The Legacy of Eden by Nelle Davy
January 24, 2012 by Mira
Paperback, 400 Pages
Review Copy
For generations, Aurelia was the crowning glory of more than three thousand acres of Iowa farmland and golden cornfields. The estate was a monument to matriarch Lavinia Hathaway's dream to elevate the family name - no matter what relative or stranger she had to destroy in the process. It was a desperation that wrought the downfall of the Hathaways - and the once prosperous farm. Now the last inhabitant of the decaying old home has died - alone. None of the surviving members of the Hathaway family want anything to do with the farm, the land, or the memories. Especially Meredith Pincetti. Now living in New York City, for seventeen years Lavinia's youngest grandchild has tried to forget everything about her family and her past. But with the receipt of a pleading letter, Meredith is again thrust into conflict with the legacy that destroyed her family's once-great name. Back at Aurelia, Meredith must confront the rise and fall of the Hathaway family... and her own part in their mottled history.
Thoughts
The Legacy of Eden offers a detailed look into the life of the Hathaway family- a once prestigious clan held in high regard within their community who succumb to ruin. Secrets, misspent wealth and loss riddle the family's destruction and define the younger generation. One of them being Meredith Pincetti who travels back to Aurelia and shares the story of her family...the one she knows of and the one her dead relatives bring forth.
Jumping into Eden held much promise in the first 100 pages, I felt the writers voice was unique and the story layered with many deep levels had the opportunity to stand out in its genre. In the beginning I really loved how Davy introduced us to the family...even the dead ones.....giving it an almost Gothic like feel and setting the tone for a great saga-story. Unfortunately though, I lost my connection to the book half way through and really struggled to finish. Let me say first that Davy is a gifted writer and I know people out there will enjoy her drawn out prose, however for me the hardest part was the pacing, I felt that I slogged through the last half of the book and even with the exquisite style of writing the characters failed to engage or provoke any emotion for me as a reader.
Rating
Recommended to readers who enjoy long family saga's. Contains: Mild language and violence.
Im also rating this book on a scale due to the writing being so unique, in that regard I would give this a 4/5 for writing alone, a 2/5 for the story itself with an overall 3/5.
3/5- Contemporary
Thanks to Mira for Review Copy
Yikes! It's always hard to come across books that start off so promising and then lose their fire somehow. If you had a tough time finishing this one, then I have no doubt, I would have too. But I do think that cover is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteHAPPY FRIDAY, T! Hope you have a great weekend.
Oh...what a shame:( I've had my eye on this one... I love the idea of a book with a gothic feel and I am a huge fan of really descriptive writing. However it does need to have engaging characters and a solid plot or one gets lost in the language and sometimes can't find one's way to the end.
ReplyDelete♥Melissa
Yeah, it sucks when that happens. It's frustrating too because you put so much time in it and then all of the sudden...Ah! It sounds like the story and writing are fabulous though. Maybe almost worth the pacing problems.
ReplyDelete