Eva is a groundbreaking story of the female body, a scientific and vivid perspective that places women at the center of the evolutionary success of Homo sapiens.

Why do women live longer than men? Why do women have menopause? Why are women more likely to develop Alzheimer's? How did breastfeeding lead to the development of civilization? Is there really a "female brain"?

Cat Bohannon answers questions that scientists should have asked long ago, covering, with relentless curiosity and sharp insight, the last 200 million years in order to interpret the evolution of the female sex. By tracing our current characteristics to specific ancestors, she describes how women's bodies came to be so different from men's—even down to the depths of our cells—and why this still matters for our species.

Eva is not only a sweeping revision of human history, but also an urgent and necessary restoration of balance in a world that has focused on the male body for far too long. Bohannon's findings—from how caesarean sections affected the shape of the female pelvis during the industrial era to the astonishing similarities between pus and breast milk—will completely change what you thought you knew about evolution and will provide answers to the question of why Homo sapiens became such a dominant species, from the invention of tools and the building of cities to the development of language.

"In my long-standing effort to understand my body, this book has been extremely helpful. I highly recommend it to any woman undertaking the same journey."
Hope Jahren, biologist, author of Lab Girl and Story of More

"A fascinating, lyrical account of the suffering and remarkable resilience of women, as well as the lengths we go to in order to survive and protect our children."
Laura Hackett, The Sunday Times