Original title: Mořská Eva
Genre: novel
Publisher:
Host, 2026
ISBN: 978-80-275-2849-3
Pages: 232
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?"
The author about her novel for ČT Art:
"I wouldn’t say Eva of the Sea is a novel anchored in any particular genre, as it ranges somewhere between social satire and a psychological portrait with elements of the grotesque. I myself describe it as a fluid novel that flows through genres, so I take the term coming-of-age as a definition of only one of its facets. Anyway, during what we call mature adulthood, I think many people stop and wonder whether they are where they want to be, and whether they are doing what they want to do. Rebellion and defiance might be primarily identified with adolescence, but they are appropriate at any age. Even at fifty. If my latest novel is meant to convey any message, so to speak, it is that women shouldn’t be afraid at any age – especially of themselves."
"This is what top-tier mainstream fiction looks like, you realize as you read Iva Hadj Moussa’s latest book. It’s the story of a perfectly ordinary woman who life has dealt a tough hand.
(…)
This native of Písek, who has now published her sixth book since 2020, knows how to do satire. She convincingly demonstrated this with her debut, A Šalina Named Desire, and these days she carries on doing so, as if she had deliberately constructed the most bizarre, kitschy scene and then egged herself on – right, girl, show what you’re made of, how you can juggle this material, what you can make out of it. A tight-fitting mermaid leotard with a PVC tail with glittering sequins? A critique of the petty bourgeoisie and posturing, sensationalist journalists, the hunt for likes, a superficial life lived more on social media than in reality, selfishness and human envy? A mirror for overly wise activist wiseguys who can’t see themselves in it anyway, even though it shines like a fish’s tail in the ocean? A bit of everything.
(…)
But most of all, Eva of the Sea is the story of a woman on the cusp of menopause who spent her whole life caring for others, keeping a low profile, and settling for little. Thanks to an ability that almost spirals out of control, she finds a way back to herself and her own desires, discovering a love for her body despite cellulite and social media public opinion. Yet Iva Hadj Moussa’s latest prose work delivers even this without any heavy psychological baggage or digging into social stereotypes. Instead, it is written lightly, humorously, with a touch of exaggeration, and with a quite ordinary yet exceptional understanding of the everyday heroes and heroines caught up in daily human struggles.
The author does not moralize or judge her characters, even though many richly deserve it. Much like Eva, she takes them as they are, without trying to change them or explain where they are going wrong.
(…)
"Iva Hadj Moussa writes in a readable and engaging style, with a great talent for commentary."
(…)
Eva of the Sea is a novel about female strength that requires no protest banners or feminist sisterhoods. It is the story of a completely ordinary woman who suffered a few hard knocks in life and simply longs for a family. It is also a celebration of otherness, showing that being different need not be a source of suffering and stigma, but can instead be a source of confidence and pride."
Klára Kubíčková, Seznam Zprávy
"Author and psychologist Iva Hadj Moussa dedicates her new novel to all those who are not afraid of their own strangeness. Her heroine Eva eventually overcomes her fear and, thanks to her special gift of being able to breathe underwater, she finds a path to freedom of body and mind.
It’s not just the novel fantasy motif that makes this bold book a unique reading experience. You’ll find yourself in many places. We’re all “weird and some of us are super weird”, says the subtitle of the author’s fifth novel, which was released in April this year. “I wanted to touch on the theme of otherness in it – how we relate to our bodies, what makes us different, and how society reacts to our differences,” says the author.
(…)
Just as in her previous novel, Heavy Souls, she has brilliantly portrayed the character of an “aging white man”, and here she reveals the darkest depths of Eva’s soul: “Of all the people I know, I am by far the worst.” She does this without judging her, always with understanding and tenderness. Also often with a sense of humour unique to herself and an eye for everyday details: “Why do I buy so many bananas when I never manage to eat them? I do so many things that don’t make sense.” Do you recognize yourself in this? But earning social respect and acceptance as Eva of the Sea takes a heavy toll on the heroine’s strength. She faces societal pressures – gender stereotypes that “it’s a woman’s duty to look good”, but also dangerous aggression from vandals and arsonists. Despite all this, expect a happy ending, because “the world is always a little friendlier than we think”. "
Hana Halfarová, Vlasta
"The author is able to depict ordinary situations, interactions, and challenges as an incisive farce, making you feel as though you are watching Eva’s life – or indeed your own – as a Laurel and Hardy routine, with all its awkwardness and poignancy."
Alena Scheinostová, Lidovky.cz
"After her novel Heavy Souls, which explored the male identity crisis in general and aging crises in particular, Iva Hadj Moussa (born 1979) focuses on a heroine on the threshold of maturity in her latest novel, Eva of the Sea. The protagonist, Eva, represents the plight of many today of a ‘certain’ age: overwhelmed by caring for loved ones, coping with the death of family members, and searching for personal boundaries in relationships with relatives and potential partners alike.
Eva’s story is, among other things, the story of a woman who gradually ceases to conform to the still-prevailing ideal of femininity, associated initially with youth and beauty, and later also with motherhood, overall performance at work, and care for her family and those around her.
(…)
The novel’s central fantasy motif, quite uncharacteristic of the author, acts primarily as a mirror reflecting contemporary society’s mechanisms.
(…) What is characteristic of the author is her deep insight into character psychology and sensitivity to various social problems (in Eva of the Sea, for example, this appears as the currently resonant theme of resolving complex family situations while prioritizing the best interests of the child).
(…)
Although the protagonist Eva’s initial situation is grim, to say the least (marked by the death of loved ones, repossession, and the removal of her children), Iva Hadj Moussa’s storytelling maintains her characteristic optimism, detached perspective, social satire, and sense of the grotesque. She has a particular inclination towards dark humour.
As in her previous works, with her typical humour Iva Hadj Moussa portrays a character undergoing a personal transformation, balancing society’s expectations against her own needs. The story of Eva breathing underwater is both a satire of today’s society, obsessed with uniqueness on the one hand and suppressing it on the other, and a metaphor for seeking and finding inner freedom."
Iveta Mikešová, Tvar
"What initially seems to be a personal drama, with an unassuming protagonist in difficult life circumstances – all unexpectedly turns into a brash farce about a woman who is suddenly in the whole world’s eyes. (…)
Here, the superpower serves as a detonator, blowing open a fresh perspective on the life of an ordinary woman of a certain age. (…) Moreover, this straightforward, entertaining novel is not sealed off in its own world, but tells the reader something like: look, I live in the same world as you."
Kamila Drahoňovská, Iliteratura.cz
