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They wore perfection like a Sunday dress. But behind closed doors, the seams were splitting.
To the outside world, the Eden family were the very picture of virtue - a young couple who had married during World War II, vowing to love and to cherish till death did them part. They were faithful churchgoers, building a small grocer's business, respected in the community, and bound by scripture. But inside their home, faith was wielded like a weapon, and love came with conditions. After almost ten years, their firstborn did nothing to relieve the underlying discomfort of family life. In a day when mental health issues, marriage counselling and postnatal depression were dismissed and swept under the carpet, it is no surprise that there was no help for the Edens.
For years, silence protected their family's image. But when one child questions the truth buried beneath the prayers and polished smiles, long-buried secrets surface. As the mask slips, so does the fragile grip on control - exposing cycles of emotional cruelty, manipulation, and violence passed off as righteousness. Apportioning blame was paramount because prayer and asking for forgiveness from a higher power absolved all parental responsibility.
A haunting and unflinching exploration of religious hypocrisy, The Garden of Eden lays bare the dangers of worshiping appearances over truth - and the strength it takes to find freedom when your cage is made of scripture.
Such religious hypocrisy led to family secrets and trauma behind closed doors. This dysfunction created emotional scars that the children carried into adulthood. But all was compounded because of the era the story is set in, the 50s, 60s and 70s. Religion was part of life, separation and divorce were frowned upon and so many families were forced to stay together. Another important factor was the control men had in society simply because they were the breadwinners. Women were tied to having more children and the man who provided their daily bread.
Based on a true story, this book spans three decades and tells of a mother and father who constantly battled. Their two children lived with tension and fear of what was to come next. What caused the dysfunction - religion, disappointment or pure rage and the need for revenge?
