Another Kind of Eden
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- Create Date：2021-08-24 02:20:59
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：James Lee Burke
- ISBN：1982151714
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Summary
New York Times
bestselling author James Lee Burke brings readers a captivating tale of justice， love， brutality， and mysticism set in the turbulent 1960s。
The American West in the early 1960s appears to be a pastoral paradise: golden wheat fields， mist-filled canyons， frolicking animals。 Aspiring novelist Aaron Holland Broussard has observed it from the open door of a boxcar， riding the rails for both inspiration and odd jobs。
Jumping off in Denver， he finds work on a farm and meets Joanne McDuffy， an articulate and fierce college student and gifted painter。 Their soul connection is immediate， but their romance is complicated by Joanne’s involvement with a shady professor who is mixed up with a drug-addled cult。 When a sinister businessman and his son who wield their influence through vicious cruelty set their sights on Aaron， drawing him into an investigation of grotesque murders， it is clear that this idyllic landscape harbors tremendous power—and evil。 Followed by a mysterious shrouded figure who might not be human， Aaron will have to face down all these foes to save the life of the woman he loves and his own。
The latest installment in James Lee Burke’s masterful Holland family saga， Another Kind of Eden is both riveting and one of Burke’s most ambitious works to date。 It dismantles the myths of both the twentieth-century American West and the peace-and-love decade， excavating the beauty and idealism of the era to show the menace and chaos that lay simmering just beneath the surface。
The American West in the early 1960s appears to be a pastoral paradise: golden wheat fields， mist-filled canyons， frolicking animals。 Aspiring novelist Aaron Holland Broussard has observed it from the open door of a boxcar， riding the rails for both inspiration and odd jobs。
Jumping off in Denver， he finds work on a farm and meets Joanne McDuffy， an articulate and fierce college student and gifted painter。 Their soul connection is immediate， but their romance is complicated by Joanne’s involvement with a shady professor who is mixed up with a drug-addled cult。 When a sinister businessman and his son who wield their influence through vicious cruelty set their sights on Aaron， drawing him into an investigation of grotesque murders， it is clear that this idyllic landscape harbors tremendous power—and evil。 Followed by a mysterious shrouded figure who might not be human， Aaron will have to face down all these foes to save the life of the woman he loves and his own。
The latest installment in James Lee Burke’s masterful Holland family saga， Another Kind of Eden is both riveting and one of Burke’s most ambitious works to date。 It dismantles the myths of both the twentieth-century American West and the peace-and-love decade， excavating the beauty and idealism of the era to show the menace and chaos that lay simmering just beneath the surface。
Reviews
David Kern
，
3。5。 There’s a lot here， for a slim book， and as always Burke makes eloquent sentences look easy。 But it also can be a bit discursive in its approach to character building， and I’ve never felt his dialogue is quite on par with， say， Michael Connelly。
Bookreporter。com Mystery & Thriller
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In ANOTHER KIND OF EDEN， James Lee Burke takes a further step in exploring the tenuous border between the physical and mystic。 He has visited various aspects of this topic on a number of occasions in his long-running and iconic Dave Robicheaux series， most recently in A PRIVATE CATHEDRAL。 His latest， which adds yet another chapter to his Holland family opus， takes place in Colorado in the early 1960s。 It is a snapshot of the beginning of the drug-fueled counterculture movement with a nod toward In ANOTHER KIND OF EDEN， James Lee Burke takes a further step in exploring the tenuous border between the physical and mystic。 He has visited various aspects of this topic on a number of occasions in his long-running and iconic Dave Robicheaux series， most recently in A PRIVATE CATHEDRAL。 His latest， which adds yet another chapter to his Holland family opus， takes place in Colorado in the early 1960s。 It is a snapshot of the beginning of the drug-fueled counterculture movement with a nod toward the individuals who practiced the lifestyle as well as those who preyed upon them。ANOTHER KIND OF EDEN is narrated by Aaron Holland Broussard， an aspiring but frustrated author who finds more satisfaction traveling by boxcar and working as an itinerant farmhand than laboring within the confines of the ivory towers of academia。 What begins as an ordinary meal in a diner near the farm where Aaron is employed ends in violence when he and his dinner companions， both of whom work with him， are attacked by a group of locals that includes Darrel Vickers， the son of wealthy landowner Rueben Vickers。What makes the night even more memorable for Aaron is that he meets Joanne McDuffy， a waitress who seems to have come from another time and place。 He is almost immediately smitten with the woman， who is an art student at a local college and， regrettably， involved in some manner with her professor， Henri Devos， who appears to have a Svengali-like effect over her。 A busload of vagabonds， seemingly summoned by Devos， take up a residency of sorts on Joanne’s property。 Aaron works by day， and by night he attempts to assist Joanne in extracting herself from the situation while fending off the Vickers family。 There is also some criminal activity in the vicinity that cannot be ignored。Wade Benbow， a local police detective， attempts to recruit Aaron into the investigation， even as his attention is diverted elsewhere。 The area， though， is shot through with the spirits from a tragedy of a bygone era。 It is not long before various elements， which by turns work with and against each other， collide in a cataclysmic event that changes everything for Aaron and those around him， for better and for worse。I was initially disappointed in the book’s conclusion because it seemed somewhat abrupt and incomplete。 But on reflection， the story set forth in this volume is not one that lends itself to neat endings or easy answers。 It is all the more lifelike or real-world because of it， bittersweet but still full of hope as always。 ANOTHER KIND OF EDEN features some of Burke’s best prose --- the man’s wordcraft， even at this late date， is awe-inspiring --- and his characters are unforgettable。 You will want to put this book at the very top of your must-read list if you haven’t already。Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub 。。。more
Bookreporter。com Historical Fiction
，
In ANOTHER KIND OF EDEN， James Lee Burke takes a further step in exploring the tenuous border between the physical and mystic。 He has visited various aspects of this topic on a number of occasions in his long-running and iconic Dave Robicheaux series， most recently in A PRIVATE CATHEDRAL。 His latest， which adds yet another chapter to his Holland family opus， takes place in Colorado in the early 1960s。 It is a snapshot of the beginning of the drug-fueled counterculture movement with a nod toward In ANOTHER KIND OF EDEN， James Lee Burke takes a further step in exploring the tenuous border between the physical and mystic。 He has visited various aspects of this topic on a number of occasions in his long-running and iconic Dave Robicheaux series， most recently in A PRIVATE CATHEDRAL。 His latest， which adds yet another chapter to his Holland family opus， takes place in Colorado in the early 1960s。 It is a snapshot of the beginning of the drug-fueled counterculture movement with a nod toward the individuals who practiced the lifestyle as well as those who preyed upon them。ANOTHER KIND OF EDEN is narrated by Aaron Holland Broussard， an aspiring but frustrated author who finds more satisfaction traveling by boxcar and working as an itinerant farmhand than laboring within the confines of the ivory towers of academia。 What begins as an ordinary meal in a diner near the farm where Aaron is employed ends in violence when he and his dinner companions， both of whom work with him， are attacked by a group of locals that includes Darrel Vickers， the son of wealthy landowner Rueben Vickers。What makes the night even more memorable for Aaron is that he meets Joanne McDuffy， a waitress who seems to have come from another time and place。 He is almost immediately smitten with the woman， who is an art student at a local college and， regrettably， involved in some manner with her professor， Henri Devos， who appears to have a Svengali-like effect over her。 A busload of vagabonds， seemingly summoned by Devos， take up a residency of sorts on Joanne’s property。 Aaron works by day， and by night he attempts to assist Joanne in extracting herself from the situation while fending off the Vickers family。 There is also some criminal activity in the vicinity that cannot be ignored。Wade Benbow， a local police detective， attempts to recruit Aaron into the investigation， even as his attention is diverted elsewhere。 The area， though， is shot through with the spirits from a tragedy of a bygone era。 It is not long before various elements， which by turns work with and against each other， collide in a cataclysmic event that changes everything for Aaron and those around him， for better and for worse。I was initially disappointed in the book’s conclusion because it seemed somewhat abrupt and incomplete。 But on reflection， the story set forth in this volume is not one that lends itself to neat endings or easy answers。 It is all the more lifelike or real-world because of it， bittersweet but still full of hope as always。 ANOTHER KIND OF EDEN features some of Burke’s best prose --- the man’s wordcraft， even at this late date， is awe-inspiring --- and his characters are unforgettable。 You will want to put this book at the very top of your must-read list if you haven’t already。Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub 。。。more
Dan Sigler
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Another great Burke storyThis was a wild read and no predicting the climax。 Burke’s beautiful and descriptive prose was on full display。 A masters painting with words。
William Highton
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I love the books of James Lee Burke but this one did not work for me at all。A small amount of the Supernatural works with an ageing Dave Robicheaux as he reaches the end of his life but in this book it felt wrong。The whole climax of the book depends on suspending belief with snakes that become guns （I guess that is how the M1 appears）， ghosts of long dead comrades and demons that fly so on。 In fact the ending never reaches any sort of solution that is half way believable。The Charlie Manson type I love the books of James Lee Burke but this one did not work for me at all。A small amount of the Supernatural works with an ageing Dave Robicheaux as he reaches the end of his life but in this book it felt wrong。The whole climax of the book depends on suspending belief with snakes that become guns （I guess that is how the M1 appears）， ghosts of long dead comrades and demons that fly so on。 In fact the ending never reaches any sort of solution that is half way believable。The Charlie Manson type bus was years too early and the characters were ill defined。 Who actually killed the hippie chick and do I really care anymore？I am glad it was so short or else I would have given up。 。。。more
Mercy Sakes
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What the whatThis Burke was the strangest of them all and I’ve read them all。 I was with him until about the 85% mark then things got a bit wonky。 Sci-fi， horror， murder with a tad of woohoo tossed it。 Now must I re-read all the Aaron Holland Broussard books？ Well？
Heidi Hilty
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Aaron Holland Broussard is a tortured soul。 James Lee Burke brings his latest Holland family tale to life in the uniquely poetic and visceral Burke voice。 No one has better idiomatic command of this vernacular。
Robert Leiter
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Another great bookMr Burke is more than than a great writer。 He paints spectacular pictures and his writing is poetry it will be a sad day when we no longer have him 。 I wish him a long and happy life。
Delores
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Great story， takes place after the Korean War and is filled with interesting characters with painful stories to tell。 It is also full of James Lee Burke usual lyrical prose and was a joy to listen to。 Will Patton is one of my favorite narrators and he does a wonderful job with this story。 I can't imagine a James Lee Burke book without his narration。 The two are so well suited。 I highly recommend this book。 NOTE: It is a stand alone novel， not related to his other books。 Great story， takes place after the Korean War and is filled with interesting characters with painful stories to tell。 It is also full of James Lee Burke usual lyrical prose and was a joy to listen to。 Will Patton is one of my favorite narrators and he does a wonderful job with this story。 I can't imagine a James Lee Burke book without his narration。 The two are so well suited。 I highly recommend this book。 NOTE: It is a stand alone novel， not related to his other books。 。。。more
Sharlene
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Burke never disappoints me with his Holland series。 This time it's the 1960's in the West。 Aaron Holland Broussard is a veteran who has been riding the rails for years。 He's currently working the McDuffy ranch near Denver。 Here he meets Joanne McDuffy。 She's involved with her professor， she's a talented painter and working as a waitress。 What ensues is a stark look at the beauty， idealism， and reality of the time。 There's an element of evil and other-worldly experiences as only Burke does them。 Burke never disappoints me with his Holland series。 This time it's the 1960's in the West。 Aaron Holland Broussard is a veteran who has been riding the rails for years。 He's currently working the McDuffy ranch near Denver。 Here he meets Joanne McDuffy。 She's involved with her professor， she's a talented painter and working as a waitress。 What ensues is a stark look at the beauty， idealism， and reality of the time。 There's an element of evil and other-worldly experiences as only Burke does them。 His characters are dynamic and sense of place lyrical。 。。。more
Clayton J。Curtiss
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How does he do it？I have been reading James Lee Burke for many， many years。 I find myself asking how he does it。 How does he consistently create characters and stories that plunge into a compromised moral world and makes us face it， whether we want to or not？ He makes us confront an ambiguous world where life and death intersect。 I personally prefer the Dave Robichaux books but that doesn’t stop me from entering his “western” novels。 All I know is that he never fails to satisfy and “Another Kind How does he do it？I have been reading James Lee Burke for many， many years。 I find myself asking how he does it。 How does he consistently create characters and stories that plunge into a compromised moral world and makes us face it， whether we want to or not？ He makes us confront an ambiguous world where life and death intersect。 I personally prefer the Dave Robichaux books but that doesn’t stop me from entering his “western” novels。 All I know is that he never fails to satisfy and “Another Kind of Eden” is no exception。 Maybe his greatest skill as a storyteller is bringing us into a world where ghosts of the past live and make us believe in their power to haunt the present。 Please Mr。 Burke， however you are doing it， keep taking us along on your ride。 。。。more
Michael
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James Lee Burke has numerous successful series going， the most famous of which is unquestionably his Dave Robicheaux novels。 A second series focuses in on the Holland family， and its various offshoots。 In this installment， the main character is Aaron Holland Broussard， a veteran of the Korean War。 The characters may change， but all of Burke's stories bear certain similarities， and that is not a criticism。 In the first place， his key characters carry some sort of moral weight。 Both Robicheaux and James Lee Burke has numerous successful series going， the most famous of which is unquestionably his Dave Robicheaux novels。 A second series focuses in on the Holland family， and its various offshoots。 In this installment， the main character is Aaron Holland Broussard， a veteran of the Korean War。 The characters may change， but all of Burke's stories bear certain similarities， and that is not a criticism。 In the first place， his key characters carry some sort of moral weight。 Both Robicheaux and Broussard remain haunted by what they witnessed--or perhaps， what they perpetrated--in war。 Burke spares readers the gore， but he hints that his characters have seen horrors and cruelty that the language has no words to adequately explain。 The characters themselves have a relatively firm moral core， but it has been shaken so badly by what they have witnessed that their stories seem to be episodes of quests for the Holy Grail of decency。 More and more often they find that most people don't need war as an excuse for inhumanity。 Further， Burke's writing features strong， lyrical appeals to all of the senses。 When Broussard holds the woman he loves in his arms， he can smell the singular shampoo that she uses to wash her hair。 He can feel her breath on his chest， or share in the tears coursing down her cheeks。 Both Broussard and Robicheaux ensure that they notice the beauty of the scenery that surrounds them， whether it's distant mountains， spectacular cloud formations， the cries of assorted birds， or breezes carrying the scent of the local flora their way。 Burke's scenes are always easy to imagine， and even easier to appreciate， as sometimes the majesty of the portraits painted by nature are the only things that offer his characters any comfort。 Third is Burke's use of language， particularly in his dialogue。 For characters so capable of chivalrous language， the insults they hurl at each other can be side-splitting。 I'm paraphrasing here， but outbursts such as "Take the peanut butter out of your ears and listen， son，" and "They should have thrown him out with the afterbirth" lend a vivid color to the characters and the situations。 Some readers could argue that Burke's stories are joyless， but the world we live in can be downright dreary。 Most of the time， the dreariness comes from the behaviors and attitudes of human beings， who bring down a life that could otherwise be beautiful。 Another Kind of Eden is not exactly original， but it is Burke at his vintage best。 。。。more
John Mccormick
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My thanks to the Author publisher's and NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review。Genius at work。Completely and utterly brilliant a genuine wordsmith of the art of literature。Compelling from start to finish with superb characters throughout， some good some bad some evil but all totally believable。 Authentic atmospheric descriptive narrative that leaps from the page or screen in this case。 At times a sweet gentle love story， somewhat coming of age， My thanks to the Author publisher's and NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review。Genius at work。Completely and utterly brilliant a genuine wordsmith of the art of literature。Compelling from start to finish with superb characters throughout， some good some bad some evil but all totally believable。 Authentic atmospheric descriptive narrative that leaps from the page or screen in this case。 At times a sweet gentle love story， somewhat coming of age， at others a murder mystery and psychological thriller， with occasional gruesome violence， moments of mental instability and not being sure of what's dream or reality。 Always engaging gripping and intriguing。No flaws yes the ending seemed slightly rushed and didn't go how I would have preferred， but not enough to lose stars and who am I to quest this master of the art。 。。。more
Laura Peden
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Well that was different…I originally put this book on my TBR because there’s a tornado on the cover and I was hoping for some historical Twister vibes。 It starts off really strong and then before too long you find yourself in the middle of a Twilight Zone episode。 I still have no fucking clue wth happened in the end 🤷🏼♀️ AND there’s no on-page tornado 🤨
Ken Hulse
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The first half of this book， I thought Mr。 Burke was really in his element。 His writing was terrific。 The problem is the last half was a fumbling mash up over surrealistic craziness。 It just didn't work。 I am not happy to say that。 I like James Lee Burke but this is not his best work or even close to it。 I gave him three stars because of what he has done but really？ This is not what I waited for。 Unlike Stephen King who just keeps getting better， that is not happening here。 His use of words and The first half of this book， I thought Mr。 Burke was really in his element。 His writing was terrific。 The problem is the last half was a fumbling mash up over surrealistic craziness。 It just didn't work。 I am not happy to say that。 I like James Lee Burke but this is not his best work or even close to it。 I gave him three stars because of what he has done but really？ This is not what I waited for。 Unlike Stephen King who just keeps getting better， that is not happening here。 His use of words and phrases are terrific。 His plot just fell apart 。。。more
Mark Nelson
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Kind of disappointing - I was expecting something new and fresh。 This is just a Dave Robicheaux novel with Dave's name changed。 Kind of disappointing - I was expecting something new and fresh。 This is just a Dave Robicheaux novel with Dave's name changed。 。。。more
Linda
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This book is interesting。 James Lee Burke is THE best author in the world。 Sometimes his books get a little strange as this one does。 However， Another Kind of Eden is a wonderful story of a man， his past and how it affects his present。 I recommend this for all James Lee Burke fans！
Tony Sannicandro
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Slipping into darkness。
Bobbi Wagner
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I enjoyed this suspenseful story。 This is a well written story that takes place in the 1960's。 The author's use of details added to the story which kept it engaging。 I enjoyed being pulled in to the story by the characters and what they brought to the story。 I found this book to be fast paced and the twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat。 This is a great story about justice and love。 There is alot going on in this story but the author did a great job of not getting me lost and kept my I enjoyed this suspenseful story。 This is a well written story that takes place in the 1960's。 The author's use of details added to the story which kept it engaging。 I enjoyed being pulled in to the story by the characters and what they brought to the story。 I found this book to be fast paced and the twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat。 This is a great story about justice and love。 There is alot going on in this story but the author did a great job of not getting me lost and kept my interest。 I enjoyed the growth throughout the story。 This is a faster paced story that I really enjoyed。 I highly recommend this book。 。。。more
RaChelle Holmberg
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Downloaded from my public library， this was a deep， invigorating， interesting foray into humanity。 One of my favorite authors， EVER。 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED。
Irene
，
How to say this？ James Lee Burke is a poet who pours his poetry into beautifully crafted， place-based crime novels。 Complex characters and intricate plots carry his stories forward。 There is often a sin-and-redemption theme。 The truly evil people always lose but the good guys don't always win--at least not the kind of "win" they （and we） were hoping for。 Indeed， they often make big mistakes while trying to do good。 But it is Burke's choice of words that makes me stop and reread entire sentences， How to say this？ James Lee Burke is a poet who pours his poetry into beautifully crafted， place-based crime novels。 Complex characters and intricate plots carry his stories forward。 There is often a sin-and-redemption theme。 The truly evil people always lose but the good guys don't always win--at least not the kind of "win" they （and we） were hoping for。 Indeed， they often make big mistakes while trying to do good。 But it is Burke's choice of words that makes me stop and reread entire sentences， paragraphs and chapters。 Consider: "The air was bright with a clean， cold smell like water dipped out of a rain barrel in winter。" Or amazing glimpses into nature:: "The sun was blood red between two mountains that seemed to teeter on the edge of the earth。" In ANOTHER KIND OF EDEN （the 11th starring the Holland family）， Burke describes the villain's face as looking like "a bowl full of walnuts。" And the villain's wife "had an animated sternness about her that suggested a conjugal situation similar to waking up each morning on a medieval rack。" ANOTHER KIND OF EDEN takes place in the 1960s in a dusty， sparsely populated， sometimes desolate part of southern Colorado that borders New Mexico。 The mesquite-dotted mesas are said to be haunted by Comanche spirits。 The nearest "big town" is Trinidad， the next biggest is Walsenburg--and he captures that scene perfectly。 To tell any more would spoil the story but， I will say this: Burke's many fans will be satisfied。 。。。more
Thomas J Gasser
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Another stunning book by James Lee Burke。 He has an expansive vocabulary。 He is able to make me see， feel and taste。 Wonderful
Don Gorman
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（3 1/2）。 Wow！ When James Lee Burke gets his Americana VooDoo thing going you know you are in for some heavy stuff。 And that is exactly what we have here。 They say it is the early 60's， but it mostly feels like early Timothy Leary。 A total trip。 Sure， we get lots of these vibes in the Robicheaux books， but in the Holland stories， and especially this one， it is non stop。 Aaron Broussard is out there， yet we root for him the whole way。 This is a shortie， and it makes it even more impactful。 Wild an （3 1/2）。 Wow！ When James Lee Burke gets his Americana VooDoo thing going you know you are in for some heavy stuff。 And that is exactly what we have here。 They say it is the early 60's， but it mostly feels like early Timothy Leary。 A total trip。 Sure， we get lots of these vibes in the Robicheaux books， but in the Holland stories， and especially this one， it is non stop。 Aaron Broussard is out there， yet we root for him the whole way。 This is a shortie， and it makes it even more impactful。 Wild and crazy stuff。 。。。more
PottWab Regional Library
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SM
Sue
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Aaron Holland Broussard， our guide through through Another Kind of Eden， is an educated man in his 20s， working at being a writer， traveling the south and west on the rails in that faintly romantic way， jumping on empty boxcars and exiting where it looks right。 This novel has elements of romance but also aspects of evil familiar to anyone who has read a James Lee Burke novel before。 While this is my first time reading a book of the Holland family， I recognize themes that I have encountered readi Aaron Holland Broussard， our guide through through Another Kind of Eden， is an educated man in his 20s， working at being a writer， traveling the south and west on the rails in that faintly romantic way， jumping on empty boxcars and exiting where it looks right。 This novel has elements of romance but also aspects of evil familiar to anyone who has read a James Lee Burke novel before。 While this is my first time reading a book of the Holland family， I recognize themes that I have encountered reading the Dave Robicheaux novels。 Aaron has damage to his soul just as Dave does。And the prose is， as always， well done， describing battles of good versus evil or the lazily immoral， the effects of drugs in the early and growing drug culture of the 1960s， the horrors of violence and misogyny， and on and on。 But also there is the beauty of the natural world， of life itself。 Burke always looks at big pictures through his individual characters and their actions。This was a 4。5* book for me rounded to 4。 Recommended。A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Deanne Patterson
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This is one of my husband's favorite author's so I decided to give his work a try。 This is the first book I've read by this author。The book absolutely is not for me！ Is it because I didn't start the series at the beginning？I'm not sure。 I did not make a connection with any of the characters。The story is disjointed and all over the place with a bunch of little side stories。One thing I will give him credit for is very descriptive writing， such as I've never seen before。It seemed he put more effort This is one of my husband's favorite author's so I decided to give his work a try。 This is the first book I've read by this author。The book absolutely is not for me！ Is it because I didn't start the series at the beginning？I'm not sure。 I did not make a connection with any of the characters。The story is disjointed and all over the place with a bunch of little side stories。One thing I will give him credit for is very descriptive writing， such as I've never seen before。It seemed he put more effort into his descriptions than he did into the story line itself。One thing I noticed about his writing is the words the characters speak to each other are very graphic and vulgar。 I don't know if this is his regular writing style but it is not what I am looking for in a book。Though the book is not for me I know his writing is very popular so don't let my review hold you back from trying this book。 My husband has read all of them besides this one and enjoys them。 Published August 17th 2021I was given a complimentary copy of this book。 Thank you。All opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
William Rham
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I’d read several of Mr。 Burke’s “Dave Robicheaux” novels and enjoyed them very much。 However， I’d not read anything from his “Holland Family” series and so was eager to give this a try。 Although I found it very different， the writing and story-telling are every bit as strong。 In short， I was not disappointed and think it deserves a 5-star rating。Aaron Holland Broussard is a Korean war veteran and an aspiring novelist “riding the rails” on freight trains and doing migrant work to earn his keep so I’d read several of Mr。 Burke’s “Dave Robicheaux” novels and enjoyed them very much。 However， I’d not read anything from his “Holland Family” series and so was eager to give this a try。 Although I found it very different， the writing and story-telling are every bit as strong。 In short， I was not disappointed and think it deserves a 5-star rating。Aaron Holland Broussard is a Korean war veteran and an aspiring novelist “riding the rails” on freight trains and doing migrant work to earn his keep sometime during the 1960’s。 Hopping off a boxcar in Denver， he finds work on a ranch/farm run by a family that thinks the world of him， a beautiful girl to fall in love with， and a boatload of trouble。 And he has a fatal flaw that will make it difficult to negotiate the challenges he meets， if not completely do him in。 Has Aaron found his “American Dream” – i。e。， a life of happiness and fulfillment – on the outskirts of Denver; or is it all just an illusion hiding a deep and rotten kind of evil that may just destroy him？ That’s what keeps us in suspense and turning the pages。I found Mr。 Burke’s characters well-drawn and compelling。 I really wanted the “good guys” to succeed and the villains to fail。 Even the minor characters come alive。 The plot is interesting and filled with tension and conflict。 When I began the novel， I was reminded a little of Lee Child’s “Jack Reacher” novels; and fans of that series may well enjoy this。 But there’s a lot more complexity in Mr。 Burke’s work。 And his writing—the words， sentences， and paragraphs he spins onto a page—is simply first-rate。 It’s very lyrical in places and， at times， reminded me of Tennessee Williams。 Plus， the novel is leavened with a whole lot of mystery and mysticism。 So much so， that by it’s end， I wasn’t quite sure what had actually happened。 But I wasn’t disappointed by that; which is a testament to Mr。 Burke’s artistry。 Indeed， the next morning I found myself thinking about what I’d read and coming to my own conclusions about what must have happened。 In other words， this is a novel that may well stay with you。My thanks to NetGalley， Simon and Shuster， and James Lee Burke for providing me with an Advance Readers Copy， in exchange for which no promises were made regarding this review。 。。。more
V
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What a privilege to read Another Kind of Eden by James Lee Burke， such a legendary author。 I haven't read his works in many years， I'd forgotten how talented he is。 I also haven't read all the Holland family series and was not familiar with the main character， Aaron Brousard。It was gritty and dark 1960's Colorado。 The atmospheric setting and characters were well described。 There is racism and some sexual content。 None of that particularly bothered me。That said and at the risk of being ostracized What a privilege to read Another Kind of Eden by James Lee Burke， such a legendary author。 I haven't read his works in many years， I'd forgotten how talented he is。 I also haven't read all the Holland family series and was not familiar with the main character， Aaron Brousard。It was gritty and dark 1960's Colorado。 The atmospheric setting and characters were well described。 There is racism and some sexual content。 None of that particularly bothered me。That said and at the risk of being ostracized， I could not get through the book or relate to it。 I attempted to read it for almost two months， and it's a short book！I grew up on small 200 acre farm where my father grew grain & cotton and raised cattle。 We vacationed in cheap travel trailers at campsites in Colorado as far back as I can remember， which would include the 60's and 70's。 Nothing in this book reminded me of those times or that place。 Granted， my memories are those of a child and a teenager。 We were not well off， we ate out of a ice chest or on a Coleman grill， no hotels。 My father did the combine run through multiple states and I was around the field workers。I've been an avid reader for far too long to admit。 I love reading all types of history， fiction， literary， westerns， and mysteries。 This book didn't hold my interest， I couldn't grasp the characters， and I couldn't find anything I gained from reading as much as I did。 I'm sorry and I know I will be in a minority。I will continue to have the utmost respect for the author and his knowledge。 My gratitude to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the digital advance copy。 The opinions stated here are mine given voluntarily。 。。。more
Darlene
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The novel follows Aaron Holland Broussard to Denver where he finds work as a farmhand but is quickly promoted when the owner finds him hard-working and loyal。 Farm life is not his life goal though。 Broussard has written his first novel and hopes to find a publisher soon。 If you have read any of Burke's earlier works， you will find the names Holland and Broussard familiar。 Though this book has familiar names， the story can be read as a stand-alone。 I am a big fan of Burke and I loved this novel e The novel follows Aaron Holland Broussard to Denver where he finds work as a farmhand but is quickly promoted when the owner finds him hard-working and loyal。 Farm life is not his life goal though。 Broussard has written his first novel and hopes to find a publisher soon。 If you have read any of Burke's earlier works， you will find the names Holland and Broussard familiar。 Though this book has familiar names， the story can be read as a stand-alone。 I am a big fan of Burke and I loved this novel even more than all the others I've read。 This one has all the hallmarks of his earlier works - the brooding， tough， loyal loner， the Western scenery， the archetypal Western bad guy - but adds elements of folklore and mysticism to the mix。 It sounds like an odd combination， but Burke really makes it work。If you have not read anything from this author before， then you are in for a real treat。 This isn't your typical western。 The prose is simply beautiful。 I can't think of another author that compares。 I don't even usually like westerns， but these are just so different。 The writing style is literary fiction while the plot is edgy western。 I can't even describe the experience but I will recommend it to anyone and I will keep on reading every novel this author puts out。I thank Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Heather Fineisen
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This was a quick read about a young man who is an author who works as a foreman for landowners。 He encounters love and evil。 The good guys are a little bit bad and/or bad ass and the bad guys are bad beyond imagination。 It's not always easy telling them apart。 Great prose and a touch of the supernatural make this a worthy read。Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley This was a quick read about a young man who is an author who works as a foreman for landowners。 He encounters love and evil。 The good guys are a little bit bad and/or bad ass and the bad guys are bad beyond imagination。 It's not always easy telling them apart。 Great prose and a touch of the supernatural make this a worthy read。Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Another Kind of Eden
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Another Kind of Eden&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Another Kind of Eden&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0