’d make the same choice, circumstances being similar, or even the same, God help you.”
This book captivated me from the first line to the last. This is a powerful, heartbreaking read that should not be missed.
The omniscient narrator is a dead soldier who served with his best friend, Eden, who now lies in a hospital bed with devastating injuries from the same blast that killed our narrator. Actually, devastating doesn’t come close to describing the horrific injuries and burns that have left him a shell of a man.
The unnamed narrator, who is a friend to both Eden and Mary, goes back and forth in time fluidly to give us a better understanding of the characters. Eden’s wife Mary is a complicated character who has been holding vigil over Eden for 3 years. Her backstory has left her guilty and conflicted, but her love for Eden is never in doubt.
Nothing I can say will do this book justice. It’s a slim volume but is very powerful. It will have you questioning and considering what it means to be alive, what war does to our veterans and the families they leave behind, the loyalty between soldiers, and the nature of marriage, love and friendship.
This is a haunting story, one I won’t soon forget. The topic is a heavy one and the fact that it is slim volume makes it easier to bear. Highly, highly recommended. It has earned a place on my keeper shelf. An easy 5 stars!
“I want you to understand Mary and what she did. But I don’t know if you will. You’ve got to wonder if in the end you’d make the same choice, circumstances being similar, or even the same, God help you.”
This book captivated me from the first line to the last. This is a powerful, heartbreaking read that should not be missed.
The omniscient narrator is a dead soldier who served with his best friend, Eden, who now lies in a hospital bed with devastating injuries from the same blast that killed our narrator. Actually, devastating doesn’t come close to describing the horrific injuries and burns that have left him a shell of a man.
The unnamed narrator, who is a friend to both Eden and Mary, goes back and forth in time fluidly to give us a better understanding of the characters. Eden’s wife Mary is a complicated character who has been holding vigil over Eden for 3 years. Her backstory has left her guilty and conflicted, but her love for Eden is never in doubt.
Nothing I can say will do this book justice. It’s a slim volume but is very powerful. It will have you questioning and considering what it means to be alive, what war does to our veterans and the families they leave behind, the loyalty between soldiers, and the nature of marriage, love and friendship.
This is a haunting story, one I won’t soon forget. The topic is a heavy one and the fact that it is slim volume makes it easier to bear. Highly, highly recommended. It has earned a place on my keeper shelf. An easy 5 stars!
August 15, 2023
***10 STARS if I could***
This haunting novella is a story of a gravely wounded Iraq veteran, partially blind, brain damaged and near comatose. He lives on for three years by the miracle of modern medicine and his wife, Mary’s refusal to pull the plug.
The narrator is this soldier’s unnamed Marine Corps buddy who was killed in the same IED explosion that injured Eden. He tells the story from beyond the grave of a complicated relationship between the three of them prior to deployment.
It’s such an intimate portrayal of grief that begins even before death…hence the title. Mary never leaves his side and struggles with her decision of whether or not to take her husband off life support even as she wishes him to die.
I rarely read war novels but this book wasn’t about war. It details what happened to Eden because of the war. It was powerful, evocative and full of symbolism revealing the human cost of America’s endless wars. This story gutted me.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
This haunting novella is a story of a gravely wounded Iraq veteran, partially blind, brain damaged and near comatose. He lives on for three years by the miracle of modern medicine and his wife, Mary’s refusal to pull the plug.
The narrator is this soldier’s unnamed Marine Corps buddy who was killed in the same IED explosion that injured Eden. He tells the story from beyond the grave of a complicated relationship between the three of them prior to deployment.
It’s such an intimate portrayal of grief that begins even before death…hence the title. Mary never leaves his side and struggles with her decision of whether or not to take her husband off life support even as she wishes him to die.
I rarely read war novels but this book wasn’t about war. It details what happened to Eden because of the war. It was powerful, evocative and full of symbolism revealing the human cost of America’s endless wars. This story gutted me.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
March 4, 2019
4.5
Eden Malcom is in a place that no one should ever have to be... his previous 220 pound body is just a 70 lb. charred mass and they’ve cut all of him off up to the torso. He’s also unable to move or speak, trapped inside his mind... he’s a casualty of war.
This story is about three main people.. Eden, his wife, and his friend and fellow soldier who didn’t make it out alive.
A haunting read, but a necessary one.
Eden Malcom is in a place that no one should ever have to be... his previous 220 pound body is just a 70 lb. charred mass and they’ve cut all of him off up to the torso. He’s also unable to move or speak, trapped inside his mind... he’s a casualty of war.
This story is about three main people.. Eden, his wife, and his friend and fellow soldier who didn’t make it out alive.
A haunting read, but a necessary one.
November 17, 2018
The horrors of war brought home. Small book, huge import. Soul bruising.
November 28, 2018
Holy Hell!
Talk about a punch to the gut. My heart has crumbled into a million pieces.
I may have more to say later.
Okay, now that I have had the weekend to digest my thoughts I have come to the conclusion that there is very little I can say to do this book any justice. I have never in my life read anything like this. It is absolutely harrowing.
Eden is an Iraqi war veteran that was severely injured during an explosion. So much so that every thing had been removed from his waist down and what does remain has been charred beyond recognition. Once a 210 lb man has been rendered to just 70 lbs. His wife Mary has sat by his bedside for the last three years.
This Christmas, however, Mary decides to leave his bedside to visit her mother with their daughter, Andy. While she is away Eden's memories begin to surface.
This story is narrated by his best friend and fellow soldier that had died in the same explosion that has all but killed his friend.
"What they’d say was always the same: worst wounded guy in both wars, don’t know if I’d want to live like that, and just a matter of time. They all said that one: a matter of time. And Jesus Christ if it wasn’t true. For my friend it was a matter of days, weeks, months, years, lying there, not being allowed to just die."
I couldn't possibly give this anything less than 5 stars.
Talk about a punch to the gut. My heart has crumbled into a million pieces.
I may have more to say later.
Okay, now that I have had the weekend to digest my thoughts I have come to the conclusion that there is very little I can say to do this book any justice. I have never in my life read anything like this. It is absolutely harrowing.
Eden is an Iraqi war veteran that was severely injured during an explosion. So much so that every thing had been removed from his waist down and what does remain has been charred beyond recognition. Once a 210 lb man has been rendered to just 70 lbs. His wife Mary has sat by his bedside for the last three years.
This Christmas, however, Mary decides to leave his bedside to visit her mother with their daughter, Andy. While she is away Eden's memories begin to surface.
This story is narrated by his best friend and fellow soldier that had died in the same explosion that has all but killed his friend.
"What they’d say was always the same: worst wounded guy in both wars, don’t know if I’d want to live like that, and just a matter of time. They all said that one: a matter of time. And Jesus Christ if it wasn’t true. For my friend it was a matter of days, weeks, months, years, lying there, not being allowed to just die."
I couldn't possibly give this anything less than 5 stars.
September 16, 2018
Eden Malcolm is an Iraqi war veteran who was severely burned by an explosion during a tour. He has been hospitalized for several years and is unable to move or communicate. He is visited daily by his wife, Mary, and has never seen his young daughter who was born while he was deployed. Eden was joined in Iraq by his best friend but he died in the same explosion. This friend serves as the narrator for the story which swaps back and forth between pre and post-tragedy. Mary’s reluctance to end his suffering is a key focal point of the story.
Waiting For Eden by Elliot Ackerman tugged at my heart. I was surprised by the small size of the book but it is so wonderfully written and full of emotional content that it’s destined to make a bunch of “favorites” lists.
Waiting For Eden by Elliot Ackerman tugged at my heart. I was surprised by the small size of the book but it is so wonderfully written and full of emotional content that it’s destined to make a bunch of “favorites” lists.
December 18, 2019
Ackerman, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and also was a White House Fellow under the Obama administration, writes about a young soldier who has been injured so severely that he has to spend years in the burn unit of a military hospital. Shortly after being redeployed to Iraq, Eden and his unnamed friend had hit a pressure plate with their humvee - the dead friend is the narrator of this novella, telling the story from the bardo where he is waiting for Eden to join him. But Eden hasn't died yet - he has been in the hospital for three years, faithfully visited by his wife Mary and daughter Andromeda (Andy). Mary is waiting for her severely disabled and half-blind husband who is unable to communicate with his environment to get better - or is she waiting for him to die as well? Would she let him down if she decided to stop the treatment, or is to keep Eden alive in his terrible condition torture?
I really appreciate that Ackerman tackles such an important topic, because unfortunately, it is very relevant: Not only does the book depict the realities of war and the strain deployments and injuries put on whole families, it also talks about relatives having to decide about the medical treatment of a loved one when he is no longer able to express his opinion - and this can happen to all of us. What would the person have wanted? How much courage can we muster to go through with it and deal with the consequences, whatever they might be? What would we want if we were that person?
Relating to the life and death theme, Ackerman chose to go all in with the symbolism. You probably have realized it by now: He is playing with religious motives, and most obvious are the names. What is paradise for someone in Eden's situation: Life or death? Is his wife Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus (hint: Immaculate conception), or Mary Magdalene (often falsely portrayed as a whore), witnessing a crucification, burial and resurrection? Time spans of three years and three days play an important role in the text, and once it feels like while it's Christmas, the events played out are modeled after Easter. Andy is named after a constellation in the sky, and the nurse's name is Gabe, obviously after Gabriel, who in the Hebrew Bible explains visions, tells the future in the Christian Bible and brings revelations in the Quran - Gabe does all of this in his own way. The narrator is, as mentioned above, in the Buddhist bardo, and there's a plague, too.
This is the second novel on the ToB longlist (but I've only read half of the list by now) that deals with the Iraq war, the other one being Nico Walker's Cherry. While these books are very different, I thought both were excellent. To draw one more comparison, I also liked "Waiting for Eden" way better than the anti-war classic Johnny Got His Gun which also features a severely wounded soldier trapped in his ailing body, but depends largely on freak show effects - Ackerman does not turn Eden into a caricature, which renders the book more sinister and intense.
This short text is pretty hard to swallow, but well worth the read.
I really appreciate that Ackerman tackles such an important topic, because unfortunately, it is very relevant: Not only does the book depict the realities of war and the strain deployments and injuries put on whole families, it also talks about relatives having to decide about the medical treatment of a loved one when he is no longer able to express his opinion - and this can happen to all of us. What would the person have wanted? How much courage can we muster to go through with it and deal with the consequences, whatever they might be? What would we want if we were that person?
Relating to the life and death theme, Ackerman chose to go all in with the symbolism. You probably have realized it by now: He is playing with religious motives, and most obvious are the names. What is paradise for someone in Eden's situation: Life or death? Is his wife Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus (hint: Immaculate conception), or Mary Magdalene (often falsely portrayed as a whore), witnessing a crucification, burial and resurrection? Time spans of three years and three days play an important role in the text, and once it feels like while it's Christmas, the events played out are modeled after Easter. Andy is named after a constellation in the sky, and the nurse's name is Gabe, obviously after Gabriel, who in the Hebrew Bible explains visions, tells the future in the Christian Bible and brings revelations in the Quran - Gabe does all of this in his own way. The narrator is, as mentioned above, in the Buddhist bardo, and there's a plague, too.
This is the second novel on the ToB longlist (but I've only read half of the list by now) that deals with the Iraq war, the other one being Nico Walker's Cherry. While these books are very different, I thought both were excellent. To draw one more comparison, I also liked "Waiting for Eden" way better than the anti-war classic Johnny Got His Gun which also features a severely wounded soldier trapped in his ailing body, but depends largely on freak show effects - Ackerman does not turn Eden into a caricature, which renders the book more sinister and intense.
This short text is pretty hard to swallow, but well worth the read.
June 10, 2019
Elliot Ackerman, the author of this novel, 'Waiting for Eden', is a former Marine who served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. This slim novel... just 173 pages... is an emotionally difficult one. The story is brutal, mainly because of the relentless suffering experienced by the main character, Eden Malcom. We learn that Eden, a Marine who had been on his second deployment to Iraq, was so severely injured when the Humvee he was riding in hit a pressure plate, that he has been described as "the most wounded man in the history of war". The narrator of this story is an interesting choice for the author to make. He was Eden's best friend and fellow Marine who was with Eden in the Humvee that day but as he himself describes... "I was sitting next to Eden and luckier than him when our Humvee hit a pressure plate, killing me and everybody else, him barely surviving." Because the narrator is dead, he has unique knowledge of Eden's thoughts and feelings and an ability to relay what's happening in Eden's mind to readers. The narrator, who seems to be trapped in a kind of limbo between this world and whatever comes next, helps create an ethereal feel to the story.
There are just several well-developed characters in this novel.... Eden, his wife Mary and the narrator and the three form a complicated triangle, one which leaves Mary and the narrator locked in what feels like an eternal death watch. When the story begins, we learn that due to severe burns that Eden suffered in Iraq, he has spent every day for the past three years in a San Antonio burn unit, not quite alive and not quite dead. Through the narrator's descriptions, we are able to form a decent mental picture of Eden... both who he was before his second deployment and who he has become. This 'before and after' is shocking and disturbing but effective in placing us in the story. The 'before the blast' Eden is described as a dark-haired, heavily tattooed, muscular man of 220 pounds who could "press well over 150 above his head."The Eden we find in the burn unit has been severely burned.. charred, really... and what remains of his body amounts to just 70 pounds. Because of so many serious infections, the doctors have had to "cut all of him off up to the torso..." and Eden spends every minute of every day lying in a bed, unable to move or speak and seemingly trapped in his own mind.
Although Mary (and the narrator) have stayed with Eden throughout his three years in the burn unit, Mary decided at Christmastime of the third year that she would fly north and spend Christmas with her mother and young daughter, Andromeda (Andy). Andy had been born in the San Antonio hospital but has been living with Mary's mother for many months. While she was gone, Eden regains consciousness and through the hallucinations brought on by his badly damaged brain, he begins to remember his past.... his troubled marriage to Mary; his young daughter, Andy, whom he has never met and his deployment and what happened to him. The realization of the extent of the injuries to his body and mind helps Eden make a decision regarding his life... he wants it to end. Not having any other way to communicate his wishes, Eden falls back on his military training. Before deploying, he had been taught how to communicate with other prisoners of war should they be captured. Using the tap code he had been taught, he begins to clack out a word rhythmically with his teeth... over and over and over, hoping someone in the hospital will understand...... 5,1/ 3,3/ 4,1..... END. Picturing this man with a badly broken body and mind, trying to communicate his wishes the only way he knows, is one of the most moving scenes I have read in a novel in a long time.
I don't want to spoil how this novel ultimately plays out but I will say that this book was excruciating to read. Contained in this short books are some huge themes... love, betrayal, friendship, resentment, guilt and strength of spirit. And because this is also a story about war, it raises some important questions..... just because medical science has become so advanced that lives CAN be saved, regardless of the severity of the injuries, SHOULD those lives be saved? What makes a life worth living? And should each person be allowed the ability to determine his own fate? This novel contains complex characters involved in messy, complicated relationships and I admit that despite the compassion I so easily felt for Eden, I struggled to understand Mary. Yes, she loved Eden but her love for him seemed also to be so intertwined with feelings of neediness, guilt and resentment that I found her motivations to be opaque and I struggled to sympathize with her. That being said, I haven't been able to stop thinking about this novel since I closed the book. I am haunted by this story and these characters and will think about them for a long time.
There are just several well-developed characters in this novel.... Eden, his wife Mary and the narrator and the three form a complicated triangle, one which leaves Mary and the narrator locked in what feels like an eternal death watch. When the story begins, we learn that due to severe burns that Eden suffered in Iraq, he has spent every day for the past three years in a San Antonio burn unit, not quite alive and not quite dead. Through the narrator's descriptions, we are able to form a decent mental picture of Eden... both who he was before his second deployment and who he has become. This 'before and after' is shocking and disturbing but effective in placing us in the story. The 'before the blast' Eden is described as a dark-haired, heavily tattooed, muscular man of 220 pounds who could "press well over 150 above his head."The Eden we find in the burn unit has been severely burned.. charred, really... and what remains of his body amounts to just 70 pounds. Because of so many serious infections, the doctors have had to "cut all of him off up to the torso..." and Eden spends every minute of every day lying in a bed, unable to move or speak and seemingly trapped in his own mind.
Although Mary (and the narrator) have stayed with Eden throughout his three years in the burn unit, Mary decided at Christmastime of the third year that she would fly north and spend Christmas with her mother and young daughter, Andromeda (Andy). Andy had been born in the San Antonio hospital but has been living with Mary's mother for many months. While she was gone, Eden regains consciousness and through the hallucinations brought on by his badly damaged brain, he begins to remember his past.... his troubled marriage to Mary; his young daughter, Andy, whom he has never met and his deployment and what happened to him. The realization of the extent of the injuries to his body and mind helps Eden make a decision regarding his life... he wants it to end. Not having any other way to communicate his wishes, Eden falls back on his military training. Before deploying, he had been taught how to communicate with other prisoners of war should they be captured. Using the tap code he had been taught, he begins to clack out a word rhythmically with his teeth... over and over and over, hoping someone in the hospital will understand...... 5,1/ 3,3/ 4,1..... END. Picturing this man with a badly broken body and mind, trying to communicate his wishes the only way he knows, is one of the most moving scenes I have read in a novel in a long time.
I don't want to spoil how this novel ultimately plays out but I will say that this book was excruciating to read. Contained in this short books are some huge themes... love, betrayal, friendship, resentment, guilt and strength of spirit. And because this is also a story about war, it raises some important questions..... just because medical science has become so advanced that lives CAN be saved, regardless of the severity of the injuries, SHOULD those lives be saved? What makes a life worth living? And should each person be allowed the ability to determine his own fate? This novel contains complex characters involved in messy, complicated relationships and I admit that despite the compassion I so easily felt for Eden, I struggled to understand Mary. Yes, she loved Eden but her love for him seemed also to be so intertwined with feelings of neediness, guilt and resentment that I found her motivations to be opaque and I struggled to sympathize with her. That being said, I haven't been able to stop thinking about this novel since I closed the book. I am haunted by this story and these characters and will think about them for a long time.
June 30, 2019
[4+] My heart is broken. This is a masterful, moving novel. In just 173 pages Ackerman tells a gripping story of three intertwined lives and the brutal cost of war. I'm still reeling from the ending.
June 10, 2023
This book has been on my TBR list for 5 years. Being written by an author whose name begins with “A”, it always comes up near the top when I make my numerous attempts to pare down my TBR. I always re-read the synopsis and every time it survives the cut. I read the synopsis again this week and decided to just go ahead and read it now or it would sit on my TBR forever.
I don’t say this often, but what a masterpiece! I was simply captivated by this short but powerful story of what war can do to human life. Elliott Ackerman is more than qualified to have written this novel. He has served 5 tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and has been awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart. He writes of Eden, a man brutally injured in the war and surviving by a thread for years despite craving death. The story is narrated by his best friend who died at the time Eden was injured. I will give nothing away and only say that this character-driven novel packs a whale of a gut punch. Truly one that will haunt me for a very long time.
Highly recommended.
I don’t say this often, but what a masterpiece! I was simply captivated by this short but powerful story of what war can do to human life. Elliott Ackerman is more than qualified to have written this novel. He has served 5 tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and has been awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart. He writes of Eden, a man brutally injured in the war and surviving by a thread for years despite craving death. The story is narrated by his best friend who died at the time Eden was injured. I will give nothing away and only say that this character-driven novel packs a whale of a gut punch. Truly one that will haunt me for a very long time.
Highly recommended.
November 10, 2018
Author Elliot Ackerman knows about war veterans because he’s served five tours of duty in Iraq. He understands suffering that families go through along with our men of war. In “Waiting for Eden” he provides the reader with a glance at what veterans go through when they return badly harmed from war. He also provides the reader with what emotional horror families endure bedside, attending to their wounded warriors.
Eden is a war vet who was severely injured in an explosion. He’s left with less than two-thirds of his body. He’s unconscious, burned beyond recognition and in the state of in between life and death. The story’s narrator is Eden’s best friend who died in the explosion. The story begins at Christmas, when Eden’s wife Mary leaves his side for the first time in three years. Mary goes to visit her mother with her daughter, Andy.
The narrator alternates between Eden’s bedside and the history of Eden and the narrator’s friendship, along with Eden and Mary’s courtship and marriage.
It’s a story of grief, friendship, commitment, duty, and devotion. This is almost a novella; it’s only 173 pages. Ackerman is able to communicate a deep and memorable story. This is a novel that will be with me for a very long time.
Eden is a war vet who was severely injured in an explosion. He’s left with less than two-thirds of his body. He’s unconscious, burned beyond recognition and in the state of in between life and death. The story’s narrator is Eden’s best friend who died in the explosion. The story begins at Christmas, when Eden’s wife Mary leaves his side for the first time in three years. Mary goes to visit her mother with her daughter, Andy.
The narrator alternates between Eden’s bedside and the history of Eden and the narrator’s friendship, along with Eden and Mary’s courtship and marriage.
It’s a story of grief, friendship, commitment, duty, and devotion. This is almost a novella; it’s only 173 pages. Ackerman is able to communicate a deep and memorable story. This is a novel that will be with me for a very long time.
January 1, 2019
For being so sparse, Waiting for Eden manages to pack a powerful punch. Ackerman meditates with surprising insight (aided by potent religious symbolism) on the very nature of life and the impossible decisions we have to make when our loved ones are suffering. This was succinct and chilling.
January 28, 2019
Given the time to think about this book for the last two days, I have changed my rating from 4 stars to 5 stars. Not many books get this rating from me, but in afterthought I truly believe that this book should be one of them.
Such a sad book. Sad, from the narrator of the story, to the circumstance of the story, all the way to the end of the story. Sad can only describe the situation of the story being told, but it is so instructional and thought provoking in it's element. Pain, relationship, loyalty, communication, fear, loss; this novel touches on each, and not only gives you their insight, but awakens you to at least start to think about what each of these emotions mean to you.
I began to truly love each of these characters and to empathize with their individual positions. Who seeks death and why? Is there a 'between space'? Who stops in the 'between space'? Ackerman has written with the genius of consciousness, what no man can truly convey.
March 21, 2025
This one came up in a Facebook memory for a book that I had read in 2018, so I am bringing this review now to Goodreads.
My books at my local library had not come in yet. I was desperate. I wanted to read a book in this pouring rain. Not that I don’t have a ton of personal books to read, but my Library is my reading fix…and I was desperate.
And then, I spotted this book.
It is a small book, only 173 short pages. Okay, I will read this one. And I did. Quickly.
The story is about a soldier that lies in a hospital bed, charred beyond recognition.
His wife and the ghost of his friend, whom narrates this, waiting for him in death.
After 3 years, he becomes conscious- unable to communicate but memories flood back.
What can I say about this story?
It is…Powerful. Thoughtful. Heartfelt. Heart-breaking.
It showcases the realities of war and the loss for those who go, those who return and the families left to cope.
This was a stunning read, but I was left feeling haunted and incomplete. I can’t share my questions without giving away the ending, so I won’t here.
But, if you happen to pick up this book, let’s talk. I really have questions.
My books at my local library had not come in yet. I was desperate. I wanted to read a book in this pouring rain. Not that I don’t have a ton of personal books to read, but my Library is my reading fix…and I was desperate.
And then, I spotted this book.
It is a small book, only 173 short pages. Okay, I will read this one. And I did. Quickly.
The story is about a soldier that lies in a hospital bed, charred beyond recognition.
His wife and the ghost of his friend, whom narrates this, waiting for him in death.
After 3 years, he becomes conscious- unable to communicate but memories flood back.
What can I say about this story?
It is…Powerful. Thoughtful. Heartfelt. Heart-breaking.
It showcases the realities of war and the loss for those who go, those who return and the families left to cope.
This was a stunning read, but I was left feeling haunted and incomplete. I can’t share my questions without giving away the ending, so I won’t here.
But, if you happen to pick up this book, let’s talk. I really have questions.
September 14, 2019
So real, so very real and equally sad. A book to break your heart.
October 1, 2018
Prepare to have your heart ripped out! Ackerman has written a poignant tale of a Marine warrior who has been severely injured in an IED incident—perhaps the worst injury sustained in the two Iraq wars. His best friend was killed in the same attack, and now lives in the ‘white world’ waiting for Eden to join him. Either Angel or ghost, the friend watches over Eden, Eden’s wife Mary, and Mary’s daughter, Andromeda.
Of note, Mary has a tattoo of the Andromeda constellation on the back of her neck. You may recall that Andromeda was saved by the warrior Perseus in Greek mythology; and the two later married. And in an act worthy of the legend, Mary has chosen to stay at Eden’s side as long as he is alive at the San Antonio burn unit. The descriptions of the agony this man undergoes, and the efforts of the hospital nurses to keep him alive are heart-wrenching. Ackerman’s simple prose provides its own power to the story of the two warriors and the woman they both loved. Recommend.
Of note, Mary has a tattoo of the Andromeda constellation on the back of her neck. You may recall that Andromeda was saved by the warrior Perseus in Greek mythology; and the two later married. And in an act worthy of the legend, Mary has chosen to stay at Eden’s side as long as he is alive at the San Antonio burn unit. The descriptions of the agony this man undergoes, and the efforts of the hospital nurses to keep him alive are heart-wrenching. Ackerman’s simple prose provides its own power to the story of the two warriors and the woman they both loved. Recommend.
June 6, 2020
Sad yet inspiring
Brilliantly written, the story engages the reader at a deep level as it toggles back and forth. Told through the eyes of his best friend and fellow soldier this story bears a strong resemblance to The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Eden demonstrates the traits of humanity few possess and knowing death nears he remains within them. I look forward to other stories by this author an recommend you add this book to your list.
Brilliantly written, the story engages the reader at a deep level as it toggles back and forth. Told through the eyes of his best friend and fellow soldier this story bears a strong resemblance to The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Eden demonstrates the traits of humanity few possess and knowing death nears he remains within them. I look forward to other stories by this author an recommend you add this book to your list.
September 30, 2018
A savage little sledgehammer of a book.
December 3, 2018
This comes under the category of "mini-book," both for its total pages (173) and for its diminutive size (7 1/2" x 5 "). Thus, a quick read, and a National Book Award Finalist (though not a short-list finalist).
Shades of Faulkner's As I Lay Dying only in that a guy lies dying for 173 pp. Shades, too, of The English Patient only in that the guy lying and dying is badly burnt, in this case from a detonation exploding his and the narrator's Humvee while on duty in Iraq. That was three years ago. That is a long time to be a prisoner of your body, and once your body is consumed with pain and/or completely immobilized (along with a brain that can no longer speak to people), it's only natural that others might wish you dead. For their own reasons. And rationalizations.
Using a dead guy as the narrator is a bit odd and presents its problems. Occasionally, in a flashback, the narrator will recall a scene he never witnessed between Eden (the laid-out soldier) and his wife Mary. Neat trick, that. But it does create some mini-dramas in a triangular sort of way, as the narrator, before he was lucky enough to die, had the hots for his buddy's wife, and Eden, suffering PSD from his first tour in Iraq, is unable to perform his husbandly duties for his wife, creating even more tension in the triangle.
All in all, a brief but tough sled. From the viewpoint of the bug-phobic Eden, who hallucinates attacking cockroaches in a riff from Kafka's "Metamorphosis," it gets claustrophobic quickly. I suppose you can count this an artistic success, or you can count it an impediment to enjoying a novella where small pages flip quickly, not because you're keen to know what happens, but because they're so tiny and because you want out of this body, too.
In that sense, you're "Waiting for Eden" to end, the book equivalent of dying.
Shades of Faulkner's As I Lay Dying only in that a guy lies dying for 173 pp. Shades, too, of The English Patient only in that the guy lying and dying is badly burnt, in this case from a detonation exploding his and the narrator's Humvee while on duty in Iraq. That was three years ago. That is a long time to be a prisoner of your body, and once your body is consumed with pain and/or completely immobilized (along with a brain that can no longer speak to people), it's only natural that others might wish you dead. For their own reasons. And rationalizations.
Using a dead guy as the narrator is a bit odd and presents its problems. Occasionally, in a flashback, the narrator will recall a scene he never witnessed between Eden (the laid-out soldier) and his wife Mary. Neat trick, that. But it does create some mini-dramas in a triangular sort of way, as the narrator, before he was lucky enough to die, had the hots for his buddy's wife, and Eden, suffering PSD from his first tour in Iraq, is unable to perform his husbandly duties for his wife, creating even more tension in the triangle.
All in all, a brief but tough sled. From the viewpoint of the bug-phobic Eden, who hallucinates attacking cockroaches in a riff from Kafka's "Metamorphosis," it gets claustrophobic quickly. I suppose you can count this an artistic success, or you can count it an impediment to enjoying a novella where small pages flip quickly, not because you're keen to know what happens, but because they're so tiny and because you want out of this body, too.
In that sense, you're "Waiting for Eden" to end, the book equivalent of dying.
November 7, 2018
Actual Rating 3.5stars
Content Warning: Graphic Descriptions of Torture and a Severely Injured Person
This is a short emotional book that packs a lot of punch. The story is told from a unnamed narrator's perspective who is watching over Eden's family after Eden is injured. Eden lays severely injured and unable to move in the hospital, while his wife Mary refuses to let him pass on. The narrator explains Mary's and Eden's relationship leading up to the present. He suggests that you should know Mary's story before you judge her decisions.
Eden is described as a likeable guy who has been forever changed by war but finds it preferable to family life. The characters lives are interwoven and well developed as unique but flawed personalities. The reality Eden faces after his injury is brutal and the author holds no punches immersing you into that experience. There are descriptions of gore included that have stuck with me.
I paused many times while listening flooded with existential questions. It's a slow burn which leads to twists I didn't expect. This character driven novel used a number of scenes in Mary and Eden's past to explain their relationship. However the plot itself was slow moving. Despite wanting more to happen, I was engaged and invested in these characters. The narrator kept the intrigue going and I was emotionally moved by this tragic story.
Recommended for Readers who
- enjoy character driven novels
- don't mind extensive descriptions of life after a severe injury
- enjoy philosophical musings with a dash of fantasy
June 5, 2018
From the first three sentences of Elliot Ackerman's brilliant novel, I was drawn in. Just look at this, and ask yourself if you're not dying to know what Mary did and why:
"I want you to understand Mary and what she did. But I don't know if you will. You've got to wonder if in the end you'd make the same choice, circumstances being similar, or even the same, God help you."
Ah. Circumstances. Eden's circumstances are dire, painful, an unhappy outcome of war. But Waiting for Eden's brilliance is that it shows us not all wars are fought on a battlefield. Some wars are fought at home, in bed, in hospitals, in the mind.
If I could, I'd pull a thousand lines from this book and paper my walls with them. The writing is tight and unadorned, beautiful in its simplicity. Ackerman peels away layer after layer, inviting us to ride along with his characters, experience their pain and understand their flaws.
Honestly, I have not read such a powerful book in a very long time. This one will stay with me, and it will stay with you.
Thank you to Penguin Random House and Elliot for the Advance Reader Copy.
"I want you to understand Mary and what she did. But I don't know if you will. You've got to wonder if in the end you'd make the same choice, circumstances being similar, or even the same, God help you."
Ah. Circumstances. Eden's circumstances are dire, painful, an unhappy outcome of war. But Waiting for Eden's brilliance is that it shows us not all wars are fought on a battlefield. Some wars are fought at home, in bed, in hospitals, in the mind.
If I could, I'd pull a thousand lines from this book and paper my walls with them. The writing is tight and unadorned, beautiful in its simplicity. Ackerman peels away layer after layer, inviting us to ride along with his characters, experience their pain and understand their flaws.
Honestly, I have not read such a powerful book in a very long time. This one will stay with me, and it will stay with you.
Thank you to Penguin Random House and Elliot for the Advance Reader Copy.
October 29, 2018
Normally I roll my eyes when publishers exaggerate in their marketing descriptions, but this one was no exaggeration: “a breathtakingly spare and shattering new novel.” Particularly the word shattering. That’s exactly what this novel is (plus, gut-punching). It’s rare to find an author that can tell such a powerful, immersive story in so few pages, but Ackerman (himself a Marine who served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor and the Purple Heart) did. The first chapter absolutely gutted me. I recovered a bit during the second chapter, only to be gutted again at the very end of it…and again and again. I kept making a noise that sounded something like “unh” (imagine an audible exhale along with that).
The story is narrated by Eden’s comrade who was killed in the blast that injured Eden…he’s waiting for him in the no-man’s-land between the living and the dead. You hear the progression of Eden’s post-combat journey juxtaposed with his life before that last deployment, which is complicated and messy. If you’re the kind of reader who likes stories that make you acutely feel, Waiting for Eden is a must read. I give up on trying to do this book justice here…just read it.
"Still, sitting at the burn center’s main desk, alone, and on Christmas morning, she wondered about him. Even though he powered the relentless pounding of vital signs that surrounded her desk, she didn’t know if you could call what was in that room a person. Not alive, not dead, what it was didn’t have a name."
Visit https://www.sarahsbookshelves.com for more reviews.
The story is narrated by Eden’s comrade who was killed in the blast that injured Eden…he’s waiting for him in the no-man’s-land between the living and the dead. You hear the progression of Eden’s post-combat journey juxtaposed with his life before that last deployment, which is complicated and messy. If you’re the kind of reader who likes stories that make you acutely feel, Waiting for Eden is a must read. I give up on trying to do this book justice here…just read it.
"Still, sitting at the burn center’s main desk, alone, and on Christmas morning, she wondered about him. Even though he powered the relentless pounding of vital signs that surrounded her desk, she didn’t know if you could call what was in that room a person. Not alive, not dead, what it was didn’t have a name."
Visit https://www.sarahsbookshelves.com for more reviews.
August 21, 2018
'Waiting for Eden' is a short but powerful novel about Eden, a man who was horribly injured during his second deployment in Afghanistan. The book is narrated by his friend who died during this same deployment but hovers over Eden and narrates the novel.
Eden is barely alive. His body has been burnt and blown up and there is not all that much left of him physically. "My friend was, they'd been told, the most wounded man from both the wars. As advanced as medicine had become, that likely made him the most wounded man in the history of war."
Eden is locked inside himself and the book explores what makes one human and the emotional costs of staying alive when one is so close to death. Occasionally, Eden's confused consciousness comes to the surface and he reflects on different aspects of his life. He is unable to speak and, for all intents and purposes, is trapped inside his body. He is often fearful of things but is unable to move or communicate his fear to others.
His wife Mary visits daily, sits by his bed and talks to him. She touches him with love but there is no response. The reader is privy to the intimacies of Eden's marriage and the love and betrayals that have occurred. He has a daughter he will never know. This novel asks the difficult question of what it means to be a man, a husband, a friend.
Eden is barely alive. His body has been burnt and blown up and there is not all that much left of him physically. "My friend was, they'd been told, the most wounded man from both the wars. As advanced as medicine had become, that likely made him the most wounded man in the history of war."
Eden is locked inside himself and the book explores what makes one human and the emotional costs of staying alive when one is so close to death. Occasionally, Eden's confused consciousness comes to the surface and he reflects on different aspects of his life. He is unable to speak and, for all intents and purposes, is trapped inside his body. He is often fearful of things but is unable to move or communicate his fear to others.
His wife Mary visits daily, sits by his bed and talks to him. She touches him with love but there is no response. The reader is privy to the intimacies of Eden's marriage and the love and betrayals that have occurred. He has a daughter he will never know. This novel asks the difficult question of what it means to be a man, a husband, a friend.
November 20, 2018
“That is something, he thought, to know what only the dead know. And what is that? All they know is they were once alive, and are dead only because of it.”
Waiting for Eden is a powerful, mindf*ck of a book. A succinct tale told in three haunting voices—a bedridden, severely burned soldier, his wife, and his dead best friend. A story that hits on all the biggies in life—relationships, grief, guilt, loss, love, betrayal, and communication. And all in under 200 pages!
Eden’s story got under my skin. I saw most of the turns coming, but here’s the thing…the impact was just as powerful whether I saw the punch coming or not.
A hard hitting, little book that will linger long after closing it. I know I won’t forget it!
November 15, 2018
4.5 rounded down.
November 21, 2018
A heart-breaking, powerful and overwhelming story. Beautifully written. Poetical.
God.
I wished it COULD turn into a paranormal HEA.
*Crying and sobbing*
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