Official Review: First Family by Alice Langholt

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MsTri
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Official Review: First Family by Alice Langholt

Post by MsTri »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "First Family" by Alice Langholt.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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First Family by Alice Langholt is the kind of book that makes a reader glad that Neanderthal man climbed up out of the primordial ooze and managed to put words together in a written form. Langholt’s riveting tale is the story of the literal first family, Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel, told from their viewpoints. Getting into his head, we read about Adam’s experiences upon awakening as the first man. Eve tells us such things as how it felt to be pregnant the first time and then to give birth. Cain and Abel tell us how they really felt about each other. Even the snake gets in on the action, talking about God’s “new toys”. God Himself also checks in with His thoughts and feelings.

I absolutely LOVED this book. Having heard the story of the first man and woman many times, it was fascinating for me to read about not just what happened but also how the events felt to the people in question. Even though I’m aware that the author took artistic license, I still found myself thinking, “Yeah. I bet that really IS how they felt!” Ms. Langholt also elaborated on some things only touched upon in the Bible, such as how Adam felt upon first seeing Eve (hint: NOT horny!) and why Eve thought it was a good idea to eat the forbidden fruit. The book ends just after Eve’s revelation that she’s pregnant with Seth, but I very well could have read the whole Bible in this fashion.

With a cast of six, each chapter in First Family is told from a different person’s viewpoint, but it was neither jarring nor confusing. The action also picks up from the same point as we move from person to person, so the tale was pretty seamless. In addition, each person spoke with a different voice and did justice to the characters as we know them. I was especially interested in Cain’s thoughts and motives since he was the first murderer, and I really wanted to know what drove him to such a drastic and final action.

I was also pleased with the amount of descriptions used in this book. The Garden of Eden is legendary, and reading Ms. Langholt’s words, I was able to see the many animals, taste the various fruits, and hear the rushing river like never before. After the hapless couple was kicked out of the garden, I could picture the less than tranquil land they were banished to, and I felt as worried as Adam did.

With a book of this nature, it’s easy to get preachy, but that wasn’t the case with this retelling. I very well may have been reading about people down the street or from a secular movie. When God spoke or a character thought about His “rule”, it was put forth in a matter of fact manner, as if it was merely a discussion about what to eat for dinner. For this reason, I don’t think nonbelievers will be turned off.

I believe the book was professionally edited, as I found no major grammatical errors or misspellings in it. The formatting was also easy to follow, and the page breaks made sense.

I am thrilled to give First Family a solid 4 out of 4 stars. I highly recommend it for believers of all faiths, the spiritually-curious, and those who are struggling in their faith.

******
First Family
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Post by krisengel »

Your review was so compelling I'll be adding this book to my want to read list!
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Post by Miss ejay »

Sounds interesting, thanks for the review

-- 11 Oct 2017, 11:46 --

Sounds interesting, thanks for the review
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Post by meteku4 »

I think book has some similarities with "Who Told You That You Were Naked" by William Combs. I love to the Adam and Eve story from different perspectives. Thanks for the great review.
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Post by KeriCraven »

Your review was so wonderful that I will be addung this to my must read list. I'm glad you enjoyed reading this book. Thank you for your review
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Post by MsTri »

Thanks for the comments, everyone!

@meteku4, That's quite true and the retellings in Who Told You That You Were Naked were one of my favorite parts of that book.
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The review was convincing and the part were you actually could feel and relate with how the characters really did feel , the emotions the author's narration stirred up was intriguing. Will definitely add it to my bookshelf
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Post by kislany »

Loved your review and your first sentence made me chuckle. I actually said, "Thank God for that!" Well done.
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Post by Mercelle »

I'm blown away. What an interesting retelling of the first family's story.
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Post by MsTri »

@Abodunrin, That really was one of the best parts. We all know the story of Cain and Abel, for instance, but how often do we consider how Adam and Eve felt afterwards? There were many such moments.

@kislany, Thanks so much for that. That line is definitely going somewhere under my 'bests'.

It truly is, @Mercy Bolo.
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Post by Amagine »

I love that this a book that can help those who are struggling with their faith. A lot of people in the world just need something to believe in.

Great Review! ?
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Post by kwahu »

This is wonderful! It feels like the Bible amplified. Bible stories sink faster when told from such dimensions.

-- 14 Oct 2017, 05:13 --
meteku4 wrote:I think book has some similarities with "Who Told You That You Were Naked" by William Combs. I love to the Adam and Eve story from different perspectives. Thanks for the great review.
Very true
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Post by Alicnim »

I didn't expect this book to be about Adam and Eve. Great review.
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Post by imi_30 »

Great review i didn't like this kind of books
but my dear i think i 'll do after your review so glad that i came to your page and read it thx again ?
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Post by MsTri »

Thanks for your comments, everyone!
@Alicnim, I didn't, either! I totally thought it was about [one of] the POTUSes and their family, but I still felt like I should check, so I was pleasantly surprised when I read its synopsis.
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