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This Other Eden
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
In 1792, formerly enslaved Benjamin Honey and his Irish wife, Patience, discover an island where they can make a life together. Over a century later, the Honeys' descendants and a diverse group of neighbors are desperately poor, isolated, and often hungry, but nevertheless protected from the hostility awaiting them on the mainland.During the tumultuous summer of 1912, Matthew Diamond, a retired, idealistic but prejudiced schoolteacher-turned-missionary, disrupts the community's fragile balance through his efforts to educate its children. His presence attracts the attention of authorities on the mainland who, under the influence of the eugenics-thinking popular among progressives of the day, decide to forcibly evacuate the island, institutionalize its residents, and develop the island as a vacation destination. Beginning with a hurricane flood reminiscent of the story of Noah's Ark, the novel ends with yet another Ark.In prose of breathtaking beauty and power, Paul Harding brings to life an unforgettable cast of characters: Iris and Violet McDermott, sisters raising three orphaned Penobscot children; Theophilus and Candace Larks and their brood of vagabond children; the prophetic Zachary Hand to God Proverbs, a Civil War veteran who lives in a hollow tree; and more. A spellbinding story of resistance and survival, This Other Eden is an enduring testament to the struggle to preserve human dignity in the face of intolerance and injustice.
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review
TalesandTexts
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Mehso-so

Inspired by the story of Noah‘s Ark, this book explores the impact of prejudice against those different from us. Using the imagery of an apple, the book shows how even utopia can be rotten at its core. There is poison hiding in the seed that fruits into a blessing in the most desperate of circumstances. This book was tragic - not one of the best works I have read - but heartbreaking. I can‘t believe we humans have done this to others in the past.

14 likes1 stack add
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Floresj
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Pickpick

Quick novel about a mixed race community. Written well, and the plot moves quickly. Characters were interesting and I wanted a bit more- great sign.

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batsy
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Pickpick

I went into this book not knowing much about it, & learned that Harding took the real life story of the eviction of the Malaga residents & fictionalised it in this story about Apple Island & its people. The result, to me, is a beautiful & grim story about race & eugenics & colonisation, though the story itself isn't "about" those issues. It's a slim book that packs a punch. The POV shifts between individual voices & it gives the residents of the

batsy island a way to insert themselves into the story, granting them the dignity of a complex interior life removed from the modern, racial categories & its attendant anxieties (the islanders have different worries, different fears) while also showing from the perspective of the outsiders the unbearably racist world that operates in "civilisation". I thought this was incredibly sophisticated in terms of how Harding pulled it off. 9mo
batsy In reading up on the real facts of Malaga I found this article. Harding's book has its critics for its social allegory & their arguments should be noted: https://www.pressherald.com/2023/11/12/amid-literary-praise-for-this-other-eden-... 9mo
Tamra Fantastic review! I enjoyed it as well. Love the cover of your edition! 9mo
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batsy @Tamra Thank you! I read the ebook but this cover is super pretty, isn't it 😍 9mo
jlhammar I also thought this was very good. Love his writing. Great review! 9mo
erzascarletbookgasm Stacking 9mo
batsy @jlhammar Thank you! His writing is quite stunning... I will have to check out 9mo
Cathythoughts Nice review, I have this book. Must read it one day 😁♥️ 9mo
batsy @Cathythoughts A quiet novel, sort of like Emma Donoghue, with lush prose and heavy themes. Hope you like it when you get to it 😘 9mo
90 likes3 stack adds10 comments
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batsy
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Everything that happened before happens again. The colonial past is always the present.

Graywacke 😔 9mo
Mimi28 Yikes!! I am@going to try to send your package tomorrow 😊 9mo
batsy @Graywacke Depressing. (The book is so much better than what I expected, though!) 9mo
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batsy @Mimi28 No worries at all, whenever is good for you ☺️ 9mo
Graywacke @batsy that prose. No? 9mo
batsy @Graywacke Yes! 9mo
60 likes6 comments
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LatrelWhite
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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✅ Beautiful book. 🎧

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LatrelWhite
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Pre-SuperBowl reading.😆will definitely be reading through the Super Bowl my team is out so reading it is!❤️

Julsmarshall Same! 9mo
Graywacke Gorgeous book. (My team hasn‘t been there for many many years) 9mo
LatrelWhite @Julsmarshall 👍🏽📖☺️ 9mo
LatrelWhite @Graywacke just finished ❤️❤️❤️❤️ beautiful! 9mo
15 likes1 stack add4 comments
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vlwelser
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Pickpick

This member of the Booker shortlist was actually quite good. I am currently stalled on a different one. I was not impressed with the selection this year. But this one has something special going for it imo.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Suet624 I liked this one a lot. 10mo
TheAromaofBooks Yay!! 10mo
44 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Graywacke
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Pickpick

Harding uses the idea of Malaga island, whose mix-raced population was evicted in 1912, seemingly as an excuse to explore prose. He seems especially interested in mental textures, blending memory, environment and circumstance. It comes out slow. This is elegant in its own way, but requires a whole lot of patience and willingness of the reader to sit in and explore his sentences. (I got a little impatient at times😁)

BarbaraBB I felt that way too 11mo
Graywacke @BarbaraBB ☺️ glad it wasn‘t just me 11mo
48 likes2 comments
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Addison_Reads
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Mehso-so

#tob24

I wanted so much more from this book. Paul Harding has presented a heart-wrenching story with beautiful prose. I have enjoyed other books by him previously, but the vast time frame with the large cast of characters did not feel fully explored for my tastes in this short read.

I do love that Harding introduced me to something I knew nothing about before reading this book. Now I plan on researching more about Malaga Island.

squirrelbrain Great review - I didn‘t much like this one either, when I read it as part of the Booker long list. 11mo
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Suet624 I liked this a lot. The writing and especially the historical aspect of it which I was unaware of made it a pick for me. 11mo
BarbaraBB It was a so-so for me too. 11mo
Chelsea.Poole I felt the same when I read this over the summer. 11mo
Hooked_on_books I loved the premise of this one but didn‘t feel it delivered. I gave it a so-so, too. 11mo
43 likes7 comments
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Jas16
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Pickpick

After reading all of the so-so reviews my expectations were low but I ended up loving this book. Beautifully written and heart wrenching this story was based on in true events which makes it even more difficult to worry about the characters after the story ended. I haven‘t read Tinkers but think I should correct that.

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andrew61
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Pickpick

This booker shortlisted novel tells the tale of the forced eviction of the inhabitants of a small island off the coast of maine. The occupants descend from a mixed racial couple who seek to grow apples there + it then becomes a haven for people of different racial origin + colour who escape to this home. In 1912 the moral majority on the mainland informed by eugenics are offended by the islands population. The story is very sad but absorbing.

Cathythoughts Nice review 👍🏻I have this, must try to get to it. 13mo
35 likes1 comment
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Bookboss
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Pickpick

Paul Harding‘s previous novel, Tinkers, was exquisite. This book has Harding‘s same attention to language and interior life. A group of mixed raced families are forced to leave their homes on an island off the coast of Maine in the early 1900s. This is a fictional account based on the history of Malaga Island. I had no knowledge of this island or it‘s history before picking up this book. The novel explores racism, poverty, family, and education.

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Hooked_on_books
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Mehso-so

I‘m glad to see I‘m in good company with my thoughts about this one. What a great premise, but I felt held at arm‘s length and couldn‘t get invested in the characters or story. This felt like a missed opportunity to me and I‘m perplexed that this book is on both the Booker and NBA longlists.

squirrelbrain Great review - I didn‘t realise it was on the NBA list too. 🤔 13mo
43 likes1 comment
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jlhammar
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Pickpick

I fell in love with Harding‘s elegant, understated prose years ago with his debut. I think I prefer Tinkers, but still really liked this and can see why it is making prize lists (Booker, NBA). A heart-wrenching story inspired by some very troubling and shameful history. It‘s on the shorter side (221 pages), but it isn‘t one to breeze through. Best for when you‘re feeling focused and are prepared to take your time.

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quietlycuriouskate
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Mehso-so

Hmmm... by turns desperately sad and maddening (on account of the ruinous prejudices of well-off white folk masquerading as reason and good intentions. The usual, in other words.). It didn't quite "land" for me. I enjoyed the writing but - and I haven't worked out why - the effect is curiously muffled, such that I struggled to connect to or feel anything much for the characters. Why keep the reader at arm's length like that? Perplexing.

squirrelbrain Yes, it felt rather distant, I agree. To me, it seemed like a series of academic essays, there was no heart or warmth. 14mo
quietlycuriouskate @squirrelbrain Perhaps that's it, Helen: the story comes across as something observed and documented, rather than participated in (even if only in the imagination). 14mo
quietlycuriouskate @squirrelbrain Even the awful episode where the Larks are literally carried off: Candace is beaten up and Rabbit is killed, for God's sake, and I'm thinking, "Huh?! Nothing's registering!" 14mo
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squirrelbrain Yes, that was terrible, and yet not. Have you read any other Booker books, I can‘t recall? Shortlist is imminent! 14mo
quietlycuriouskate @squirrelbrain I've only read Pearl, otherwise. Although I'm waiting on several library and BorrowBox reservations. I daresay the shortlist announcement will shake up the queues somewhat! 14mo
squirrelbrain The best ones didn‘t make the shortlist so you may be in luck! 😃 14mo
35 likes6 comments
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Deblovestoread
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Pickpick

#SummerEndReadathon

A small island community that survives despite all the adversity it faces until the government makes a decision that changes their lives forever. I haven‘t read enough of the Booker long list to say whether or not it should be short listed but it was a good read

TheSpineView Great job!👍📖📚 14mo
49 likes1 comment
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JamieArc
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Pickpick

A fictionalized story of the inhabitants of Malaga Island, off the coast of Maine, who were forcibly removed. This is a quiet but heartbreaking story of one of the first integrated spaces in the US. It‘s history I‘m glad I learned about, but I‘m having a hard time enjoying the Booker Longlist, so I‘m taking a break. Pictured are children from Malaga Island. #Booked2024 set in a neighborhood

Megabooks Great review! 💜 14mo
52 likes1 stack add1 comment
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ClairesReads
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Pickpick

A subtly told story, heavily influenced by the real events. It's a very emotionally charged, immersive story and I found the paralells with real events particularly particularly interesting. It explores themes of race in understated ways. Although the novel builds towards a devastaing conclusion which doesn't come as a surprise to the reader at all, the way we reach this is tied so closely to the deeply-drawn individual characters.

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BarbaraBB
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Mehso-so

#booker23 6/13

The setting of the story is very interesting: an island off the coast of Maine, where castaways for generations have build their home. In the early 1900s the authorities decide to make an end to this situation.
I‘d have loved to hear more about this island, its history and what happened with the inhabitants. Instead Harding fictionalizes the story and I never felt connected to the characters ⬇️

BarbaraBB ⬆️ except for Ethan Honey, who we get to know, but just a bit. The book left me with the feeling it could have been better. (Photo: my niece in Ithaca, Greece) (edited) 1y
squirrelbrain There‘s a few books that ‘could have been better‘ on this year‘s Booker Longlist. 😬 Gorgeous photo of your niece! ❤️ 1y
TheKidUpstairs I agree with your review! It's unfortunate, because the subject matter was so rich with possibilities, but just failed to connect. 1y
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BookwormM Lovely photo still got to read this one 1y
BarbaraBB @TheKidUpstairs I read your review and could relate to what you wrote too. So many possibilities indeed! 1y
BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain I am mostly enthusiastic about the list so far but I have a lot more to read! 1y
Megabooks Love this photo! J is so cute! 💜 1y
BarbaraBB @Megabooks She is, isn‘t she? And she had a great time sailing for the first time! 1y
sarahbarnes This one is next up for me on the list. I‘m sad to see you didn‘t love it! 1y
BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes I did like it, just not that much. But you might very well love it, I know @Suet624 did! 1y
Suet624 @sarahbarnes Seems like I might be in the minority. 1y
71 likes11 comments
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AnneCecilie
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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#BookReport

Continued reading The Pickwick Papers and I‘ve still some catching up to do

I kept on reading Femina and will hopefully finish it by tomorrow‘s weekly forecast

I continued listening to This Other Eden and am seriously considering DNFing. I‘m not sure if its only the audio narrator or the book too, but I can‘t seem to focus on the story

I finished Mjøsa rundt med mor

I‘m currently reading Biography of X and hope to finish today

Itchyfeetreader Oh interested to hear what you think of Femina I have on my shelf but keep not picking because of its weight! 1y
Cinfhen I‘ll be curious to hear your thoughts on X!! I read it a few weeks ago… 1y
Cinfhen Also Eden is not calling to me - im waiting to see if it makes the shortlist!! 1y
AnneCecilie @Cinfhen I really enjoyed X and think it raised some important questions. What did you think? 1y
AnneCecilie @Itchyfeetreader Well I have the paperback so eight is not a problem for me. Maybe that means that you have all the pictures in color? I loved this. Traveling to England, France, Sweden and Poland and the time period 500 - 1400. For me this is an other book that highlights that women has always been a part of history and written into it, but as time pass they have been written out. 1y
54 likes5 comments
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Chelsea.Poole
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Mehso-so

A small group of racially diverse people inhabit an island off the coast of Maine in the late 1800s. An insular community, with few resources and “officials” want them removed. I love the premise of this book but the way the story unfolded did little for me. I concur with @TheKidUpstairs review of this one. I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I do think it would have been a better physical read instead of audio, and that‘s on me.

TheKidUpstairs Glad I'm not the only one! 1y
AnneCecilie I‘m thinking about bailing on this. I don‘t like the audio narrator. 1y
bnp Was this based on Malaga Island? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaga_Island 1y
TheKidUpstairs @bnp yes, that's the one! 1y
73 likes4 comments
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BarbaraBB
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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#WeeklyForecast 34/23

I am reading Good Night, Irene for #CampToB and not sure what to think about it yet. I also have another #Booker23 lined up (the tagged). The other two I am looking extremely forward to!

Tamra I don‘t know why I am hoarding the Perrin, but I am! 😅 1y
71 likes1 comment
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AnneCecilie
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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#WeeklyForecast

I want to continue reading/ catching up on The Pickwick Papers

I will continue reading Femina

I just started a memoir by Hatterud. I read his newest book earlier this summer and want to read more

I will continue my audio of the tagged

Hopefully I get a start on Biography of X

kspenmoll How is Femina? I have it but not read it. 1y
AnneCecilie @kspenmoll I‘m learning so much, so I‘m loving it. 1y
60 likes2 comments
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charl08
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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ESTHER SAT IN her chair, smoking, watching her granddaughters come across the channel and the dog take one of them by the scruff and her grandson run down to the beach and meet them and help them with their baskets and, probably, tease them about getting caught behind the tide. He was so good to them. And they were good to him. Love, pure and simple....

Soon enough, Pharaoh will come after us, like he always does.

review
TheKidUpstairs
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Mehso-so

I think I'm on the minority here, but this didn't quite hit the mark for me. Some wonderful writing, and occasionally the story sang, but overall it was a heartbreaking story that failed to make me feel anything at all. Part two, when the story focused in on Ethan and Bridget, was the most effective. I think that if the book had focused on one character or one family, it would have been more effective. Or, a longer book that gave each (cont'd)

TheKidUpstairs ... character/family their due time. But a short book that does sound felt unfocused, and failed to give me anyone to emotionally connect to. So most of the characters felt like 2D cut outs, holding place for the real people who lived through such a horrible event. 1y
BarbaraBB I felt that way about another of his books. Curious to see what I‘ll think of this one! 1y
68 likes3 comments
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Suet624
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Pickpick

It‘s the first book of this year‘s #BookerPrizelonglist that I‘ve read but I declare it the winner. Too soon? Based on a true story of the interracial inhabitants of an island of the coast of Maine who are forcibly removed in the early 1900‘s. The writing is so beautiful and so moving … you feel the sun, you hear the sea … and my pace of reading slowed way down to take in the setting and situations. (Maine eventually apologized for their actions.)

Tamra Great review! 1y
Suet624 @Tamra thank you! I saw you liked this one too… 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 1y
sarahbarnes Great review! Now I‘m very excited for this one. 1y
See All 7 Comments
Suet624 @sarahbarnes I hope you like it as much as I did. 1y
Megabooks Fantastic review! Stacked. And I swore I wouldn‘t get caught up in the Booker list. 😏 1y
BarbaraBB Super review! I‘m bringing this with me on vacation! But if you‘re looking for another winner try 1y
batsy Nice review! I'm definitely not going to be able to read most of the longlist, but I'll move this up the TBR. 1y
52 likes4 stack adds7 comments
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TheKidUpstairs
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Escaped my house to sit in the sunshine with this one for a while before the storms hit!

#BookerPrizeLonglist

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks We have had 2 really bad storms the past 2 days! ⛈️ 1y
TheKidUpstairs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks it's been a wild summer! Big storms seem to be the new norm. 1y
BarbaraBB Just read @Suet624 great review of this one. Enjoy! (edited) 1y
60 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Abailliekaras
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Pickpick

Beautifully written with rhythm and musicality. I could feel the sea air and loved the eccentric characters. A slow burn. Deserving of its Booker long listing. Love to know what others thought of this one! Our discussion is up now on Books On The Go pod. 🎧

TheKidUpstairs I've got this one at home, hoping to get to it in the next couple weeks! Glad to know it worked for you. I love a good slow burn book. 1y
JamieArc I have this on hold at the library, hoping to read it soon. Glad to see a good review 😊 1y
Abailliekaras @TheKidUpstairs @JamieArc I‘ll be interested to hear your thoughts! 1y
See All 6 Comments
ClairesReads Looking forward to listening to your ep once I‘ve read this soon! 1y
Abailliekaras @ClairesReads let us know what you think! 1y
Suet624 Just finished reading it and loved it. 1y
38 likes1 stack add6 comments
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Kazzie
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
Pickpick

Took a bit to get into the story, and required close reading as several explanations were very subtle. I enjoyed it in the end - moving story about family and belonging and the importance of place

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Tamra
This Other Eden | Paul Harding
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Pickpick

Beautiful prose for such a dispiriting story based on actual events. 😢 To think of all the tragedies and injustices done under the auspices of moral authority.

I listened to the audio, but I‘m certain it would be better in print.

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