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Eden #5
Eden Rising
A huge-canvased saga of passion and loss, of tragic endings and glorious new beginnings, Eden Rising is a splendid complement to the four bestselling novels which have preceded it.
Moving from the black and stormy battlements of great mansions to the compassionate chambers of houses of mercy, Eden Rising follows the tempestuous stations of aristocrat John Murrey Eden's perilous path through sin and privation to redemption and the peace that only love can bestow.
When the tyrannical Eden first encounters the simple country nurse Susan Mantle, he is a desperate man, sick with an illness both of body and the spirit. Haunted by the ghosts of cruel acts which stalk the corridors of the family manse, tortured by memories of children lost and loves turned to hatreds, he seeks only the escape that death can bring-until Susan, every inch his equal in strength of will, urges him back to health and out of England, searching to recapture so much that, in his blindness, he had once spurned
It is a search that will challenge him as never before, that will hurl him into the vortex of the winds of change, will risk his life and punish him for his long years of culpability. But, above all, it is a journey that will ultimately carry him home to a glorious acknowledgement of the greatest blessing of all-the blessing of a woman's selfless love.
Deeply romantic, profoundly felt and vividly recounted, Eden Rising is a tale as compelling as it is intensely moving. With this fifth volume of the Eden series, Marilyn Harris has created a treasure trove for readers everywhere.
Moving from the black and stormy battlements of great mansions to the compassionate chambers of houses of mercy, Eden Rising follows the tempestuous stations of aristocrat John Murrey Eden's perilous path through sin and privation to redemption and the peace that only love can bestow.
When the tyrannical Eden first encounters the simple country nurse Susan Mantle, he is a desperate man, sick with an illness both of body and the spirit. Haunted by the ghosts of cruel acts which stalk the corridors of the family manse, tortured by memories of children lost and loves turned to hatreds, he seeks only the escape that death can bring-until Susan, every inch his equal in strength of will, urges him back to health and out of England, searching to recapture so much that, in his blindness, he had once spurned
It is a search that will challenge him as never before, that will hurl him into the vortex of the winds of change, will risk his life and punish him for his long years of culpability. But, above all, it is a journey that will ultimately carry him home to a glorious acknowledgement of the greatest blessing of all-the blessing of a woman's selfless love.
Deeply romantic, profoundly felt and vividly recounted, Eden Rising is a tale as compelling as it is intensely moving. With this fifth volume of the Eden series, Marilyn Harris has created a treasure trove for readers everywhere.
398 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1982
23 people are currently reading
208 people want to read
About the author
Marilyn Harris
41 books81 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.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 24, 2021
Hands down, the weakest Eden book thus far. Excepting Elizabeth’s subplot & a minor thread between Richard & Aslam, this one features mostly new characters I never warmed to, particularly with the uber-fluffy bunnies & rainbows ending. Bates, Charley, Susan, Rose O’Donnell...who cares? Not me. They were all flat & drab; indeed, most of the book lacked any real fire, whether sad or happy, violent or gentle, positive or negative. It just kinda sat there.
It also confirmed my worst fears after my mixed reaction to the previous book—that is, Harris uses Susan’s holier-than-thou sanctimonious ‘tude to force readers & other characters into forgiving John’s behavior when he really doesn’t deserve it, nor is there any satisfaction in doing so because the supporting cast’s “winning over” to John (& vice versa) lacks believable interest. Sadly, Harris made him so utterly OTT nasty & bugfuck insane that she crossed the line from a redeemable, flawed individual with sympathetic issues (Book 3) & turned him into a frothing, screaming, homicidal megalomaniac (Book 4). Third Book John is a guy I could get behind re: forgiveness, but Fourth Book John? Nope. There are actions which simply cannot be redeemed in this life—sometimes you break stuff so badly that you can (& should) suffer with what you’ve done, & I’m glad at least Mary & Aslam put their feet down, refusing to be suckered in by Susan’s plans. Woman, YOU WEREN’T THERE. And it’s not your place to forgive him in their stead, esp when you never even learn the full depth of his misdeeds.
Also:
-Why didn’t Dhari & Andrew get an invitation to the rainbows & bunnies finale?! It’s like Harris forgot they existed.
-What’s up with Bates? First chapter he’s calling for John to be mortally injured, yet by the end they’re BFFs.
-Why does Rose exist? She served no purpose whatsoever.
-What happened to poor Madame Charvin (one of the few supporting cast I liked)?
-Why would Lord Harrington suddenly forgive John’s treatment of Lila?! I mean, dude. Nope.
Overall, it felt like Marilyn’s heart just wasn’t in this one. There was a strong sense of going through the motions & weariness re: this character group—a weariness I share, because I’m so ready for a fresh backdrop & new faces in Book 6. This generation should never have been 3 volumes; judicious trimming or reworking could’ve made it 2 books, & John’s never-ending saga would’ve only been stronger. Sadly, the plot herein is loose & ragged, with too many dangling threads & no identifiable core.
Weak 2.5 stars, but rounded up for Elizabeth; as usual her small part was beautiful & tragic.
It also confirmed my worst fears after my mixed reaction to the previous book—that is, Harris uses Susan’s holier-than-thou sanctimonious ‘tude to force readers & other characters into forgiving John’s behavior when he really doesn’t deserve it, nor is there any satisfaction in doing so because the supporting cast’s “winning over” to John (& vice versa) lacks believable interest. Sadly, Harris made him so utterly OTT nasty & bugfuck insane that she crossed the line from a redeemable, flawed individual with sympathetic issues (Book 3) & turned him into a frothing, screaming, homicidal megalomaniac (Book 4). Third Book John is a guy I could get behind re: forgiveness, but Fourth Book John? Nope. There are actions which simply cannot be redeemed in this life—sometimes you break stuff so badly that you can (& should) suffer with what you’ve done, & I’m glad at least Mary & Aslam put their feet down, refusing to be suckered in by Susan’s plans. Woman, YOU WEREN’T THERE. And it’s not your place to forgive him in their stead, esp when you never even learn the full depth of his misdeeds.
Also:
-Why didn’t Dhari & Andrew get an invitation to the rainbows & bunnies finale?! It’s like Harris forgot they existed.
-What’s up with Bates? First chapter he’s calling for John to be mortally injured, yet by the end they’re BFFs.
-Why does Rose exist? She served no purpose whatsoever.
-What happened to poor Madame Charvin (one of the few supporting cast I liked)?
-Why would Lord Harrington suddenly forgive John’s treatment of Lila?! I mean, dude. Nope.
Overall, it felt like Marilyn’s heart just wasn’t in this one. There was a strong sense of going through the motions & weariness re: this character group—a weariness I share, because I’m so ready for a fresh backdrop & new faces in Book 6. This generation should never have been 3 volumes; judicious trimming or reworking could’ve made it 2 books, & John’s never-ending saga would’ve only been stronger. Sadly, the plot herein is loose & ragged, with too many dangling threads & no identifiable core.
Weak 2.5 stars, but rounded up for Elizabeth; as usual her small part was beautiful & tragic.
November 13, 2011
"...Years from now you must not wake up, as I did, and remember you have caused pain. Let me spare you that, if I can. Take my hand..."
John Murrey Eden's obsessive manipulating has driven all of his loved ones away, and he's resided in a now crumbling Eden Castle alone in his madness - almost alone but telling you would be a big spoiler so I won't. At the loss of that one person, John takes to the castle ramparts and some fear he'll jump (fear hell, the villagers are lining up to watch). Nurse Susan Mantle has different ideas, and once down John is in serious need of some nursing. Or is he still manipulating a bit and not quite as bad off as he seems?
"His anger used to bring Mary to tears in less than ten minutes. It was a harmless tyranny and frequently very useful. But not here, not with this woman."
I am thinking someone hasn't quite learned their lesson. Paybacks can be hell though...
John decides he needs his beloved foster-mother Elizabeth, but she her involvement with French anarchist Louise Michel landed her a French prison cell where she's awaiting her sentence of execution for murdering a guard. John gathers up a motley group and heads to France to rescue Elizabeth and this being a Marilyn Harris novel, things get complicated and nothing goes according to plan and...
You know I can't tell you that. This was another fabulous read from Harris, my only problems were the French storyline - I really didn't know much about this period and it rather distracted me having to read up on it elsewhere to get an idea what was going on politically. I really did like the last third where John ended up with Susan at William Booth's Salvation Mission, and love how she brings these lesser known historical people and events and weaves them into her story-lines. Prepare yourself for another emotional wringer and a wild ride on the dark side and even though this one ends on a happier note than the others she'll still have you shedding a few tears. The series,
This Other Eden
The Prince of Eden
The Eden Passion
The Women of Eden
Eden Rising
American Eden
Eden and Honor
John Murrey Eden's obsessive manipulating has driven all of his loved ones away, and he's resided in a now crumbling Eden Castle alone in his madness - almost alone but telling you would be a big spoiler so I won't. At the loss of that one person, John takes to the castle ramparts and some fear he'll jump (fear hell, the villagers are lining up to watch). Nurse Susan Mantle has different ideas, and once down John is in serious need of some nursing. Or is he still manipulating a bit and not quite as bad off as he seems?
"His anger used to bring Mary to tears in less than ten minutes. It was a harmless tyranny and frequently very useful. But not here, not with this woman."
I am thinking someone hasn't quite learned their lesson. Paybacks can be hell though...
John decides he needs his beloved foster-mother Elizabeth, but she her involvement with French anarchist Louise Michel landed her a French prison cell where she's awaiting her sentence of execution for murdering a guard. John gathers up a motley group and heads to France to rescue Elizabeth and this being a Marilyn Harris novel, things get complicated and nothing goes according to plan and...
You know I can't tell you that. This was another fabulous read from Harris, my only problems were the French storyline - I really didn't know much about this period and it rather distracted me having to read up on it elsewhere to get an idea what was going on politically. I really did like the last third where John ended up with Susan at William Booth's Salvation Mission, and love how she brings these lesser known historical people and events and weaves them into her story-lines. Prepare yourself for another emotional wringer and a wild ride on the dark side and even though this one ends on a happier note than the others she'll still have you shedding a few tears. The series,
This Other Eden
The Prince of Eden
The Eden Passion
The Women of Eden
Eden Rising
American Eden
Eden and Honor
January 10, 2015
John Murray Eden has quite a past. A young innocent boy in The Prince of Eden, a spurned lover (that's one way of putting it) in The Eden Passion, and a tyrannical megalomaniac in The women of Eden, the beginning of Eden Rising finds him a hated recluse with only ghosts for company after finally driving away all his family with his cruelty. A recent tragedy sees him on the brink - literally - but he's spotted by nurse Susan who brings him back to health. When he realises she's the cause of the stirrings in his breeches, he decides it's time to reclaim his lost family and start again.
I enjoy nothing more than the taming of a badboy via the love of a good woman, watching him battle his inner demons and being full of self-loathing, regretful of his actions but too proud to amend them, afraid to let her into his walled-up heart but aware of the sizzling sexual tension between them. Yum. Then of course comes the hot angry shag of realisation and a bit more angst, before he finally becomes free to make sweet lurrrrve. Swoon.
That didn't happen here though. John was in surprisingly little of the book so we didn't get to witness his inner suffering which mainly happened off screen, and I felt completely detached from him. He and Susan were only together at the beginning and the end meaning there was no sizzling to be done, and his final redemption went way beyond the realms of fluffiness. This is Marilyn Harris, mistress of disaster, and I was expecting her usual mix of pain, misery and batshit crazy with a delicious sting in the tail, but it never came. After the dark madness of the other Eden books, Eden Rising felt flat and out of place, with a redemption that was too impersonal, too implausible.
That said, there were parts I became caught up in, none more so than Elizabeth's story which was totally heartbreaking, particularly after following her dedication to John and his father Edward since The Prince of Eden.
Hard to rate this one, as 2 stars is too tight but 3 is too generous. Normally with a 2.5 rating I'd round down, but I'm rounding up for a change mainly because of the series it's in.
I enjoy nothing more than the taming of a badboy via the love of a good woman, watching him battle his inner demons and being full of self-loathing, regretful of his actions but too proud to amend them, afraid to let her into his walled-up heart but aware of the sizzling sexual tension between them. Yum. Then of course comes the hot angry shag of realisation and a bit more angst, before he finally becomes free to make sweet lurrrrve. Swoon.
That didn't happen here though. John was in surprisingly little of the book so we didn't get to witness his inner suffering which mainly happened off screen, and I felt completely detached from him. He and Susan were only together at the beginning and the end meaning there was no sizzling to be done, and his final redemption went way beyond the realms of fluffiness. This is Marilyn Harris, mistress of disaster, and I was expecting her usual mix of pain, misery and batshit crazy with a delicious sting in the tail, but it never came. After the dark madness of the other Eden books, Eden Rising felt flat and out of place, with a redemption that was too impersonal, too implausible.
That said, there were parts I became caught up in, none more so than Elizabeth's story which was totally heartbreaking, particularly after following her dedication to John and his father Edward since The Prince of Eden.
Hard to rate this one, as 2 stars is too tight but 3 is too generous. Normally with a 2.5 rating I'd round down, but I'm rounding up for a change mainly because of the series it's in.
December 10, 2024
Eden Rising continues the story of John Murrey Eden, and covers about one year in his life, 1874/75. It picks up after the previous book in which John has completely alienated his friends and family … so this book makes no sense without first reading the previous four books in the series.
I’m not going to write a synopsis… suggest reading the goodreads summary. Like the other books this one has plenty of tragedy, death, cruelty, depravation and deep sadness. In the beginning John is a broken man spiritually and physically… and it only gets worse for him. However, there is a thin thread running thru the story that gives hope for John when he meets Susan, a visiting nurse who successfully manages to bring him back from the brink of death. He insists he wants to reward her, but Susan turns him down:
“… you can’t… not successfully at any rate… use that will for the purpose to manipulate other lives. You can suggest, point out and in many cases warn, but beyond that more harm is done than good. And of course in the end what generally happens is precisely what did happen. You only succeeded in destroying the very relationships you are trying to secure.”
As I read the last few chapters I literally had tears of joy and a lump in my throat from the heartwarming joyful ending. I very rarely get so emotional about a book..,it’s a testament to the author’s brilliant writing.
However, I felt the storyline sagged in the middle with too much about Elizabeth and her horrific tragedy. It went on forever and ever. And then the last part with the romance between John and Susan felt rushed.
Overall, Eden Rising is a raw, graphically dark story of one man’s journey to redemption and grace. It only includes the romance near the end tho the attraction was started early on… so not your typical historical romance book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Eden series (books 1-5 taken together as a whole) is a masterpiece which explores the full range of human character, frailties, strengths and emotions thru many morally grey people; there’s rich descriptive prose; beautifully written suspenseful scenes, rich details which include actual historical figures like Gladstone and Parnell; and underlying it all are realistically described love stories. Eden series, books 1-5: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’m not going to write a synopsis… suggest reading the goodreads summary. Like the other books this one has plenty of tragedy, death, cruelty, depravation and deep sadness. In the beginning John is a broken man spiritually and physically… and it only gets worse for him. However, there is a thin thread running thru the story that gives hope for John when he meets Susan, a visiting nurse who successfully manages to bring him back from the brink of death. He insists he wants to reward her, but Susan turns him down:
“… you can’t… not successfully at any rate… use that will for the purpose to manipulate other lives. You can suggest, point out and in many cases warn, but beyond that more harm is done than good. And of course in the end what generally happens is precisely what did happen. You only succeeded in destroying the very relationships you are trying to secure.”
As I read the last few chapters I literally had tears of joy and a lump in my throat from the heartwarming joyful ending. I very rarely get so emotional about a book..,it’s a testament to the author’s brilliant writing.
However, I felt the storyline sagged in the middle with too much about Elizabeth and her horrific tragedy. It went on forever and ever. And then the last part with the romance between John and Susan felt rushed.
Overall, Eden Rising is a raw, graphically dark story of one man’s journey to redemption and grace. It only includes the romance near the end tho the attraction was started early on… so not your typical historical romance book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Eden series (books 1-5 taken together as a whole) is a masterpiece which explores the full range of human character, frailties, strengths and emotions thru many morally grey people; there’s rich descriptive prose; beautifully written suspenseful scenes, rich details which include actual historical figures like Gladstone and Parnell; and underlying it all are realistically described love stories. Eden series, books 1-5: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 8, 2012
OK, I got sick and ended up having to stay home for several days, so I skimmed through a few more of these books, even tho I wasn't crazy about the 2nd in the series. All I can say for the two books leading up to this is misery and more misery. It's well written, well researched, and just so bloody gloomy I found myself readily putting the books down and only picking them back up with reluctance. This one is a bit better, though still awfully depressing. I have the last two in the series but I think I'll put them aside for now and read something more fun!
Read
May 27, 2010This book came in a box of ramdom historical romances that I got from e-bay. I couldn't even bring myself to read the book after just reading the back blurb. I don't want to read about a man having an affair with his mother.
September 17, 2015
What art thou, Susan Mantle? And what are you doing traipsing around in the Eden Saga?
We know the Eden Clan, these insanely megalomaniacal crazy creeps. The Edens wouldn't be the Edens if not at least 90% of their offspring wasn't at least crazy, sadistic, freakishly unlucky, homosexual, a cheater or at the very least an incestuous Oedipus. If the Edens were indeed none of the above and the rampant tragedies that follow on each others tails were replaced with tea parties and well-wishes being exchanged over blissfully pregnant family saga bellies, why not read Anne of Green Gables instead??
John Murray Eden, inheritor of countless vices and maker of his own fortune (in all senses of the word) has been the center of attention in this frolicking series of unfortunate events ever since book 3, and I must say, he had one of the if not actually THE most impressive character development I've ever seen in a book series.
From needy and jealous boy through to a young man with great expectations caught in the ray of hope for a better life through the cunning businessman to the controlling tycoon to the weeping wretch on the frail border between madness and an unbearable reality.
Now of course, Marilyn Harris couldn't leave it at that, could she? Starting the fifth installment of this beautifully executed trailwreck, I knew what I was getting into, and I hoped that JME would have to walk through hell and back to redeem himself as the cover of the book so bashfully proclaims. The question was, how long would he have to grovel naked through Harris' thorny punishment until she would finally, blessedly, grant him a happy-for-now?
How many humiliations would he suffer, how many losses? And would the ending of this installment be as nerve-wreckingly incomplete and tragic as I thought it would be?
The book begins in a terrible situation. With Harriet dead, JME is distraught to say the least, and completely hysteric to be blunt about it. His friends and family had deserted him, and he was living a secluded life in the library of Eden Castle, only to one day find Harriet starved in her room.
The situation was so hopeless and gloomy I shivered at the prospect of the blows to come and the wreckage that was to ensue.
But alas!
There she was, Susan Mantle, beacon of hope, a devout nurse. No, don't get me started on that. Nurses in historical fiction are bad enough, I never want to see one again! But a Christian one, of all things? I know Christian fiction is popular in the US, but it only raises eyebrows of disbelief in Germany, where I live. Praise the Lord is what priests say when they pray in front of the two old ladies who still frequent church, belief in God, while still existent, is mostly vague and doesn't prompt anyone to pray.
Godless pragmatists are much more up my alley than a whisp of a character like sweet S, whose only quality seems to be her constantly caring nature. Why, oh why would you create such a boring idiot, Harris? Why?
S is the most boring character in the Eden Saga, and worse, she's a main character. She destroyed EVERYTHING! Why couldn't she just be vain, petty, jealous, greedy, insecure and evil just like the rest of them? Or at least hallucinate a little bit from time to time. Would it have been too much to ask to twist her humility before God and her modesty into a larger insecurity that would, I don't know, prompt an eating disorder? Or her caring nature into an overbearing attribute where she could have made JME emotionally dependant on her through her narcissistic character?
Apparently yes. S was a perfect darling. So selfless, so pretty (well, not THAT pretty but BEAUTIFUL inside I'm assured - BAH!), so strong, so modest, so caring, yeah whatever. You get the idea.
Of course I figured it all out now. Her initials, SM, actually stand for Sue Mary. Pefect nurse for her lord, working miracles (what!) together with JME (surely this is some kind of nasty joke?).
Sue Mary, the nasty nurse, hijacked this wonderful book. I wanted to see JME bleed tears and sweat and blood all the way to Canossa. I wanted to see his children used against him, every insult he ever fashioned for other thrown back into his face, I wanted him to suffer as he made others suffer, and then realise, in full scope, what he has done.
Instead, he's like umm yea I wasn't very nice and my life wasn't fulfilling, so now I'll move into my little house on the prairie.
Wait, what? That escalated too damn quickly! That's not redemption, that's christian escapism. Just because Sue Marie forgives you (even though she has NOTHING to do with the stuff you've done and it's not her place to forgive something she knows nothing about) and some people don't want to hold a grudge against you and poison their lives with hatred don't mean you're forgiven and all's jolly.
But apparently, so long as God forgives, everything is fine?
Nothing was even resolved in this book. Mary doesn't turn up, Aslam has but a few scenes, Dhari is just mentioned and doesn't even get an invitation to the reunion, which I found completely shocking, former enemies like the Butler turn into buttery little darlings under JMEs nice lordship, and crazy freaks like the Irish lady just disappear to the States and bye-bye.
All the potential, all of it gone. Because of you, Sue Mary. I won't forget this! What a mean-spirited person she is to ruin my favorite family saga with her naive worldview.
Not to mention Harris' apparent disinterest in continuity. So many threats left hanging - Dhari?? Aslam? Mary and Burke? Harriet? All the time between the books, and all the evil side characters?
Everything was just dropped for their jolly picknick. Well guess what picknicks don't entertain me. Spilled guts, insanity, asylums, disgusting prison wards (the poor guy in this book - he could have been so much more disgusting!!), betrayal, misfortune, deaths à la GRRM, crazy bouts of sadism and meaningless brutalisty, that's what makes me a happy reader. Bodice rippers are, after all, a violent kind of fiction.
4 angry rant stars -.-
We know the Eden Clan, these insanely megalomaniacal crazy creeps. The Edens wouldn't be the Edens if not at least 90% of their offspring wasn't at least crazy, sadistic, freakishly unlucky, homosexual, a cheater or at the very least an incestuous Oedipus. If the Edens were indeed none of the above and the rampant tragedies that follow on each others tails were replaced with tea parties and well-wishes being exchanged over blissfully pregnant family saga bellies, why not read Anne of Green Gables instead??
John Murray Eden, inheritor of countless vices and maker of his own fortune (in all senses of the word) has been the center of attention in this frolicking series of unfortunate events ever since book 3, and I must say, he had one of the if not actually THE most impressive character development I've ever seen in a book series.
From needy and jealous boy through to a young man with great expectations caught in the ray of hope for a better life through the cunning businessman to the controlling tycoon to the weeping wretch on the frail border between madness and an unbearable reality.
Now of course, Marilyn Harris couldn't leave it at that, could she? Starting the fifth installment of this beautifully executed trailwreck, I knew what I was getting into, and I hoped that JME would have to walk through hell and back to redeem himself as the cover of the book so bashfully proclaims. The question was, how long would he have to grovel naked through Harris' thorny punishment until she would finally, blessedly, grant him a happy-for-now?
How many humiliations would he suffer, how many losses? And would the ending of this installment be as nerve-wreckingly incomplete and tragic as I thought it would be?
The book begins in a terrible situation. With Harriet dead, JME is distraught to say the least, and completely hysteric to be blunt about it. His friends and family had deserted him, and he was living a secluded life in the library of Eden Castle, only to one day find Harriet starved in her room.
The situation was so hopeless and gloomy I shivered at the prospect of the blows to come and the wreckage that was to ensue.
But alas!
There she was, Susan Mantle, beacon of hope, a devout nurse. No, don't get me started on that. Nurses in historical fiction are bad enough, I never want to see one again! But a Christian one, of all things? I know Christian fiction is popular in the US, but it only raises eyebrows of disbelief in Germany, where I live. Praise the Lord is what priests say when they pray in front of the two old ladies who still frequent church, belief in God, while still existent, is mostly vague and doesn't prompt anyone to pray.
Godless pragmatists are much more up my alley than a whisp of a character like sweet S, whose only quality seems to be her constantly caring nature. Why, oh why would you create such a boring idiot, Harris? Why?
S is the most boring character in the Eden Saga, and worse, she's a main character. She destroyed EVERYTHING! Why couldn't she just be vain, petty, jealous, greedy, insecure and evil just like the rest of them? Or at least hallucinate a little bit from time to time. Would it have been too much to ask to twist her humility before God and her modesty into a larger insecurity that would, I don't know, prompt an eating disorder? Or her caring nature into an overbearing attribute where she could have made JME emotionally dependant on her through her narcissistic character?
Apparently yes. S was a perfect darling. So selfless, so pretty (well, not THAT pretty but BEAUTIFUL inside I'm assured - BAH!), so strong, so modest, so caring, yeah whatever. You get the idea.
Of course I figured it all out now. Her initials, SM, actually stand for Sue Mary. Pefect nurse for her lord, working miracles (what!) together with JME (surely this is some kind of nasty joke?).
Sue Mary, the nasty nurse, hijacked this wonderful book. I wanted to see JME bleed tears and sweat and blood all the way to Canossa. I wanted to see his children used against him, every insult he ever fashioned for other thrown back into his face, I wanted him to suffer as he made others suffer, and then realise, in full scope, what he has done.
Instead, he's like umm yea I wasn't very nice and my life wasn't fulfilling, so now I'll move into my little house on the prairie.
Wait, what? That escalated too damn quickly! That's not redemption, that's christian escapism. Just because Sue Marie forgives you (even though she has NOTHING to do with the stuff you've done and it's not her place to forgive something she knows nothing about) and some people don't want to hold a grudge against you and poison their lives with hatred don't mean you're forgiven and all's jolly.
But apparently, so long as God forgives, everything is fine?
Nothing was even resolved in this book. Mary doesn't turn up, Aslam has but a few scenes, Dhari is just mentioned and doesn't even get an invitation to the reunion, which I found completely shocking, former enemies like the Butler turn into buttery little darlings under JMEs nice lordship, and crazy freaks like the Irish lady just disappear to the States and bye-bye.
All the potential, all of it gone. Because of you, Sue Mary. I won't forget this! What a mean-spirited person she is to ruin my favorite family saga with her naive worldview.
Not to mention Harris' apparent disinterest in continuity. So many threats left hanging - Dhari?? Aslam? Mary and Burke? Harriet? All the time between the books, and all the evil side characters?
Everything was just dropped for their jolly picknick. Well guess what picknicks don't entertain me. Spilled guts, insanity, asylums, disgusting prison wards (the poor guy in this book - he could have been so much more disgusting!!), betrayal, misfortune, deaths à la GRRM, crazy bouts of sadism and meaningless brutalisty, that's what makes me a happy reader. Bodice rippers are, after all, a violent kind of fiction.
4 angry rant stars -.-
March 14, 2020
It grew on me. John Murrey Eden was NOT a likeable character in the previous two books, but--short of listing spoilers--all the feels. It was a quieter/slower plot build compared to the first four books, but so worth the read. I cried. Twice.
December 13, 2017
Intermediary
Perhaps the next one will be of interest
Problem with sagas we keep on reading!!
Perhaps the next one will be of interest
Problem with sagas we keep on reading!!
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.
June 4, 2018
Great read.
Great read. I loved the emotions and quality of the characters. Womderful series. Intrigue, murder, betrayal and most important, love.
Great read. I loved the emotions and quality of the characters. Womderful series. Intrigue, murder, betrayal and most important, love.
January 19, 2021
Way too dark! Spent too much time in the French prison.
Want to read
February 3, 2022🎁 FREE on Amazon today (2/3/2022)! 🎁
November 26, 2011
I wasn't entirely satisfied with this one. While I did find Elizabeth's story in here interesting and poignant, the rest of the novel just didn't quite work right. I didn't feel much for Susan, and I found the restoration of John Murrey Eden to be a bit too much. Fans of the series should find this one alright, as it does bring some resolution for some of the characters. Just barely four stars.
For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Marily...
For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Marily...
June 26, 2015
This is the 5th & final book in the powerful Eden Saga. Very good book. Tragic what happens to Elizabeth. However, it changes John, for the better! He finally finds true love & most of the family actually returns to Eden castle at the Eden, except for Mary & Burke, whom no one has heard from since left to go to America; and Aslam, as well, whom surprisedly has turned against John. He & Lord Richard are lovers in this book! Totally shocking seeing as how he was so against "sodomitts" in book #4-"The Women of Eden". A fantastic series!
March 6, 2010
very good
May 3, 2016
AWESOMENESS !!!!
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