Thrilling Novella Unravels Conspiracy Behind Art Forgery and Sudden Disappearance

The Eden Evacuation by Jarek Tomszak

The Eden Evacuation is screenwriter Jarek Tomszak’s fast-paced debut novella. A savvy young Chicago-based historian takes his edgy artist girlfriend on a life-changing holiday to Rome to view the Vatican’s extensive art collection. When she goes missing and both the Italian authorities and the U.S. embassy stonewall attempts to find her, a computer-nerd friend, a former-classmate-turned-Catholic-priest and even a psychic get involved in the hunt.

History major Adam Ross is making a romantic trip to Rome with his girlfriend Gina Nolan, an art major and painter with a passion for art preservation. Both hope to see the world’s best art up close, most particularly the Sobieski Room. There the largest canvas in the Vatican Museum’s entire collection — 30 feet wide by 15 feet high — is featured in all its magnificence. Gifted to Pope Leo XIII in 1883 by Polish artist Jan Matejko, his painting The Battle of Vienna celebrates the 200th anniversary of an important victory, led by Polish King Jan Sobieski and responsible for keeping Vienna and the rest of Europe from being taken over by the Islamic Ottoman Empire. Adam’s biggest hopes are to get access to private Vatican archives for more insight into the history of that painting and to propose to Gina at the perfect moment.

These perfect plans face roadblocks immediately. The first day they get off to a late start and the line for the Vatican Museums is too long. Then Adam’s priest friend reaches out to say he’s been transferred from the Vatican to Sao Paolo, Brazil, preventing Adam any special access to Vatican archives.

The second day they make it to their beloved Sobieski room and Gina is stunned. The colors on the Matejko painting are too fresh to be authentic. Sure enough, an attached note says it’s a reproduction while the original gets renovated. A passerby says the original was missing last year too. In fact, it looks like most of the Vatican collection consists of replicas, as if all the art is being evacuated out of its “Garden of Eden” setting. Why? With her art preservation background, Gina is suspicious. As Adam gets the car ready to leave Rome for Pompei the next day, she impulsively rushes back to the Sobieski Room for one last look and some answers. A strange text from her arrives a few minutes later: “Some weird things are going on here. I’m taking pictures. Tell you later.” She doesn’t come back, no clues turn up, and Adam returns home devastated and confused, her engagement ring still in his pocket and unsure where to turn next.

As the plot unfolds and Adam enlists all the help he can find, Gina spends more time with the art she so dearly loves. Tomszak’s skills as award-winning poet and short-story writer add nuanced sensibilities to his vivid descriptions of the Vatican art and to unpacking the symbolism of its most iconic pieces such as Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment.

After cover-ups, conspiracies and a wild chase for Gina that moves from Rome back to Chicago and on to Sao Paulo, The Eden Evacuation ends with a complete surprise that, in reflection, could not have gone any other way. An engaging read for those who enjoy combining rich historic details, vivid art and an iconic foreign setting with a missing person mystery.