Book · 2023 · Fiction, african american & black, historical
This Other Eden
Why people recommend it
This Other Eden by Paul Harding is a historical novel inspired by the true story of Malaga Island, an integrated community of outcasts off the coast of Maine that was forcibly evicted by state authorities. The book received significant attention on The Book Review podcast during the episode Public Libraries, and Profiling Paul Harding in July 2024. Gilbert Cruz introduced the novel by highlighting that the author had spent his time writing and was currently taking a well-deserved victory lap for this new publication which arrived in January. MJ Franklin also offered a distinct pitch for the author's overall body of work, describing the reading experience as simultaneously devastating yet quiet. Franklin compared the unique quality of Harding's prose to standing outside during a heavy blizzard where everything miraculously feels muted, silent, and deeply peaceful. This evocative description captures why many readers and critics find the author's stylistic approach so arresting and memorable. Through these discussions, the podcast highlighted Paul Harding's remarkable ability to render marginalized historical lives with immense grace, poetic restraint, and profound emotional resonance, solidifying his status as a vital voice in contemporary American literature.
Who recommended it
- Gilbert Cruz Discussed
- MJ Franklin Recommended
Gilbert Cruz — 1 mention
“what's he been doing is writing and what's he doing now is writing and probably taking a Victory lap for this book this other Eden which just came out this January”
MJ Franklin — 1 mention
“my pitch would be his books are devastating but quiet at the same time the the quality that I think of frequently is you know when it's snowing and it's like there's a blizzard and somehow Everything feels muted and Silent it's the best it's the best and that's what reading his books are like”