What do you think?
Rate this book
Eden #6
American Eden
Their hearts fired by the dreams and ambitions of a glorious heritage, Mary Eden Stanhope and her husband, Burke, built a new dynasty in lush, bountiful Alabama following the Civil War. The magnificent plantation flourished. Theirs was a dazzling world that defied all boundaries...until the night the hooded riders would come to shatter the dream -- first with murder, then with a violent kidnapping. Missing was their daughter, radiant blonde-haired Eve Stanhope, swept away to a destiny that would test her to the core. And their only hope lay with young Stephen Eden, a British stranger with his own dark secrets and the indomitable courage to fight for freedom and love.
EVE--The daughter who reaped the "sins" of the father, her Eden pride and passion would provide her with a fighting spirit to survive the South's cruelty and the West's wild new land.
STEPHEN--The outcast whose heritage was a legacy of shame, his blazing love for Eve would send him on a dangerous quest to rescue the women he claimed as his own.
MARY--The mother who had sacrificed her world for the husband she loved now much face a terrible truth about his loyalties and about the turmoil within her heart.
BURKE--The father, whose fierce dedication to freedom for all men would jeopardize his family and put him between the rock of his beliefs and the hard place of losing all he loved.
EVE--The daughter who reaped the "sins" of the father, her Eden pride and passion would provide her with a fighting spirit to survive the South's cruelty and the West's wild new land.
STEPHEN--The outcast whose heritage was a legacy of shame, his blazing love for Eve would send him on a dangerous quest to rescue the women he claimed as his own.
MARY--The mother who had sacrificed her world for the husband she loved now much face a terrible truth about his loyalties and about the turmoil within her heart.
BURKE--The father, whose fierce dedication to freedom for all men would jeopardize his family and put him between the rock of his beliefs and the hard place of losing all he loved.
648 pages, Paperback
First published February 27, 1987
About the author
Marilyn Harris
40 books82 followersHarris was born on June 4, 1931, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the daughter of John P., an oil executive, and Dora (nee Veal) Harris. Harris was educated in her home state, attending Cottey College from 1945 to 1951, then transferring to the University of Oklahoma, from which she received a bachelor of arts degree in 1953 and a master of arts degree in 1955.
Harris's first collection of short stories, King's Ex, was published by Doubleday in 1967. After that Harris proved a prolific author, publishing seventeen books, including novels, short stories, romance/ historical fiction and children's fiction in a twenty-year period from 1970 to 1989. These works, in addition to those listed above, include In the Midst of Earth (1969), The Peppersalt Land (1970), The Runaway's Diary (1971), The Conjurers (1974), Bledding Sorrow (1976), The Portent (1980), The Last Great Love (1981), Warrick (1985), Night Games (1987), and Lost and Found (1991). Harris's work has received a wide readership; in 1983, nine million of her books were in print, and her work has been translated into many languages, including French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, and Japanese. She has also been an author in residence at Oklahoma's Central State University.
She died January 18, 2002.
Harris's first collection of short stories, King's Ex, was published by Doubleday in 1967. After that Harris proved a prolific author, publishing seventeen books, including novels, short stories, romance/ historical fiction and children's fiction in a twenty-year period from 1970 to 1989. These works, in addition to those listed above, include In the Midst of Earth (1969), The Peppersalt Land (1970), The Runaway's Diary (1971), The Conjurers (1974), Bledding Sorrow (1976), The Portent (1980), The Last Great Love (1981), Warrick (1985), Night Games (1987), and Lost and Found (1991). Harris's work has received a wide readership; in 1983, nine million of her books were in print, and her work has been translated into many languages, including French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, and Japanese. She has also been an author in residence at Oklahoma's Central State University.
She died January 18, 2002.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 14, 2011
American Eden is the sixth book in a seven book series, and begins in 1889. At the end of book four, American Eden, Mary and her husband Burke left England behind and returned to his family home near Mobile Alabama (we didn't hear much about them in book five). Fate has blessed them with three beautiful children, but Burke's Northern sympathies do not endear him to the Southern populace and he's under fire from The Knights of the White Camellia, and their first strike at Burke is a deadly one.
Into this steamy little cauldron of tension comes John Murrey's eldest son Stephen, who is on his way to Montana to investigate the dealings of a cattle operation his uncle Lord Richard invested in. At his family's request, Stephen stops by Stanhope Hall and gets one look at young Eve and she's the girl for him. Those who have read Women of Eden know that Stephen's father did some seriously nasty things to sister Mary, and neither she or Burke (especially Burke) are in a forgiving mood, John being reformed or not. Stephen's strong resemblance to his father doesn't exactly help matters and Burke's greeting is not exactly a welcoming one.
To make an overly long story short (red pencil guy, where are you?), the evil Knights strike again and Eve is caught in the crossfire and eventually ends up in a travelling show headed west with Stephen in hot pursuit - although he's always a day late and a dollar short of finding Eve. Over and over and over and over and over again. The *adventures* Eve has are mind numbingly silly, even charming a group of savage Indians bent on abduction and rape by singing Jenny Crack Corn (no, I am not kidding). Stops along the way include Dodge City (including Bat Masterson), Denver (a brief meeting with Horace Tabor and wife Baby Doe), Leadville (how a sea level person can drink that much whiskey at that altitude and not be dead is beyond me...), and on into San Francisco.
The first five books in this series have been beyond awesome. Murder, madness and mayhem and more, all wonderfully colored with bits of real history and historical characters. There were bad people and good people, but everyone had shades of gray - no one, but no one was perfect - so I was rather surprised to find this merely an average run of the mill historical romance. Eve was perfection personified, the ultimate Mary Sue. Stephen was handsome as could be, loving and true and a knight in shining armor ready to rescue his damsel in distress. You would have thought with his family background he'd have some psychological screws loose somewhere but no...
What happened? Was Harris busy elsewhere and someone ghost wrote it? Phoned it in? Did the changes in romances from the 70's to the 80's dictate something lighter and fluffier? Did the reading public demand another Eden novel and her heart just wasn't in it anymore? Inquiring minds want to know, and if someone does please comment, I'd love to have an answer to this one. Despite my disappointment in this I do recommend the first five books highly and plan on finishing off with book seven, Eden and Honor. The series,
This Other Eden
The Prince of Eden
The Eden Passion
The Women of Eden
Eden Rising
American Eden
Eden and Honor
Into this steamy little cauldron of tension comes John Murrey's eldest son Stephen, who is on his way to Montana to investigate the dealings of a cattle operation his uncle Lord Richard invested in. At his family's request, Stephen stops by Stanhope Hall and gets one look at young Eve and she's the girl for him. Those who have read Women of Eden know that Stephen's father did some seriously nasty things to sister Mary, and neither she or Burke (especially Burke) are in a forgiving mood, John being reformed or not. Stephen's strong resemblance to his father doesn't exactly help matters and Burke's greeting is not exactly a welcoming one.
To make an overly long story short (red pencil guy, where are you?), the evil Knights strike again and Eve is caught in the crossfire and eventually ends up in a travelling show headed west with Stephen in hot pursuit - although he's always a day late and a dollar short of finding Eve. Over and over and over and over and over again. The *adventures* Eve has are mind numbingly silly, even charming a group of savage Indians bent on abduction and rape by singing Jenny Crack Corn (no, I am not kidding). Stops along the way include Dodge City (including Bat Masterson), Denver (a brief meeting with Horace Tabor and wife Baby Doe), Leadville (how a sea level person can drink that much whiskey at that altitude and not be dead is beyond me...), and on into San Francisco.
The first five books in this series have been beyond awesome. Murder, madness and mayhem and more, all wonderfully colored with bits of real history and historical characters. There were bad people and good people, but everyone had shades of gray - no one, but no one was perfect - so I was rather surprised to find this merely an average run of the mill historical romance. Eve was perfection personified, the ultimate Mary Sue. Stephen was handsome as could be, loving and true and a knight in shining armor ready to rescue his damsel in distress. You would have thought with his family background he'd have some psychological screws loose somewhere but no...
What happened? Was Harris busy elsewhere and someone ghost wrote it? Phoned it in? Did the changes in romances from the 70's to the 80's dictate something lighter and fluffier? Did the reading public demand another Eden novel and her heart just wasn't in it anymore? Inquiring minds want to know, and if someone does please comment, I'd love to have an answer to this one. Despite my disappointment in this I do recommend the first five books highly and plan on finishing off with book seven, Eden and Honor. The series,
This Other Eden
The Prince of Eden
The Eden Passion
The Women of Eden
Eden Rising
American Eden
Eden and Honor
July 6, 2021
FINALLY! Sweet mother of pearl, I thought it would never end. 😑 Officially this gets 2.5 stars, but I rounded up for the positives:
-Sis Liz, White Doll, their lives together, & their opening tragedy.
-Yorrick Harp’s flamboyant, odd personality & rescue of Eve.
-John Paul Grand (taker of ears & gifter of scrotum change purses).
-The beating of Higgins & his eventual death scene.
-Cameos by Booker T Washington & Mark Twain.
-Eve’s rape (a positive in terms of riveting, visceral horror, reminiscent of Harris’ better days).
And...that’s about it. My updates speak for themselves, so I’m not inclined to beat a dead horse over this book’s flaws. Instead, I’ll list some keywords:
-Overwritten. I’m not exaggerating when I say that easily 50% of this book could’ve been removed.
-Maudlin. Enough with the cheesy death & mourning scenes: Christine, Lily, Sis Liz (who died offpage & without a grand finale, wtf)...bleh.
-Bunnies & rainbows HEA. Nope.
-Mary Sue. Eve is so perfect in every way, twee & beautiful & innocent. While the others in the troupe perform with diaphanous fabric & makeup, Eve wears high-neck dresses & warbles virginal schoolgirl songs. AND THE ENTIRE WORLD LOVES HER FOR IT. The last straw was her singing Jenny Crack Corn to save everyone from a marauding, starving Indian tribe. Are you fuckin’ kidding me?
-Burke. I’ve never been a fan of his, but Harris turning him into a mini-John control freak with tantrums, beatings, & purposeless grudge-holding was just lame. And then he gets redeemed by sweetness & light, which made it even worse.
-Throwaway villains. You know the type—those who simply drop in to provide token hurdles. This book’s got ‘em by the boatload.
-Bad pacing. Rapid shifting back & forth; cutting away for purposeless distractions.
In conclusion, I’d like to offer my version of what should’ve been.
Sis Liz escapes & becomes a local wise woman for blacks & whites alike. Stephen looks for Eve, but can’t find her; instead he gets bored with her innocent sweetness & runs away with cougar Mary, who falls for him because he so resembles John & she’s always had a secret crush on her half-brother; they move to Australia to separate themselves from Burke & John. Burke dies while defending his children from Dow & Higgins, who try to murder them out of sheer malice; the kids are adopted by guilt-trippin’ lawyer Quitman, who opens a pro-bono law firm to atone for his role in White Doll’s death. Eve stays with Yorrick’s troupe, becomes the leading lady for several years, & then retires to marry still-besotted cattle baron John Paul Grand. The end.
...There. Much better.
-Sis Liz, White Doll, their lives together, & their opening tragedy.
-Yorrick Harp’s flamboyant, odd personality & rescue of Eve.
-John Paul Grand (taker of ears & gifter of scrotum change purses).
-The beating of Higgins & his eventual death scene.
-Cameos by Booker T Washington & Mark Twain.
-Eve’s rape (a positive in terms of riveting, visceral horror, reminiscent of Harris’ better days).
And...that’s about it. My updates speak for themselves, so I’m not inclined to beat a dead horse over this book’s flaws. Instead, I’ll list some keywords:
-Overwritten. I’m not exaggerating when I say that easily 50% of this book could’ve been removed.
-Maudlin. Enough with the cheesy death & mourning scenes: Christine, Lily, Sis Liz (who died offpage & without a grand finale, wtf)...bleh.
-Bunnies & rainbows HEA. Nope.
-Mary Sue. Eve is so perfect in every way, twee & beautiful & innocent. While the others in the troupe perform with diaphanous fabric & makeup, Eve wears high-neck dresses & warbles virginal schoolgirl songs. AND THE ENTIRE WORLD LOVES HER FOR IT. The last straw was her singing Jenny Crack Corn to save everyone from a marauding, starving Indian tribe. Are you fuckin’ kidding me?
-Burke. I’ve never been a fan of his, but Harris turning him into a mini-John control freak with tantrums, beatings, & purposeless grudge-holding was just lame. And then he gets redeemed by sweetness & light, which made it even worse.
-Throwaway villains. You know the type—those who simply drop in to provide token hurdles. This book’s got ‘em by the boatload.
-Bad pacing. Rapid shifting back & forth; cutting away for purposeless distractions.
In conclusion, I’d like to offer my version of what should’ve been.
Sis Liz escapes & becomes a local wise woman for blacks & whites alike. Stephen looks for Eve, but can’t find her; instead he gets bored with her innocent sweetness & runs away with cougar Mary, who falls for him because he so resembles John & she’s always had a secret crush on her half-brother; they move to Australia to separate themselves from Burke & John. Burke dies while defending his children from Dow & Higgins, who try to murder them out of sheer malice; the kids are adopted by guilt-trippin’ lawyer Quitman, who opens a pro-bono law firm to atone for his role in White Doll’s death. Eve stays with Yorrick’s troupe, becomes the leading lady for several years, & then retires to marry still-besotted cattle baron John Paul Grand. The end.
...There. Much better.
March 23, 2016
I am so glad that Marilyn Harris is dead, because I would have killed her myself.
Read
December 14, 2017It is sad that this book was published! Hundreds of pages without pleasure. One more remaining hopefully we come to a closure!
February 23, 2023
After checking out the other books in the Eden series, I thought this one would be a nice change, since it's set in America in the late 19thc. I was looking forward to it, but ended up disappointed.
Recently, I reviewed a book that I said could have been better if it had been longer. With this book, my opinion's just the opposite: it was way too long! Everything that could have been said in around 400 pages was stretched to almost 600, and it just got to the point where I found myself skipping pages and thinking, "Will you hurry up and end, already!!!"
Come to think of it, it really shouldn't have been written at all!
In my opinion, a love story is not a love story if the couple stay apart for almost all of the novel, and that's what happened here. The h, Eve, was thought to have been killed in a fire, and when the H, Steven, finds out she's alive, he goes searching for her but gets sidetracked, misinformed, etc. so it's a very long time before they finally get back together. And what went on in the meantime was not all that interesting. True, Eve suffered what was called back then "a fate worse than death", but she managed to recover, joins a traveling group of entertainers, and then becomes a popular singer. But all the time she believes her family doesn't care, hasn't looked for her, etc. It was just so DUMB!! She was also afraid that since she'd been raped, Steven wouldn't want her anymore, which was just silly. Then the story gets really macabre, by having a rich man with a peculiar hobby (collecting body parts) start pursuing her! (WTF!!!!) He also misses his mommy (awwwww) and asks Eve to brush his hair like she did, and she's so naive she thinks she's comforting him in his loneliness; meanwhile (without her realizing), he has an orgasm! (Talk about an eeeeewww moment!!) And then this wacko sicko can't understand why she'd turn down his proposal!!! To make matters worse, when Steven shows up, the guy has the desire to make him a eunuch!! Was any of this necessary?????? NO!!!!!
And top it all off, the reason I wanted to read this was because I wanted to see what had happened to Burke and Mary after they left for America, and I thought the book would be about them. Instead, most of it is focused on their dodo daughter who sings like a nightingale but thinks like a kakapo! I can't blame them for giving her up for dead, I would have too, gladly!
One more thing to add: too many unnecessary characters with really dumb names!
DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME!
Recently, I reviewed a book that I said could have been better if it had been longer. With this book, my opinion's just the opposite: it was way too long! Everything that could have been said in around 400 pages was stretched to almost 600, and it just got to the point where I found myself skipping pages and thinking, "Will you hurry up and end, already!!!"
Come to think of it, it really shouldn't have been written at all!
In my opinion, a love story is not a love story if the couple stay apart for almost all of the novel, and that's what happened here. The h, Eve, was thought to have been killed in a fire, and when the H, Steven, finds out she's alive, he goes searching for her but gets sidetracked, misinformed, etc. so it's a very long time before they finally get back together. And what went on in the meantime was not all that interesting. True, Eve suffered what was called back then "a fate worse than death", but she managed to recover, joins a traveling group of entertainers, and then becomes a popular singer. But all the time she believes her family doesn't care, hasn't looked for her, etc. It was just so DUMB!! She was also afraid that since she'd been raped, Steven wouldn't want her anymore, which was just silly. Then the story gets really macabre, by having a rich man with a peculiar hobby (collecting body parts) start pursuing her! (WTF!!!!) He also misses his mommy (awwwww) and asks Eve to brush his hair like she did, and she's so naive she thinks she's comforting him in his loneliness; meanwhile (without her realizing), he has an orgasm! (Talk about an eeeeewww moment!!) And then this wacko sicko can't understand why she'd turn down his proposal!!! To make matters worse, when Steven shows up, the guy has the desire to make him a eunuch!! Was any of this necessary?????? NO!!!!!
And top it all off, the reason I wanted to read this was because I wanted to see what had happened to Burke and Mary after they left for America, and I thought the book would be about them. Instead, most of it is focused on their dodo daughter who sings like a nightingale but thinks like a kakapo! I can't blame them for giving her up for dead, I would have too, gladly!
One more thing to add: too many unnecessary characters with really dumb names!
DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME!
April 12, 2020
I've enjoyed this family saga series and it was fun to see this book (6 out of 7) begin in the Mobile, Alabama, area with the newest branch of the Eden family. The cross country adventure (similar in scope to the global one in The Eden Passion) becomes a bit unbelievable at times with its near-death escapes, but still fun to read--even amid the horrors.
December 21, 2017
The entire series (7) is a great look at way things were in these period pieces starting in 1890 and ending with WWW I. Takes place mostly in England and a little in India and America.
September 11, 2022
This is the best (in my opinion) of the Eden series by Harris. Great characters as well as a wonderful plot with many thrilling moments as well as real historical people and events. Loved it!
January 19, 2023
This book just went on and on and on. Enough already!!!! If the story was catching, the length may be worth it, but not here. Do not waste your time.
June 8, 2023
ok, so i could not put it down once i started it but I will forget it by next week. plus the author dragged out the ending just trying to get more pages, I think. So loved it - hated it- loved it
August 7, 2024
Each book is better than the previous one.
February 14, 2012
OK, Karla liked this less than the previous ones, and I actually liked it a little better. Formula? Maybe a little--but only a little (I sure didn't see much of the story coming--the creepy guy with the scrotum collection, for example). I found myself dreading picking up each of the last few books in the series, because I had no faith in Harris to deliver anything but more hopelessness and pointlessness and misery. This time, no matter how many horrors Harris visited on the characters, there was some actual hope that carried them through. I need that. I don't need everything tied in a tidy bow, but I don't read books to walk away angry and depressed. If I want to feel that I just have to look around. I read books to get away from that crap, escape into a world where there is a POINT to things and I don't feel like the author just lived to make others miserable
That said, there were a few villains in this piece that I felt should have faced better (or some) consequences for their actions.
Anyway, so I'm glad I read this one, and I'll read the last one. So far the only one I actually recommend, though, is the first in the series.
That said, there were a few villains in this piece that I felt should have faced better (or some) consequences for their actions.
Anyway, so I'm glad I read this one, and I'll read the last one. So far the only one I actually recommend, though, is the first in the series.
December 14, 2011
It wasn't that great and it took me forever to finish it! By the way, where can I find me one of those scrotum pouches....eww.
The first few books in this series were really good. Maybe it has just lost its dazzle for me.
The first few books in this series were really good. Maybe it has just lost its dazzle for me.
Read
September 3, 2008F Har
Read
December 2, 2010I love this shot, and own this novel. Very sexy and wonderful pull out cover.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews