Eva of the Sea

A novel about what keeps us afloat

It’s never too late to take a breath.

In her forties, Eva is leading an ordinary, unremarkable life – until all her old certainties begin to come apart and a series of unexpected events culminates in the shocking realization that while others are drowning, she is catching her breath.

Will this newfound ability make a superhero out of Eva? Or will it make her a woman who at last chooses to be herself, although this self is strange, elusive, even dangerous?

Eva of the Sea is a late coming-of-age novel about a woman trying to survive the pressure of family, the authorities, the media, and her own ideas about who she should be. Its tragicomic images blend fantasy with intimacy and present a satire of petty-bourgeois expectations. With insight and tenderness, the author shows how a person can fall apart, put themselves together again and find strength in something that will ultimately provide a key to freedom…

Iva Hadj Moussa about her novel: 

"A few years ago, a thought occurred to me as I was swimming in the lake in Poděbrady: What if I can breathe underwater but don’t know it yet? How would this ability change my life? This spontaneous thought gave rise to an idea for a novel. I wanted it to touch on the theme of otherness. How do we relate to our bodies, and what makes us different from each other? How does society react to our differences? How would people relate to such a superhero? Would they admire her? Would they fear her? And can a gift that sets us apart end up being a burden?"