Eve climbed into the car and we shook hands. Then she retreated to the far corner, sliding over the leather seats and pulling the arm rest down between us to forbid further contact. She had an old fashioned formality about her that discouraged intimacy. Her foot tapped, either from frustration or fear. She frowned when I showed her the key that lay in my palm. Eden had no keys.
I couldn’t help but stare. Eve was still beautiful. She was Negro, Oriental, Asian and Caucasian. Every race was in her face but instead of confusion there was clarity. She is the pure source of everyone.
***
I’m not religious but the old religious stories have it all- love, hate, compassion, greed, sacrifice, jealousy- the stuff of life.
Reviews
Adam and Eve long after the expulsion from Eden, apparently also cursed with immortality. A story of love and guilt. The guilt is Eve’s; she has to relearn the love. This is fantasy, and ahistorical. There is nice writing and the sort of twist at the end that changes everything. Lois Tilton for Locus Online
“The Bitterness Of Apples” is Priya Sharma’s re-working and extension of the Adam and Eve account. Told from two viewpoints, it recounts their relationship through the ages, blending seamlessly into modern times with a fairytale feel. Gareth D Jones for SF Crowsnest
Adam and Eve, the apple and paradise lost are the traditional elements of an Eden story but in “The Bitterness of Apples” Priya Sharma gives us a story built more on the relationships between the characters than the events. Eden, for most of this story, is only a memory that may disappoint the reader. But, it’s a page-turner that has an ending with a twist. Robert Leishman for Tangent
In “The Bitterness of Apples” by Priya Sharma, Adam and Eve have been separated by eons, miles, and the bitterness of sins long past. Can they, or should they, ever be reunited? I like stories that shift between characters’ points of view. The voice of each character was distinct. This one had strong voice, great flow, and interesting characters, and there was a wicked twist at the end. Scooter Carlyle for The Portal
priya sharma fiction 