#50 This Other Eden, by Paul Harding





Booker Prize:  Shortlisted 2023

Plot Time and Place:  19th century, on an island off the coast of Maine, USA

Opening sentence:  "Benjamin Honey - American, Bantu, Igbo - born enslaved - freed or fled at fifteen, only he ever knew - ship's carpenter, aspiring orchardist, arrived on the island with his wife, Patience, née Raferty, Galway girl, in 1793."

Plot summary:  In 1792, formerly enslaved Benjamin Honey and his Irish wife, Patience, discover an island where they can make a life together. More than a century later, the Honeys' descendants remain, with an eccentric, diverse band of neighbours. But one summer, a prejudiced missionary lands on the island's shores, disrupting the community's fragile balance with everlasting consequences. (Penguin edition)

Review: i appreciated the lyricism of the writing. However, I didn't really relate to any of the characters, or the story, and I found the reading to be boring and slow. The ending of the story was unsatisfying, due to the lack of closure and unanswered questions as to the fate of the main characters. 

Rating:  2/5








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