A Season in Eden

A Season in Eden is a painful read filled with heartache andgrief. It is not the type of book I, the love and laughter type,normally choose to read. Written in first person it is the story of Lora, a young woman whose dreams have been shattered by tragedy. It is the story of her coming to terms with her grief, facing it, and reestablishing a relationship with her husband Eli who loves her more than his own life. Although not a typical love story, this book left an emotional impact on me like very few do and I ended up finishing it in one tear blurred sitting. I was wholly satisfied and give it my highest recommendation.

The tone of this story is very melancholy but poetically so. I certainly wouldn't call it a romance, but it is a love story, and I applaud the craftsmanship required to pull off something this unique. I also admire the beautiful prose, the incredible historical detail, the way the author breathed life into her characters and wove her setting so tightly into the story. The book made me grateful for my own life and made me want to be happy for the sake of others, if not myself. That says something--when you apply what you've learned from a work of fiction to your own life. It means what you read was powerful. The closest thing to it that I recall is Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath."

but nothing Megan Chance writes could be called "typical" she continually pushes the envelope of the romance genre and gifts readers with something special and original every time. With A SEASON IN EDEN she gives us a book written in first person. To see how Lora grows as a person and somehow overcomes her grief with the aid of a most unlikely friend, results in one of the best historical fiction books of the year. This book deserve a much bigger audience than it will get marketed only as a "historical romance." Megan Chance's books more often than not transcend the genre. Her publisher should realize what a gem of a writer they have and give her the boost she deserves. I agree with the quote from Kristin Hannah, if you read one historical romance this year, make it A SEASON IN EDEN. If you are a member of a reading group - this book is one that cries out to be discussed. I loved everything about this book -- from the first person POV, the subject matter, and the setting (my husband's grandparents homesteaded in the very area this book is set). I look forward to the next innovative novel from Ms. Chance.

I loved this book! It kept me up half the night reading it!

Although Lora Cameron loves her husband Eli, she is drowning in unhappiness and pushing him away. Once upon a time Lora was happy, before tragedy struck and she cannot feel any more. Now there is nothing but sadness.Money problems arise and Eli decides to go away for the summer to a faraway logging camp and Lora knows it is for the best. When Eli brought Will Bennet, a drifter, home as a hired hand to take care of things while he's gone Lora does not want him around. Like no one Lora has ever met, Will makes breakfast for Lora, wants to hear her thoughts, and most of all recognizes her sorrow. Lora finds herself wanting to be a mother figure to Will, although Will feels differently about Lora.When Eli comes home after a logging accident, Lora must face her feelings for her husband and the tragedy that robbed them of their happiness. I found A Season in Eden to be a wonderfully moving book. Megan Chances writes like no other, moving and and touching, not covering up for mistakes and with unperfect characters. Living all my life in the Pacific Northwest I know exactly where Yakima is and the hardships the settlers must have endured. Hot, hot summers and cold, cold winters. Sagebrush and hills. Nothing for miles but beautiful blue sky and dust. My husband's family is from Selah, just a few miles from Yakima. We'd go to the Yakima Valley for the weekend and all I'd think about was which wineries to tour. Now the Yakima Valley is full of wineries, vineyards, hops, apple trees and cherry trees. Nothing like it was 115 years ago. I think that's what I loved best. The history and I could imagine exactly what it was like.