The Eden Evacuation by Jarek Tomszak
The Eden Evacuation is screenwriter Jarek Tomszak’s fast-paced debut novella. A savvy younger Chicago-based historian takes his edgy artist girlfriend on a life-changing vacation to Rome to view the Vatican’s intensive artwork assortment. When she goes lacking and each the Italian authorities and the U.S. embassy stonewall makes an attempt to seek out her, a computer-nerd buddy, a former-classmate-turned-Catholic-priest and even a psychic get entangled within the hunt.
Historical past main Adam Ross is making a romantic journey to Rome along with his girlfriend Gina Nolan, an artwork main and painter with a ardour for artwork preservation. Each hope to see the world’s greatest artwork up shut, most significantly the Sobieski Room. There the biggest canvas within the Vatican Museum’s total assortment — 30 ft extensive by 15 ft excessive — is featured in all its magnificence. Gifted to Pope Leo XIII in 1883 by Polish artist Jan Matejko, his portray The Battle of Vienna celebrates the 200th anniversary of an vital victory, led by Polish King Jan Sobieski and chargeable for maintaining Vienna and the remainder of Europe from being taken over by the Islamic Ottoman Empire. Adam’s greatest hopes are to get entry to non-public Vatican archives for extra perception into the historical past of that portray and to suggest to Gina on the excellent second.
These excellent plans face roadblocks instantly. The primary day they get off to a late begin and the road for the Vatican Museums is just too lengthy. Then Adam’s priest buddy reaches out to say he’s been transferred from the Vatican to Sao Paolo, Brazil, stopping Adam any particular entry to Vatican archives.
The second day they make it to their beloved Sobieski room and Gina is shocked. The colours on the Matejko portray are too recent to be genuine. Positive sufficient, an connected word says it’s a replica whereas the unique will get renovated. A passerby says the unique was lacking final yr too. Actually, it seems to be like a lot of the Vatican assortment consists of replicas, as if all of the artwork is being evacuated out of its “Backyard of Eden” setting. Why? Along with her artwork preservation background, Gina is suspicious. As Adam will get the automotive prepared to depart Rome for Pompei the subsequent day, she impulsively rushes again to the Sobieski Room for one final look and a few solutions. A wierd textual content from her arrives a couple of minutes later: “Some bizarre issues are occurring right here. I’m taking footage. Let you know later.” She doesn’t come again, no clues flip up, and Adam returns house devastated and confused, her engagement ring nonetheless in his pocket and not sure the place to show subsequent.
Because the plot unfolds and Adam enlists all the assistance he can discover, Gina spends extra time with the artwork she so dearly loves. Tomszak’s abilities as award-winning poet and short-story author add nuanced sensibilities to his vivid descriptions of the Vatican artwork and to unpacking the symbolism of its most iconic items corresponding to Michelangelo’s The Final Judgment.
After cover-ups, conspiracies and a wild chase for Gina that strikes from Rome again to Chicago and on to Sao Paulo, The Eden Evacuation ends with an entire shock that, in reflection, couldn’t have gone another means. An interesting learn for many who take pleasure in combining wealthy historic particulars, vivid artwork and an iconic overseas setting with a lacking particular person thriller.
Publish Date: 3/28/2024
Style: Fiction, Thrillers
Creator: Jarek Tomszak
Web page Depend: 153 pages
Writer: Austin Macauley Publishers
ISBN: 9798891550100