Since antiquity, Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden have been misunderstood. History has blamed them for bringing sin, deceit, and death into the world, when we should have been celebrating them for their resilience, their give-and-take, their shared identity and their enduring commitment to each other.

In this fresh retelling of their story, Bruce Feiler travels from the Garden of Eden in Iraq to the Sistine Chapel in Rome, from John Milton’s London to Mae West’s Hollywood, discovering how Adam and Eve should be hailed as exemplars of a long-term, healthy, resilient relationship. Feiler also shares his conversations about Adam and Eve with historians, archaeologists, Vatican guides, psychotherapists, couples, religious leaders and women’s rights activists. Across four continents and 4,000 years, Feiler explains how the first couple has been miscast and restores them to their rightful place as central figures in our culture.

Containing all the humor, insight, and wisdom that have