Dream of Eden — Sandol Stoddard

Dream of Eden is an island story, a love story, and an epic adventure both personal and historic. Set in Hawaii, Borneo and England during the late nineteenth century, it unfolds during a time of religious zeal, intellectual ferment and capitalist calculation. The exotic Hawaiian Islands offer a glimpse of Eden to the bold explorer, but for some that is only part of their allure. To the practical politician of the day, Hawaii's strategic position mid-Pacific offers a fabulous prize ripe for the taking. As nations maneuver for possession of Honolulu's Pearl Harbor, Protestant Evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics vie for dominance over the native population. Into this troubled Paradise comes an idealistic young Englishman on his first assignment as a missionary abroad. David Wilkinson is captivated by lush Hawaii â€" its haunting beauty, its dark, pagan beliefs, and its natives' sensual charms. The young priest encounters three remarkable women: the beautiful Hawaiian Queen Emma Kalaleonalani; an eccentric Scottish noblewoman known as Fiona Cameron; and a mysterious personage who may or may not be Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess. The intrepid Miss Cameron offers a fearlessly unconventional viewpoint of the world, and her developing relationship with David soon becomes central to the story. Meanwhile, the volcanic islands of Hawaii enter a period of frightening instability, culminating in some of the most violent eruptions in human experience. Based upon carefully researched accounts of actual events, Eden introduces a diverse cast of characters, from British lords to Hawaiian fishermen, from Borneo headhunters to pirates of the South Seas. The mood is both lyrical and broadly ironic. Here are the central elements of human drama â€" love and passion, faith and doubt, ambition and the perpetual struggle for justice, wisdom and enlightenment. A wise, surprising, and ultimately joyful book, recounted in the knowing voice of celebrated author Sandol Stoddard, Dream of Eden is historical fiction at its best.