Shawne Johnson

Eden is a fictional town, founded by former Slaves in the free state of Ohio. The book follows the residents of Eden, beginning with Eliza, the town’s founder. Each generation of Eliza’s children (where the eldest daughter is always named Eliza) become the de facto caretakers of the town’s residents, following the growth of the town and the growth of the residents’ problems.

Although I liked the book, I believe the author would have been better served spending more time on the early days of the town, immediately following the civil war. Each generation is described, along with the progress and events of the town, but these earlier generations are barely given a chapter each, and a lot more time is spent in the late 20th century with the onset of more modern day problems. The stories of the generations do tie together on occasion, which means the multiple Eliza’s can become a little confusing, and some of the story lines end up seeming like mere filler once the bigger pieces are tied together, but overall, it was a moderately enjoyable read.… (altro)