Read My Book: Debut novel by Sask. author Barbara Kahan is a unique celebration of women

With touches of magic, realism and humour, Elemental Eve combines contemporary themes with a story of women from the beginning of time.

Published Sep 14, 2023 • Last updated 2 hours ago • 2 minute read

Saskatoon author Barbara Kahan has published her first novel, Elemental Eve. Supplied photo.

The awe I feel for the multitudes of talented, compassionate and courageous women from all centuries, continents, and circumstances — most of them unsung heroes — inspired me to tell a story of women from the beginning of time.

At first I wrote for my own enjoyment, but soon realized how much I wanted readers to meet these Elemental Eves — celebrate their fierceness and tenderness, curiosity and creativity, fears and passions; recognize the commonalities they share with women everywhere, and treasure each one’s uniqueness.

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To me, the three main characters are as real as I am.

While they come from different backgrounds, each of them is seeking to discover her relationship to the world: Unassuming Eve, challenged to step onto the public stage to prevent a wrong; Eve’s storyteller friend Solloway, committed to fulfilling a promise that may be impossible to keep; and aspiring artist Evie, Eve’s great-granddaughter, searching for answers to family secrets. Along with a number of other characters, the ensemble is completed by Biblical Eve, forced to make a life outside of Eden, and Prime Eve, the evolutionary amoeba.

A missing sister, a philosophical serpent, and a fire bomb add elements of mystery, magic, realism, and high drama to the intergenerational saga of Eve, Solloway, and Evie. Set in diverse locales, Elemental Eve is national and international in scope. The bulk of it is set in Saskatchewan (Regina, Saskatoon, and a northern forest). Other settings include Toronto, Montreal, and New Zealand.

Despite the serious themes that Elemental Eve touches upon — ranging from racism to the climate crisis — this novel is a hopeful one. Eve, Solloway, and Evie do not concede to darkness; they persevere towards light. They are a reflection of women everywhere whose gifts to the world are uncountable.

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Both entertaining and thought-provoking, Elemental Eve is a compelling read for anyone who loves a good story.

Elemental Eve can be purchased online from Wild Sage Press, SaskBooks, and Amazon, or in person from Regina’s The Penny University. The paperback list price is $29.95 and the eBook (available from Amazon and Kobo) is $9.99.

The book will also be featured at The Forest and the Tree salon and sale, co-sponsored by Wild Sage Press and the Regina Public Library (Sept. 24, 2-4 p.m., Connaught Library). The event includes music, refreshments, readings and conversations with local writers, artists and musicians.

(Kahan’s eclectic work history ranges from working at a youth centre and co-managing a community bookstore to researching health and social issues. Her writing — poetry, fiction, and non-fiction — has been shared in journals and books, on the radio, and on stage. She is from Regina but now lives in Saskatoon.)