This Other Eden A Novel

Some books arrive on our shelves and simply refuse to leave your mind. This is one of them.

In 1792, formerly enslaved Benjamin Honey and his Irish wife, Patience, discover a small island where they might finally build a life together. Over a century later, their descendants and a ragtag community of neighbors live there still—desperately poor, often hungry, but free from the hostility waiting for them on the mainland.

Then comes the summer of 1912. A retired, idealistic schoolteacher named Matthew Diamond arrives to educate the island’s children, and his presence draws the attention of mainland authorities. Swept up in the cruel eugenics thinking of the era, they decide to evacuate the island by force—and the fragile world the Honeys built begins to come apart.

Paul Harding writes with prose of breathtaking beauty and power. You’ll meet Iris and Violet McDermott, sisters raising three orphaned Penobscot children. Zachary Hand to God Proverbs, a Civil War veteran who lives inside a hollow tree. A whole cast of unforgettable souls you’ll carry with you long after the final page.

This one earned its accolades. A finalist for the Booker Prize and a New York Times Notable Book, it comes from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Tinkers. A spellbinding story of resistance, survival, and the stubborn dignity of ordinary people.

It feels right, somehow, to read this one here—steps from the salt and the sea. Pour yourself something warm, find a quiet corner, and let yourself linger.

We think you’re going to love it.

Additional information