Lilith by Nikki Marmery (Alcove Press)

Lilith is a thought-provoking and ambitious story inspired by ancient tales and repressed texts, with expressive literary language and a magnificently captivating heroine.

This is a retelling of the Hebrew tradition of Lilith, the first woman exiled from the Garden of Eden because she refused to lie beneath Adam. This book discusses how religion was used to persuade women into becoming subordinate to males rather than equals, and how the goddess Asherah was mostly ignored. I love how the feminine story reframes something so uniquely female, like creation, into something that was transferred into a male being constructed in "his" image.

The story follows Lilith from her banishment from the Garden of Eden to the current day, sharing stories of Noah, Jezebel, and Mary Magdalene without ever feeling disconnected.

A goddess' power comes from those who worship her. Without prayers, sacrifices, and incense, which serve as both their air and food, gods cannot exist. They are made by belief and undone by disbelief.

Lilith's journey is to triumph over the Father who had banished and replaced her, who had cursed all women with inferiority. To make things right, to start over for all women. To find a lost harmony; man and woman as equals. 

Her inner wisdom grows and changes as she moves across space and time. There is no god who is above nature. There is no male above the female. We are neither above nor distinct from the world that sustains us. We are one. 

Such is the curse of Wisdom. We are free to make our choices. We pursue our own will. But we must live with the consequences.

The message is the same: respect women since they give and sustain life. Women discover their own value via exploring, freeing themselves from restrictions, and reclaiming their bodies and power.

We are entitled to the origin narrative that existed before mankind came up with the idea of a single, male god. We are entitled to a holy, strong, and equal woman. We deserve Lilith.

She is an empowered, dignified heroine who will not be subjugated. A strong, moral woman who stands up for the female sex and the environment and vows to exact justice on those who have wronged her.

Powerful and marvelous reading. Highly recommended.

5/5