A historical tale of dreams and loss told with eloquence and emotion. A decision to not call for the doctor when their son is teething has a devastating impact on Robert, Freya and their young family. We then cut back in time to Robert’s childhood, gaining some insight over his actions that night, and the heavy weight of guilt and grief that now looms over him. In memorial to the children they lost, Robert buys an old chalk mine that offered him solace as a child, and builds a pleasure garden to try and fill the void left by his grief. This massive project has highs and lows and sees the family pulled further apart. I loved that this story is based on discoveries found at the author’s house. There was an authenticity to the story before I discovered this, but it adds to the magic of Robert's dream. Loss looms large throughout the novel, with key family members taken away from multiple characters, and allowing us to see the different ways each of them cope. Robert’s mother has a big transformation and I enjoyed seeing her change from the timid reclusive woman she was at the start of the novel to the strong woman she became after her pilgrimage to honour the loss of her parents. Robert reminds me of P.T. Barnum in the film The Greatest Showman, a man driven to provide for all his family, including (in his way) the sons he’s lost, but his focus on work causes more damage. ‘Small Eden’ by Jane Eleanor Davis is a beautiful tale of family, love and loss that tells not only Robert’s story, but those who were vital in bringing the pleasure gardens to life. Bittersweet, poignant and I wholeheartedly enjoyed it.
Small Eden Gambles sometimes pay off. And sometimes they cost dearly. Synopsis
Heart-breaking and heart-warming in equal measure, this wonderfully human tale tells the story of a man haunted by his past who risks everything for the chance of redemption. ‘A story of hidden feelings, of dreams to dream and secrets never to be told.’ ~ Helen Hollick, author 1884. There is a terrible price to pay when Robert Cooke and his wife Freya mistake the symptoms of scarlet fever for teething: the loss of their two infant sons. At a time when husband and wife should comfort each other, the doctor advises pregnant Freya to isolate for the safety of their unborn child. By the time they meet again, the subject is taboo. But unspoken grief is a dangerous enemy. It bides its time. A decade passes. Work fills the gaping void in Robert’s life. His opium business thrives, and he finds himself accepted in Carshalton’s inner sanctum, but his days are haunted by unshakable guilt, and at night he dreams of his shadow-sons playing in a beautiful garden. When a disused chalk quarry – a place where Robert found refuge as a boy – comes up for sale, an idea takes root. He thought the garden of his dreams was heaven – and Robert has always thought that heaven and the Garden of Eden were one and the same. But what if he was wrong? What if it’s a place he is supposed to create? Instead of sharing his vision with his wife, he widens the gulf between them by keeping her in the dark. Instead, it is another woman who translates his dreams. An obscure yet talented artist called Florence Hoddy, who lives alone with her unmarried brother, painting only what she sees from her window……
