Brides Of Eden

Brides Of Eden

YA fiction
One of the things I love best about doing my own book review
blog is making the rules. Books don't have to be hot off the press.
So when I find a fascinating one, no matter what vintage, I get to
tell you about it. Anyway Linda Crew's Brides Of Eden is a real oldie
but goodie.
You know sometimes you read in the paper how people go off in
cults and do stuff the rest of us wouldn't like getting bent out of
shape when the rapture didn't happen when they predicted, taking
multiple underage wives, or drinking neurotoxin laced beverages? The
universal reaction is, "What were they thinking?"--especially if
little kids were brought along for the ride. Well in Corvallis,
Oregon, at the beginning of the twentieth century a cult of what
townspeople called Holy Rollers formed. Crew grew up in that town.
She tries to capture what the experience of being caught up in the
fantasy of a charismatic leader was like for one of the girls involved.
As the story opens, protagonist Eva Mae is the teenage daughter
of a fairly well off family. She strives in vain for the approval of
older sister Maud. So when deeply religious Maud becomes a follower
of self declared preacher Joshua (formerly Franz Edmund Creffield) Eva
Mae joins in along with a goodly number of kin and friends, mostly
women.
It's not long before things go from innocuous to creepy. Maud
breaks off her engagement because Joshua doesn't approve. Cousin
Sophie quits college. When nightly worship sessions become the
subject of less than kind gossip, Joshua tells his people they are the
chosen, the few who will ascend to heaven when the imminent rapture
happens. Conflict escalates between the chosen and concerned and
frightened townspeople including Eva Mae's loving father. Joshua
demands more and more of his disciples. As Eva Mae evolves from
fairly care free girl to young woman willing to do all she is told to
and terrified of letting Joshua down, you can see a logic that would
be convincing for someone in the middle of what she believes to be end
times.
The book is wonderfully enhanced by period photographs including
one of Eva Mae. Brides Of Eden is a captivating read for history
fiction fans. It can be helpful, in my mind, for people who see
friends of family members join cults.
On a personal note, my sister was involved quite awhile in what I saw
as extreme rapture groups. I was alternately scared by their visions
and aggravated by their attempts to save my soul. Once her group sang
themselves practically into laryngitis trying to motivate me to
approach the alter and attain salvation.
A great big shout out goes out to our college kids who are about to go
back to classes. Hopefully they're enjoying last days of vaca.
Julia Emily Hathaway


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