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Waiting for Eden
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
25 posts | 28 read | 40 to read
From the National Book Award finalist, a breathtakingly spare and shattering new novel that traces the intersection of three star-crossed lives. Eden Malcom lies in a bed, unable to move or to speak, imprisoned in his own mind. His wife Mary spends every day on the sofa in his hospital room. He has never even met their young daughter. And he will never again see the friend and fellow soldier who didn't make it back home--and who narrates the novel. But on Christmas, the one day Mary is not at his bedside, Eden's re-ordered consciousness comes flickering alive. As he begins to find a way to communicate, some troubling truths about his marriage--and about his life before he went to war--come to the surface. Is Eden the same man he once was: a husband, a friend, a father-to-be? What makes a life worth living? A piercingly insightful, deeply felt meditation on loyalty and betrayal, love and fear, Waiting for Eden is a tour de force of profound humanity.
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LeslieO
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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Here‘s the September tally. For October, on to creepy mysteries and thrillers! #FallReading #Septemberwrapup

28 likes2 stack adds
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BarbaraBB
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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Pickpick

Eden is a soldier who has been hospitalized for three years after an explosion in Iraq, extremely severely burned and most of the time unconscious.
The narrator of the book is his best friend, who didn‘t survive the explosion. He is waiting for Eden and for Eden‘s wife Mary, to make a choice.

A sad and heartbreaking read with utterly vivid characters despite the presence of death all over the book.

JennyM Oh, and I now must read this. Beautiful review ♥️ 5y
Bklover I‘m looking forward to this one. I wonder if it‘s in paperback yet? (edited) 5y
Nute Stacking immediately! 5y
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BarbaraBB @Bklover Yes my copy is a paperback! 5y
BarbaraBB @Nute I hope you‘ll read it! 5y
Bklover Thanks @BarbaraBB ! Just had my daughter order me a copy from Barnes and Noble. (She works there😉😘) 5y
BarbaraBB @Bklover That‘s convenient! Looking forward to your thoughts! ❣️ 5y
cathysaid Oh yes...this was a good but tough one. And quite a few lines that were gut checks. 5y
Megabooks This sounds so heartbreaking but also like an interesting authorial choice. 5y
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readordierachel
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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Thank you so much for the surprise, Jennifer! How incredibly sweet of you. You made my day! 😊 Can't wait to read it. @Jas16

Erinreadsthebooks Waiting for Eden is a great book! 5y
readordierachel @Erinreadsthebooks Good to hear! I'm looking forward to it. 5y
Jas16 I was happy to be able to pay it forward! I hope you like it as much as I did! 5y
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Reggie Get ready to 😭. It‘s so good, though! 5y
readordierachel @Jas16 Thanks again 😊 5y
readordierachel @Reggie OK, totally sold! 5y
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Jas16
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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I have wanted to read this book since @Reggie reviewed it and he was kind enough to send me a copy. Eden is the most injured man in two wars and suddenly gains a level of consciousness after being catatonic for three years. He‘s watched over by his wife as well as the narrator, a friend who died instantly in the same incident but keeps a vigil from the other side. A tiny book that packs a major wallop, l cannot get these characters out of my head.

Jas16 Thank you so much @reggie for the awesome package. You shouldn‘t have but I really appreciate it. 5y
Reggie I‘m just happy you liked the book! 5y
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mrozzz
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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Pickpick

Using tight prose Ackerman deftly tore my heart out. The story is told from the perspective of a deceased friend & fellow solider of the gravely injured Eden, who survived the war zone explosion that killed the narrator, but only just, & there he remains on the precipice of death for three years. His friend keeps a careful watch on Eden's wife, Mary, & daughter who knows her father in the hospital as a burnt shell of the man he was before it all.

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BittersweetBooks
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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I won‘t give up on you again, she thought, and felt this promise like a tear in her heart ⭐️💔

Erinreadsthebooks I LOVE this book! 💙💞 6y
BittersweetBooks @Erinreadsthebooks agreed, it was really good!! 6y
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Pam.Kokomo
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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Pickpick

Heartbreaking. ❤️

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Lauren.Archer
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
Pickpick

Beautiful and heart wrenching. I really felt for Eden and Mary. I don‘t know what I would do if I was put in a similar situation.

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Lauren.Archer
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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Trying to get a read in before I have to leave for the airport.

Erinreadsthebooks I love that book so much! 💙 6y
Reggie Omg I cried so hard at work with this book. And every time I tried to explain it to a coworker I couldn‘t get the words out. 6y
74 likes2 comments
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mrozzz
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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Quite excited for this stack of holds I picked up from the library yesterday. ☺️

Reggie Waiting for Eden will blow you away. Soo good. 6y
mrozzz @Reggie that‘s what I like to hear!!! 6y
104 likes2 comments
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Reggie
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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Pickpick

As I began reading this book, this short book, the air began to thicken and its story permeated my being and broke my heart over and over and over again. 2 men overseas at war are blown up in a vehicle. 1 dies instantly and is the narrator of the story, the other barely survives and comes back home to his wife and their daughter. This is about how humans love, we betray, we forgive, we love harder. Such a gut punch in such a short book. Pick!!!

Ericalambbrown Oooof. That sounds rough but real. My husband is a combat vet, we were both Marines. Sounds very interesting-Thanks for the review! (edited) 6y
Jas16 Amazing review. Stacked! 6y
Erinreadsthebooks Excellent book, excellent review! 6y
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Reggie @Ericalambbrown Thanks for your service. Yeah, this book definitely gives plenty to think about. I haven‘t shaken off the wrenching I feel inside, probably won‘t for the rest of the day. Hope you enjoy it doesn‘t sound right but I hope you like it if you read it. 6y
Ericalambbrown @Reggie I totally know what you mean! 😊 Thanks, Reggie 6y
mreads This was a fantastic and tough to read. 6y
readordierachel Lovely review ❤ 6y
Centique Whoa this sounds amazing! Stacked 😊 6y
Reggie @Centique it was amazing!!😭 6y
Nonaroo I just finished this. I couldn‘t put it down. 6y
Reggie @Nonaroo Sooo good, right? Ughhh when you find out who left who their insurance...😭 6y
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mreads
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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Pickpick

Short (under 200 page) novel but a complete punch to the gut. Severely wounded soldier, the description alone is brutal, back in US intensive care with his wife and an unnamed fellow solider "lucky to have died instantly" who narrates the novel.

Long listed for the TOB, deserves to make the shortlist. 5⭐

Samplergal I loved it as well. 6y
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Suet624
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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So this might be the book that stopped me from reading for awhile. It‘s a short read but it filled me with a sadness I couldn‘t shake. I generally can handle these things but when I held the book in my hand this morning I felt a shiver. So.... I‘m giving it a pick because I believe the author hits the targets sought after. And I‘m including a photo of Gracie May/Drool Face in all her glory to cheer us all up.

Tamra 💜 6y
Mccall0113 Oh her hair!😍 6y
kspenmoll She is so beautiful- joy in her smile. Hug lots today! ❤️ 6y
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Suet624 @kspenmoll she‘s a little whippersnapper, I‘ll tell ya. This photo was taken on Friday and you can be sure we snuggled a bunch. ❤️ 6y
Suet624 @Mccall0113 it‘s quite colorful 😂 6y
Mccall0113 We were hoping for a redhead since my step son has the same color hair as your angel Didn‘t happen. But we named her Merida anyways. 6y
AlaMich The dimples!! ❤️ 6y
Suet624 @Mccall0113 a beautiful name! This cutie is my granddaughter. I‘m fortunate to be able to spend 5 days a week with her. 💕 6y
Tanisha_A Such a happy cupcake! 🙂 6y
Cinfhen OMG! She‘s so sweet!! Now I need to see her handsome buddy ❤️❤️ 6y
Reggie Sending hugs, Sue. Such a cutie ginger!!! 6y
batsy Oh, thank you. Her adorable face has made my day! ❤️ 6y
Suet624 @Cinfhen Soon, my friend, soon. 😀 6y
Suet624 @Reggie thanks so much, Reggie. 6y
Suet624 @batsy I‘m so glad. 💕 6y
Jeg She is so beautiful and I just love her hair. I always wanted a red headed child or grandchild but it didn‘t happen. She is just glorious. 6y
Suet624 @Jeg Thank you! 💕💕 6y
LauraBeth That hair!! And dimples! 😍😍 6y
Suet624 @LauraBeth isn‘t she something! 6y
ValerieAndBooks 💖💖😍😍!! So cute! Love her sweater, too. 6y
57 likes20 comments
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BekahPat
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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BekahPat
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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Waiting for Eden by Elliot Ackerman shook me to the core. I will be thinking of this story and the questions that it poses as you read for a very long time. Eden is a war hero and a lone survivor, but not really a survivor. He exists. Mary is his wife. Andy is the daughter that never met her father. Their story is told by Eden‘s friend who did not survive. It is beautifully written, and uniquely told.

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Erinreadsthebooks
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Wow, this book...extremely well-written and nuanced. The subject matter is a level of sadness and loneliness that I can't imagine. It's disheartening and intense and heavy and heartbreaking, but the book is so incredibly good. An instant favorite.

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Becker
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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Pickpick

A pretty intense and tragic weekend read. 💔

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InnerSavvy
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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This is a short book on the cost of war but so much more. It will make you think about life and death, being a parent, communicating with your spouse, friendship, sacrifice and love.

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jouleian
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book was beautifully written, not over done, not an excess of anything. It is an amazing way to tell the story of Death and the in between. This author did not waste not one, single, syllable. A definite recommendation from me.

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jouleian
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman

This book is out of the ordinary, I'm rather impressed.

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jouleian
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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Well, this book is next up to bat. I'm sure I'll have it finished before end of day, seeing as how it's just over 3hrs long. So snarky review shortly 😁😁😁 #iletyouknow #quickfind

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CathyJ
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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Pickpick

This was a short but touching story.

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TheBookStacker
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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Yay! I totally didn‘t even know I won this until t showed up at my house! Funnily enough I had just added this book to my wish list! So I‘m taking a break from my horror novel Fear: Trump in the White House to read this. I‘m having a very sick day and of course my boyfriend is gone to LA for the day and night! So just me and the furry things to keep me company, oh and my books!

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Mirandareads
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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Pickpick

This was an incredibly well written story of a woman waiting for her husband to awaken from a coma. I loved this. 💜

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AustenJennings
Waiting for Eden: A novel | Elliot Ackerman
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Pickpick

Extremely touching novel. God, I couldn‘t set it down. Beautiful. Just beautiful.

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