Adam and Eve by Sena Jeter Naslund

The provided text is an excerpt from Sena Jeter Naslund's novel, "Adam & Eve." The narrative follows Lucy, an art therapist grappling with the death of her astrophysicist husband, Thom, and the mystery surrounding his scientific work on extraterrestrial life. Her journey takes her to Egypt, where she becomes entangled with Pierre and Arielle Saad, who are trying to protect a newly discovered ancient codex that reinterprets the book of Genesis. After a plane crash, Lucy finds herself in a seemingly Edenic environment with a man she names Adam, who is later joined by a soldier named Riley, leading to themes of humanity's origins, spirituality, identity, and the clash between scientific discovery and religious fundamentalism. The story weaves together past memories, philosophical ponderings, and present-day challenges as Lucy seeks healing and understanding.