These are the dilemmas facing the women in this novel. Using stories from the Bible as her starting point, R. M. Lamming breathes life into its female characters who have been condemned to live in the shadows of their male counterparts until now. With bold imagination she skilfully rewrites the ancient stories, laying bare the predicaments of Eve, Claudia Procula and Martha, amongst others, with great compassion and insight. As in Eden is a beautifully composed exploration of the lives women lead which will not fail to draw the reader in.