This Other Eden (Harding novel)

This article is about the novel by Paul Harding. For the novel by Ben Elton, see This Other Eden (Elton novel).

This Other Eden

Author	Paul Harding
Language	English
Publication date	2023

This Other Eden is a 2023 novel by American writer Paul Harding.

Background

The novel presents a fictionalized version of Maine's Malaga Island, dubbed "Apple Island" in the book. ^[1] It's based on the historical record of when "Maine forcibly removed all residents of a mixed-race fishing community on a small island off the coast of Phippsburg in 1912." ^[2]

Harding began the earliest version of the novel by writing a scene featuring Mrs. Hale, a character from his novel Enon. ^[3] In the scene, Mrs. Hale and members of her family sit in a meadow, and observe an unknown person, inspired by a Charles Ethan Porter painting. ^[3]

Reception

According to Book Marks, the book received a "rave" consensus, based on thirteen critics: twelve "rave" and one "mixed". ^[4] In the May/June 2023 issue of Bookmarks , the book was scored four out of five. The magazine's critical summary reads: "Overall, The Other Eden is that rare novel of community, displacement, and lasting trauma". ^{[5] [6]}

Danez Smith, in a review published by The New York Times , praised Harding's prose. ^[7] In a review published by the Financial Times , Catherine Taylor also praised Harding's writing. ^[8]

Writing for The Los Angeles Times , Mark Athitakis compared the book unfavorably to Harding's previous works. ^[9] Athitakis also wrote that Harding's writing was "fussed over". ^[9]

The book was shortlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize ^[10] and shortlisted for the 2023 National Book Award for Fiction. ^[11]

Some historians and those with family ties to the island claimed the novel includes harmful myths about the island's residents that historians have tried to correct. ^[12]

References

1. Franklin, M. J. (January 22, 2023). "Paul Harding Captures the Quiet Side of Calamity". The New York Times. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
2. Hoey, Dennis (November 26, 2023). "Book about Maine's Malaga Island falls short in Booker Prize contest". Press Herald.
3. Terrell, Whitney; Ganeshananthan, V.V. (February 2, 2023). "This Other Eden: Paul Harding on Imagining Our Integrated Past". Literary Hub. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
4. "This Other Eden". Book Marks. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
5. "This Other Eden". Bookmarks. May–June 2023. p. 36. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
6. "This Other Eden". Bookmarks. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
7. Smith, Danez (January 24, 2023). "In 'This Other Eden,' a Historical Tale of Paradise Lost". The New York Times. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
8. Taylor, Catherine (January 27, 2023). "This Other Eden — a tragedy of American racism and eugenics". The Financial Times. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
9. Athitakis, Mark (January 24, 2023). "Paul Harding's modest debut won a surprise Pulitzer. His third novel aims too high". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
10. Anderson, Porter (September 21, 2023). "In England: The Booker Prize for Fiction Names Its 2023 Shortlist". Publishing Perspectives. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
11. Harris, Elizabeth A. (October 3, 2023). "Here Are the Finalists for the 2023 National Book Awards". The New York Times. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
12. Gray, Megan (November 12, 2023). "Malaga Island-inspired 'This Other Eden' is fiction; critics say it revives harmful myths". Press Herald. Retrieved November 12, 2023.