The Ghost Of Eden

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The Adirondacks, with their beauties and dangers, are the setting for many of the poems. They are inhabited by the fox, the bear, the fishercat. One is rabid, another dead, the third a life-sustaining dream. The ghost is Vividly realized, emotionally gripping, these poems of Chase Twichell's confront the crucial issue of our times: The ghost is both the shadow of the paradise we have so carelessly ruined, and the poet herself, from whom the elegy for it is wrenched.

These are dark poems, frontal and unflinching, but they are illuminated by the poet's powerful love for the earth, and by the heightened, surprising joys forced from a new intimacy with her own mortality. Paperback , 72 pages.

Published October 1st by George Braziller first published To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about The Ghost of Eden , please sign up. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. This is by far my favorite of her books; I want to give it a 4. Hannah Jane rated it really liked it May 27, Michael rated it it was amazing Aug 04, Sean rated it really liked it Dec 24, Charles rated it it was amazing Sep 28, Lexie rated it it was amazing Mar 01, Ashley rated it really liked it Dec 27, Eric Rickert rated it really liked it May 31, Jeff rated it liked it Aug 21, Cynthia Cruz rated it it was amazing Aug 13, Paul rated it really liked it Apr 22, Linda Wimberly rated it really liked it Mar 31, Julie rated it really liked it Mar 16, Thomas rated it liked it Mar 03, Mark us Smith rated it really liked it May 03, It explores the different meanings of happiness and love.

It is one of those books about Africa that establishes a respect for the continent and her people, their values and history, without boring or losing the reader in the well-executed narrative. Africa as Eden is confirmed, through the beautiful prose, for those who love her and for others who want to find her gentle soul. This is clearly not a book written by an outsider. This story comes from within and it shows. View all 7 comments.

Aug 09, Caroline rated it really liked it Recommended to Caroline by: The book starts off in Uganda in , with the story of young Stanley and Zachye Katura - brothers living in the Bahima tribe. Their life in the tribe is beautifully touched upon. By the same paradigm the passage of each day was marked entirely by happenings, not clocks Their day divided into fourteen occasions. First came enkoko yashubirira, The book starts off in Uganda in , with the story of young Stanley and Zachye Katura - brothers living in the Bahima tribe. First came enkoko yashubirira, when the cock had crowed — the cock that had been placed for this purpose on a shelf in the hut.

This was shortly followed by akashesheshe, the arrival of a thin dawn light that washed the sky of its blackness. Then came in dependable succession ente zakomoroka — cattle go out of the kraal; ente zazagira — cattle move off to pasture; abasetuzi bagaruka — the herdsmen return; abantu baza omu birago — men go to their mats; abeshezi baza aha maziba — waterers go to the wells; amasio gatsyoro — herds run down to water; amasio gakuka — herds finish watering; amasio gairira ebibanga byamaka — herds come close to the vicinity of the kraals; enyana zataha — calves enter; amasiio gahaga — herds are finished milking; and, at the end of the day, abantu batarama — when men visited each other; when neighbours would sit together under the darkened sky to tell in conversation and in formal recitation of the magnificence of their cattle and the greatness of the deeds of their ancestors.

Both boys have the unusual experience of attending school, and the transition from tribal life to the demands of simple western schooling are sensitively portrayed. Equally beautifully described are the lives of two young English-Ugandan friends, Michael Lacey, the son of missionaries, whose relationship with God is touchingly concrete, and his friend Simon Adams, whose parents are rather louche and sophisticated.

His attitude to life is a lot more feisty. Both boys attend a junior school, where the teachers are all called auntie. Auntie Cynthia and Auntie Beryl and so on. Their adventures together are a delight. We then pan forward several years. Michael is now a successful surgeon based in London, and Stanley is a much loved and respected doctor based in Lwesala — a small outpost in Uganda. Michael comes out to Uganda again, and their paths cross. This latter part of the novel is about romance - which for me felt rather bumblingly handled, and loss, bewilderment and redemption.

There was a real pull to the story, and the urge to read on was strong, but there were gaps where the reader was asked to make big jumps between between cause, effect and resolution. I also enjoyed getting a taste of the culture in Uganda, from both the native Ugandan perspective, the colonial perspective and to a small extent the perspective of the Indians who were ejected in All in all it was an excellent read. I hope this first novel by Andrew Sharp will be followed by more.

View all 4 comments. Jun 27, Scribbling-Wren rated it really liked it Shelves: Teases delightfully towards end. Dec 19, Awesome Indies Reviewers rated it it was amazing Shelves: On the one hand, it is the story of Michael Lacy, the son of English settlers in pre-independence Uganda, who at the opening of the story is a prominent surgeon in the UK. On the other, the story of the Katura brothers, Stanley and Zachye, two members of the Bahima tribe who are sent off to school to learn the ways of the Bazungu, or whites, in order to be able to survive in the Uganda that is to come.

The characters are so well formed, we feel as if we know them — their dreams and desires as familiar as our own. The Ghosts of Eden defies genre characterization.

The Ghosts of Eden

Mystery, thriller, romance, historical novel, or perhaps a better description is literary tour de force. I give it an easy five stars. I received this book free of charge from the author in return for an honest review. Jul 20, Richard rated it liked it. I got hold of a signed copy of this book from a charity book stall at a summer fayre with no knowledge of the author - so this was a bit of a leap of faith.

This turned out to be a worthwhile investment.

A very descriptive story about African and European lives and values set in Uganda. The strong points were definitely the unfolding stories of the children's lives. Very observant and believable.

The Ghosts of Eden Hall () - IMDb

In particalar the young naive Michael and his literal acceptance of his missionary parent's Christian e I got hold of a signed copy of this book from a charity book stall at a summer fayre with no knowledge of the author - so this was a bit of a leap of faith. In particalar the young naive Michael and his literal acceptance of his missionary parent's Christian ethics and beliefs. Here the story had fluidity, warmth and momentum. This momentum was halted when the story quite abrubtly turned to the children in their adult lives.

This is where things started to feel somewhat contrived, stilted and less believable. Even though I had no knowledge of the author it became clear that he has had some involvement in the medical profession as he went into great detail on various surgical procedures - this indulgence also contributed to a much cooler and calculated feel and the author did not quite manage to turn things around sufficiently for the "big finish". In fact the adult Michael is not a particularly likeable character.

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All in all - worth the read if only for the astute observations of the lives of the children. Mar 17, Rubery Book Award rated it it was amazing Shelves: Shortlisted for the Rubery Book Award A moving, lyrical novel set in Africa, which explores childhood loss and atonement. Andrew Sharp writes with great authority on the dilemmas of Europeans who offer their support to African countries and it is clear that he has much personal knowledge of this world.

It is a mature, intelligent, satisfying read. Aug 19, Andrew Crofts rated it really liked it. Due to travel to Uganda for a ghostwriting project, and having little knowledge of the country, I read a number of books. This one gave by far the most interesting and readable insight into the country. It reads like a best selling saga. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the African experience. Jun 01, Babak Fakhamzadeh rated it liked it Shelves: White man writes a book about a white man growing up in Africa, leaving, coming back and being faced with the mysterious, supernatural side of African society.

Oct 10, Emily rated it really liked it. Mar 24, Alison added it. Alison Parsons rated it really liked it Feb 14, Marianne Whiting rated it it was amazing Feb 26, Helen rated it liked it Apr 04, Richard rated it really liked it Mar 27, Marga rated it liked it Apr 08, Gillian rated it it was amazing Jul 29, Peter Riddelsdell rated it it was amazing Nov 20, Lexa Dudley rated it liked it Nov 13, Fern Adams rated it liked it May 30, Storyheart rated it liked it Aug 29, Moira rated it it was amazing Feb 17, Sanne Roemen rated it really liked it Nov 08, Marion rated it really liked it Mar 01, John Bowman rated it liked it Jul 27, Jill rated it liked it Apr 13,