Searching for Eden

Evan Jordan

by Keith Madsen

When Evan Jordan’s 14-year old daughter dies of cancer, he goes on a quest to find a place where children don’t die, and where life is still good. The search is inspired by an interest his dying daughter expressed in the Garden of Eden. Could it be that such a place still exists somewhere? Using a small inheritance, he goes searching for that mythical garden, hoping thereby to rediscover the goodness and innocence he lost with the young girl’s death. Evan’s story intersects with those of a beautiful divorced archaeologist, a 14-year old Hispanic prostitute, and an Iranian woman who killed her rapist; all of whom join Evan in his quest. The journey brings together Christians and Jews, Muslims and skeptics, all looking to recover a sense of goodness at the heart of life and human relationship. Evan and friends travel through Iran and Iraq and even to the Island of Bahrain, looking for clues to the Garden’s reality, and whether it might still be found. They dig in ancient cemeteries, climb ziggurats, race through war zones and examine bizarre art carved into human skulls; all the time seeking the secret to humanity’s foundational myth. In the process of searching they run afoul of the Iranian government for getting too close to nuclear sites, they battle militants, and they have to decide who to trust in a very dangerous part of the world. Will what they find make it worth the risk?

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 27, 2010

Reviews

[Margitte · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Evan Jordan curled up in a fetal position on the floor of a public phone booth and cried, after his daughter Sarah passed away, I knew I would want to read this book!

In their last father-daughter conversation she wanted to know if Eden existed, and he decided to find it in her memory. But as John Lennon said, life is happening to us while we're busy making other plans...

Life would throw professor Evan Jordan a few curve balls, leading him through avenues he would never have imagined for himself. The most unlikely people would tumble into his life:

Carmen - the teenage prostitute who "sold away her innocence";

Professor Jessica Santiago - the archaeologist, coming from an abusive relationship - "In the end, the only thing that saved her was her own inner strength, her own resolve to find her life again, to face the fearfulness of being alone in order to flee the terror of not being at all". Not a woman coming into his life with a totally innocent clean slate however...;

Afsenah - from the city of Tabriz, the Iranian woman who was jailed for killing her attacker, an overly-optimistic police officer;

BehnAm - Dr. Santiagos old friend and Iranian guide, with his own history and experiences to add;

Doctor Carl Goldman - the Jewish archaeologist who knew more about Jesus than the Americans in the group.

The fast, high-speed adventure would begin when Jessica had to "... change a lifetime pattern, help falsify passports, and run off with a suspected felon to search for what many believe to be a fairy tale..." But like all capable woman, she would have more than archaeology in mind. She knew how to multitask ! Evan would also learn that sharing a room,forced for their own safety to act as a married couple, does not promise "panty raids in the middle of the night!"(no, there is no spelling mistakes anywhere in that entire sentence!)

Evan had other motives: ..."to find the Garden, to find that world that existed before the axe murderers and the rapists, and the paranoid young women scarred by insensitive men…and the teenagers dying of cancer…and the airports with armed soldiers…"

It would not be that easy though! Despite their different reasons for leaving in a hurry, they still had to provide their physical addresses in the USA at the Iranian airport "where their remains could be delivered for burial" in case they did not stick to their mission!

So you think you've got it? Nope. You have no cookin' clue whatsoever what happened next!

Suffice to say, throw some different religions, international politics and two apposing nationalities in a big iron pot, put it on a roaring fire in the Persian Gulf, sit back and watch it boil over, spattering - majestically so, especially when the adventure is penned downed by the Americans. I guarantee you, it is not a slow-moving tale on a camel ride to nowhere. Besides, supersonic movies such as Speed 1 & 2, did not exactly come from the deserts of the Persian Golf, right?

So you think you've got the plot now down pat...ya well no fine. Perhaps you do. But before you buckle up and have yourself beamed up into the buzz, wait a sec, Scottie! For starters you cannot do that in a passed sell-by-date Volkswagen bus through the desert, unless Hollywood gets hold of it, you know! Secondly, this books is not quite an action pact thriller for the adrenaline junkie, although you might find some really satisfactory thrills bubbling through your veins on this fast moving journey. That is to say if you can survive the urge for vile language and the wham-bam thank-you mam-escapades to rev up the juices, because this book won't deliver on those particular endorphines in that particular form and strength.

Nevertheless, reading it won't make you famous, but you will experience old rundown Volkswagen Bus loads full of adventure the American way! And after the bus there will be even more riskier carriers into the tale!

"The road to Eden. Didn't someone once say that the way was narrow and the road rough that leads to life? If that was the case, then maybe they were heading in the right direction."

Prophetic words indeed! It did not matter how noble the dream was to find Eden, they were not quite the controllers of their own destiny, although they thought they were! Freedom would not be theirs to find on their own terms, and the road to The Garden of Eden, leading through different places in the Gulf region, would teach them that the hard way. The price would be high.

To each of the passengers on the journey, the Mount Sahand valley would become the place for perspective, healing and hope. (In the north east of Iran at the foot of Iran's highest mountain, Mount Sahand in Kandovan, the villagers live in cave homes carved out from the volcanic rock. The age of some houses is more than 700 years - I googled it. An amazing valley!)

"We've been pretty much flying by the seat of our pants to this point," said Evan finally. And that they did for sure! But they also took the readers with them everywhere, sharing the adventures, fear, fantasy and tears of finding the meaning of the snake in the Garden of Eden. The book centered around the meaning of "Where there are snakes, there must be ladders."

Romance, adventure, politics, religion, archaeology, geography and morals are the ingredients of this fast-moving tale. Add a pinch of wit and wisdom and this book becomes an informative delight to read. I recommend it to everyone who would love to read about modern history, the nuclear debate, and religious respect without blowing your mind into oblivion in the process. The book contains all the ingredients to make it really a great, relaxing, yet thought-provoking experience. I really like the way it was written!

I give it five stars for the purpose it was written, namely to capture the gentle mind and to address issues relevant to this kind of reader who do not want to be drowned in a glorification of sex, violence or mental torture.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can also be viewed on my blog: Now is Gone

Book Info: Genre: Inspirational/Christian fiction Reading Level: Adult

Disclosure: I received a free eBook copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: When Evan Jordan’s 14-year old daughter dies of cancer, he goes on a quest to find a place where children don’t die, and where life is still good. The search is inspired by an interest his dying daughter expressed in the Garden of Eden. Could it be that such a place still exists somewhere? Using a small inheritance, he goes searching for that mythical garden, hoping thereby to rediscover the goodness and innocence he lost with the young girl’s death. Evan’s story intersects with those of a beautiful divorced archaeologist, a 14-year old Hispanic prostitute, and an Iranian woman who killed her rapist; all of whom join Evan in his quest. The journey brings together Christians and Jews, Muslims and skeptics, all looking to recover a sense of goodness at the heart of life and human relationship. Evan and friends travel through Iran and Iraq and even to the Island of Bahrain, looking for clues to the Garden’s reality, and whether it might still be found. They dig in ancient cemeteries, climb ziggurats, race through war zones and examine bizarre art carved into human skulls; all the time seeking the secret to humanity’s foundational myth. In the process of searching they run afoul of the Iranian government for getting too close to nuclear sites, they battle militants, and they have to decide who to trust in a very dangerous part of the world. Will what they find make it worth the risk?

My Thoughts: I was somewhat hesitant about reading this book, as I was afraid that it would be too depressing. However, the author assured me that, while there are definitely sad bits, especially at the beginning, it is an overall upbeat and hopeful book, full of inspiration and the search for goodness in humans’ souls. Since the author is a Baptist minister, I figured I could trust him and accepted the book for review. My hesitance has carried over, I’m afraid, and it took me a long time to get to this, for which I humbly ask the author’s forgiveness.

This really was a great book – about redemption, discovering what is important, what life is about. I was very impressed with Madsen’s willingness to use... shall we say, less than holy language to make some of the characters realistic. I was also impressed with his ability to look at other religions – not just the various forms of Christianity, but also Judaism, Islam, and the ancient religions and stories of the people who predate the stories of the Bible – in an honest light, and accept that there are differences between them, and similarities, and that all should be respected. This sort of attitude is not one that is often found among Baptists, at least from my experience with Baptists – while there are many good people among the Baptists, they tend to be rather hellfire-and-brimstone in their teachings, and intolerant of other religions. Maybe I’ve just been lucky (or, rather, unlucky) in the congregations I’ve encountered, or maybe things have changed in the 20 years since I’ve removed myself from the hypocrisy of the church environment in which I was raised. But I digress … the book is the important thing, right?

There was one event that really got to me. It was toward the end of the book and the group was approaching Nineveh, and Dr. Goldman was explaining the story of Jonah, and how he wanted Nineveh to be destroyed, he didn’t want to forgive them, as Nineveh was considered to be the capitol of Israel’s greatest enemy. But his God told Jonah that he needed to understand that He, Yahweh, should also consider that Nineveh had 120,000 children and many animals and He wasn’t going to destroy it just to satisfy Jonah’s need for vengeance. Dr. Goldman then said that we still haven’t learned to forgive our enemies and let the Creator sort things out. That really resonated with me. But then, I immediately thought of all the times, littered throughout the Old Testament, where Yahweh instructed the children of Israel to go into a land, take it over, and slaughter everyone – man, woman, children and animals – and make it their own land. Or all the times when Yahweh says He will destroy all Israel’s enemies. And then turns around and says He will destroy Israel, too – because they may be His chosen children, but they’re naughty children and He doesn’t like it. So, one story in the Bible about forgiving your enemies and dozens about destroying them – which do you think people will be paying attention to? That’s the problem with religions – they all think they have a lifeline directly to God and that theirs is the only one that is right and therefore they are justified in waging war against anyone who stands against them. This is wrong! In fact, none of them have it right (in my not-so-humble opinion), and it is only by learning as much as one can about every religion out there that one can glean the tiny bits of truth that each contain. It isn’t important to be religious, or to follow some dogma some old man a thousand-some years ago decided was the truth (according to him and his church); it is important to be spiritual, to live a good life, and to listen to the small, still voice within yourself that will tell you your own, personal Truth.

But, like I often do, I again digress... People who are hide-bound, and not willing to accept that there are different perspectives and worldviews, and that other religious beliefs should be accepted and respected, might have trouble with enjoying this book, as it will challenge their conceptions of the world. However, people who like inspirational fiction, with stories that are about humanity and its challenges and need to realize that we are all one race – the human race – will undoubtedly enjoy this book a great deal. Those who are interested in archeology and ancient cultures should especially enjoy this book, as two of the main characters – Dr. Santiago and Dr. Goldman – are archaeologists who are passionate about their work and frequently give little lectures about the places and people they are around, which I found fascinating. Madsen must have put a lot of research into this book, and I was impressed about how he represented all the stories and myths as being of equal importance in understanding the history of people and the history of why there is so much conflict and unrest in the world. I quite enjoyed it, despite being slowed down in my reading by a persistent migraine. I can honestly say there are a lot of people who will enjoy this story immensely, like I did.

[Donna Koros Stramella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keith Madsen combines a fast-paced quest through the Middle East with a tender-hearted story of loss and love in his latest novel, Searching for Eden. Following the loss of Evan Jordan’s teenaged daughter to cancer, the devastated father decides to follow a clue that would lead him on an often perilous adventure to find the Garden of Eden. With two other Americans at his side—a beautiful archaeologist and a Hispanic teen who has been left on her own—he travels to Iran, Iraq, and Bahrain seeking clues to determine if the Garden is actually real. Nuclear development, the treatment of women, political unrest, and an unfair justice system are some of the challenges they must face, but they face them with the help of others who put their own lives in extreme danger to help relative strangers.

The character development and ties between various characters is especially strong. I found myself deeply caring for Evan, Carmen, and Jessica, along with the brave souls they meet on the journey. My emotional connection to each put inside the front and back covers of the book. I was there with them as they navigated checkpoints with ISIS connections, I was in the courtyard of the jail as shots were fired, I was on the floor of a cell certain that death was imminent.
Strong elements of loss, sacrifice, and fear are evened out by love, faith, and hope. It has been said that the best novels surprise the reader, and Madsen has done just that many times throughout the story. I highly recommend Searching for Eden.

[Amy M. Le · Rating 5 out of 5]

Searching for Eden is a delightful read and thrilling journey that takes readers on a quest for self discovery! At times jarring, other times, intimate, this novel will have you searching for your own Eden.

[Darian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually I stay away from books with religious undertones, but not for lack of believing. I myself am a Christian, but find that most books with undertones are too extreme in one direction or the other. Either I end up enraged, or feeling as if the author is trying to shove his beliefs down a readers throat through the guise of a novel. But being a history dork, soaking up shows and books on ancient ruins, specials on the existence of Noah and his flood; the premise was too good to pass up. And I was not disappointed.

In a time when books on vampires, werewolf’s, and wizards run ramped through the bookstore, it was a breath of fresh air to see a novel with a premise I hadn’t seen before – searching for the Garden of Eden, really, who has done that recently?

The characters are lively, individual, and believable. The pain Evan feels from the loss of his daughter, being a mom myself, was often too relatable for me to read. I can’t imagine how one would move on after that, but he does, and begins chasing something his daughter spoke of. I think that’s something any parent could see themselves doing after losing a child, clinging to something their child loved or talked about, in hopes of somehow connecting with them again. This part of the story was done well, but not so much on the forefront that it overshadowed the story or distracted from the journey.

As Evan and his new companions travel through war torn countries, you get a great sense of adventure; I think most people at some point in there life have dreamt about doing something extreme, packing up and going on a dream adventure. But not only do you get the air of adventure, but a deeper feeling of standing in the depths of war. Having a brother who served his time in the very lands mentioned in the book, who saw so much that even today he doesn’t speak of it, one would have to have a cold, calloused heart to walk away not having a greater understanding of what war does to people. Not only the soldiers, but the civilians surrounded by it.

The amount of research that must have gone into this book is mind boggling to me. Throughout the book you find snippets of information on ancient facts, and wonderful tidbits to a history dork like me. I did do a quick check on some of them, and found them to be true, but weaved throughout are far too many for me to research for accuracy. But this is a novel, so keep in mind it doesn’t all have to be factual, it has to be believable. Which they all are. You can wrap your head around the excitement of it the same as many did with the prospects novels such as The Davinci Code proposed. I did at times find it to be a tiny bit overwhelming, but had to take a few things into consideration; one that without those bits the story wouldn’t have held the same feeling, and two that they weren’t put into the story as big information dumps by the writer. Which I hate. It was worked into the story, not dropped down into it like a giant, info dump cinder block.

The ending was lovely to me, all of the characters walking away from their journey undoubtedly changed (as they would be from such an experience). Overall this was a good read for me. Although written by a preacher, it wasn’t the least bit preachy to me. I think Madsen did a fine job touching on an area not currently explored, and possibly some are fearful to explore – with such controversy surrounding the current wars going on. I would recommend this book to someone who is a mild history buff like me, enjoys a sense of danger or adventure, or likes to walk away wondering about the prospects of it could really be true – could you really find the Garden of Eden?

**My review copied from my blog, http://crazyladywithapen.blogspot.com/

[Keith Madsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Evan Jordan's 14-year old daughter dies of cancer, he goes on a quest to find a place where children don't die, and where life is still good. The search is inspired by an interest his dying daughter expressed in the Garden of Eden. Could it be that such a place still exists somewhere? Using a small inheritance, he goes searching for that garden, hoping thereby to rediscover the goodness and innocence he lost with the young girl's death. Evan's story intersects with those of a beautiful divorced archaeologist, a 14-year old Hispanic prostitute, and an Iranian woman who killed her rapist; all of whom join Evan in his quest. The journey brings together Christians and Jews, Muslims and skeptics, all looking to recover a sense of goodness at the heart of life and human relationship.

Evan and friends travel through Iran and Iraq, and even to the Island of Bahrain, looking for clues to the Garden's reality, and whether it might still be found. They dig in ancient cemeteries, climb ziggurats, race through war zones and examine bizarre art carved into human skulls; all the time seeking the secret to humanity's foundational story. In the process of searching they run afoul of the Iranian government for getting too close to nuclear sites, they battle militants, and they have to decide who to trust in a very dangerous part of the world. Will what they find make it worth the risk?

Reviews from others:
" I consider myself pretty traditional when it comes to reading books the old-fashioned way, but just having finished Searching for Eden by Keith Madsen in e-book format I may just have to leap into the new millennium… Madsen does a splendid job of weaving tension, politics, romance, theology and history into an excellent story, and if you are at all interested in any of these subjects, I recommend Searching for Eden highly!" Kelly Davis, bookideas.com

"A classic hero's journey... The archaeological information as is well-researched as anything found in James Michener's The Source, and includes fascinating theories about where academics believe the historical Eden may have been, and why…Highly recommended." Terence Ward, Allbooks Review

Available for purchase at: www.clublighthousepublishing.com/INSP... FOR EDEN. Also www.amazon.com.

[Charline Ratcliff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evan Jordan’s life is turned upside down by the unfortunate death of his fourteen-year-old daughter. How does one even begin to handle that? He is lost and hurting and trying to find peace within himself. Before his daughter passed away she had expressed an interest in the Garden of Eden. In an attempt to find something he needs, although he is unsure what it is he is seeking, he sets out to find the Garden.

He is unsure if the Garden is fact or fiction but he realizes a quest of this magnitude requires more knowledge on the subject than he possesses. He sets out to recruit help. Somehow he manages to convince a beautiful archeologist to accompany him while at the same time he manages to rescue a young girl from a life of prostitution. Coincidentally the girl he saves is the same age as his deceased daughter.

Evan’s journey takes him through Iran and Iraq where he meets wonderful people from differing religions who all pull together to help him find what he is looking for. They scour the lands looking for clues to the Garden of Eden’s location until they anger the Iranian government because they were too close to nuclear sites. At this point the journey becomes part quest and part rescue mission.

All in all I found “Searching For Eden” to be a touching story but at times it definitely bordered on the unbelievable side. This is a fictional book; however, the backdrop is centered in the Middle East which makes it challenging to remember the genre of “fiction” and the strong religious current throughout the book did not help either.

The author, Keith Madsen, does a great job of being descriptive and it is easy to empathize with the book’s characters. Madsen comes across as knowledgeable about the countries traversed within this tale and at times he provides a very different perspective on the varying religions. His writing style is informative yet fun making it easy to follow. At times there was a little too much “drama” for my own personal taste but overall I found it to be a well written book. To sum up: a good read with a powerful message.

(Reviewed in association with Rebecca's Reads).

[Hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, I always appreciate when you can tell that a novel is well researched (as this has a lot of historical background interwoven in the plot). The story follows a grief-stricken man, an archaeology professor and a damaged girl through their search for The Garden of Eden. Although the story obviously has a religious theme, it was refreshingly open to all the types of religion and was not at all ‘preachy’. Although the story line touches on grief, it wasn’t depressing. And I found it to be quite an inspirational and uplifting read. I did find one of the final scenes to be a bit far-fetched, but it was a good novel overall.

[Jesse Garza · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read it on friend's Kindle, the story line just didn't have enough believability to be interesting - virtuous, wonderful fella teams up with teenage whore to go to Iran and save the world from nuclear disaster. Difficult to stay with it long enough to finish. Characters without a purpose to the story. Friend said she couldn't finish it either, got the impression the virtuous, wonderful fella is how the author sees himself. Although the author tries to be subtle, it is real preachy. Obviously aimed toward adolescent market so that age group might find it more interesting.