Denise T. (tetz) reviewed on 5/30/2011 + 29 more book reviews

My last Bohjalian book was Before You Know Kindness and I flat out didn't like it on all sorts of levels. I had been eagerly awaiting Secrets of Eden and decided I would at least give it a try. I am so glad that I did.

Here we have a tale of spousal abuse and violence told from the perspective of four narrators. In his usual fashion, as things go along, Bohjalian has us questioning the things we are reading. That tidy little package, all wrapped up with a bow, may not be what it seems. But who do we believe. A sub story about a famous new age author who is obsessed with angels did get a little tedious but I truly understand why she was there and what we can learn from her. I can't say the ending was a surprise because I expected just that around page 192 but I wasn't SURE until the end.

The book raises a lot of questions about love, friendship and accountability. It was a quick read, perfect for the Memorial Day holiday weekend. It was not as special as The Double Bind but much, much more to my liking than Before you Know Kindness.

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