— which I think is a type of faith, because contained within grief is this assumption that if we make it through it, that there will be healing on the other end. I'm not sure that that healing always occurs, and when it doesn't occur, oftentimes we're left just waiting in this type of liminal state — hence the title of the book. Ackerman reflected that the choice of the name Mary was intentional, and an allusion to the biblical character, saying "I know lots of Marys, and I think we probably all do." As quoted in Vogue, Ackerman described his work' foundation as grounded in "the cumulative loss of many friends and the larger questions of how we keep faith with each other." Reception The Boston Globe described the novel as a "tight-knit, inward-looking reckoning with the costs of military sacrifice — in emphatic flesh-and-blood terms." In their list of anticipated books for the Fall of 2018, critic Ron Charles in The Washington Post praised Ackerman's prowess as "one of the best soldier-writers of his generation". Joshua Finnell in the Library Journal described Waiting for Eden as "a profound meditation on the liminal space between our past, present, and future," and Alexander Moran of Booklist praised the work as "a deeply moving portrayal of how grief can begin even while our loved ones still cling to life." In her review of essential books for the 2018 Fall season, Chloe Schama in Vogue described Waiting for Eden as "an unflinching guide to the mental, physical, and familial toll of war." See also Green on Blue, a 2015 novel also by Ackerman Notes References External links Elliot Ackerman official website 2018 American novels Novels about death Novels about marriage American war novels Alfred A. Knopf books