Pride of Eden

Enthralling, captivating right from the very beginning. Taylor Brown has woven a beautiful story about Anse a Vietnam vet and the forgotten animals of the world. You don’t want to put it down and when you have to you can’t stop thinking about it and what will happen next. Pride of Eden is beautifully written, painting a picture right before your eyes, as if you are really there. Will definitely be going back to read all of Taylor Brown’s previous novels.

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
-- Genesis 1:26

The Fact Sheet for Big Cat Public Safety Act states these statistics: ”There are 7,000 tigers (in the United States), more than live in the wild in the rest of world.”…”In fact, the U.S. is thought to be home to more captive tigers than are found in the wild.” The Humane Society estimates the largest population of tigers in the U.S. is in Texas, where anyone can own a tiger.

While the focus of this story involves the poaching of wildlife, the trade of skins, the sale of body parts for various reasons, along with the heinous conditions some of these animals are condemned to by those who capture them, it is also a condemnation of those people who have captured these animals, and then mistreated them. Those who have obtained them in order to financially profit, watching as their population is disintegrating. This situation sounds horrifying, sad, and it is.

But, this is Taylor Brown, and while this is shared with his requisite gorgeous prose, this story is riveting as well, as he slowly unveils the stories of the lives of both the animals on the wildlife sanctuary that is managed by Anse Caulfield, former Vietnam veteran. Anse’s memories of his time in Vietnam add more to the story, as do the day-to-day operations of Little Eden. Anse’s pride and joy is Henrietta, a lioness, who lives on the sanctuary on the coast of Georgia, and who has managed to escape as this story is just beginning to unfold.

Among the others involved with the sanctuary is Malaya, also a veteran, but who served in Iraq. She is equally invested in their roles as protectors of these animals and the world they live in, it is their sacred duty. The sanctuary veterinarian is Tyler, a woman who is close with Anse, although she doesn’t always agree with things he does. But, the focus in this story isn’t primarily about the people, the focus is less on their personal lives than it is on their joint concern for these animals.

This is one of those books that pulled me in completely from the first pages. Taylor Brown’s ability to weave this tale with the omniscient truth of the darkness that permeates this story, showing me these places, the wilderness and the beliefs on both sides of this story, and yet infusing this with just enough light. A very thought-provoking book, and as in life, not all stories end with a big ribbon tied in a bow, resolving every obstacle. This leaves us to reflect on our feelings on this topic, and about our roles as guardians of these animals, and of this world. As in his ‘The River of Kings,’ there is a strength in how this story is shared, there’s not a lot of soft, poetic, sweetness – but his devotion to this topic, to these majestic beasts of nature who, in addition to mankind, were created for their own place and purpose on this earth – that, to me, is both lovely, and the ultimate expression of love.



Pub Date: 17 Mar 2020

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the ARC provided

I love Taylor Brown’s beautifully descriptive writing. I admire his inventiveness - his books are all quite different. Pride of Eden centers on exotic animals, their mistreatment, their habits, and an odd assortment of characters who love and care for them. This is not a sweet and sappy animal story. It’s a story of dark characters with dismal backgrounds. Somehow they were all woven into a story of abuse, poaching, war, climate change, individuality, along with a touch of hope and mystery. It’s an absorbing story.

In particular, I am grateful to have become better educated at what is done to animals. Among the more shocking things, that I really should have known about, was the exotic animal hunts. How sad for the animals and for the humans who feel this is a sport. I won’t even mention what is done to the rhinos.

This book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

Gripping and inspired but not for the faint of heart! This is a book for the permanent best books list and one that will stay with you long after the last page is turned. On the surface, this is a novel about a team of broken souls that come together to rescue exotic wild animals in South Georgia. On a deeper level its a graphically detailed expose of the illegal trade in exotic wild animals in the US and how from birth they are mistreated for the benefit and amusement of private owners, roadside zoos and illegal animal fights.

The team of wounded warriors who seek their own salvation by saving the animals is lead by Anse, a Vietnam vet and owner of Eden the wildlife sanctuary. he built in the swampy coastal plains of Georgia. He lives there with his long time partner and lover Tyler who's the vet for the sanctuary. Lope is a local firefighter that practices his falconry in the sanctuary while trying to resolve his childhood and adult guilt over a dead lion. The newest member of the team is Malaya, an Iraqi war vet and former mercenary in Africa where she hunted poachers that were after the rhinos and other wild animals.

The author has done a deep dive into the world of wildlife sanctuaries, especially those for the big cats and researched the black market trading that these animals are rescued from. She gets inside the head of the animals and the human and has a way with words that makes you believe that you are slogging through the swampy marshes and can smell the humidity and muskiness of death. She's a gifted storyteller that teaches without preaching and puts the reader directly into the psyches of her characters. It's a moving tribute to the dignity of the wild creatures that live every day at risk and brings awareness to a global problem. Highly recommend this novel.

Little Eden is a wildlife sanctuary on the Georgia coast. Rather low rent and shabby. Much like the ruins of an entire development that failed when the interstate moved locations. 

Anse Caulfield runs the place. We aren't sure how he manages that financially but he is a character. A veteran of Vietnam, Jockey, and lover of all wild animals. Especially Henrietta, his prized cat that Anse loves fiercely. When she gets out and is killed, he is obsessed with finding more, saving more animals and righting wrongs.

Anse and Tyler, a vet, live together at the sanctuary and she worries endlessly about Anse.  When another former soldier and animal activist, Malay, shows up looking for work, Anse hires her. She feels the same respect for the animals and the rage at how they are treated. Along with local friend Lope, they take on the smugglers, the back alley sellers of rare cats who are soon abandoned and left to die. 

But someone else wants one of the cats they saved. And for a reason, you won't believe until you read it!

If you read The Gods of Howl Mountain, you know Brown has a gift for weaving stories and characters that is magical. For me personally, my family is from Sapelo Island and St. Simon's Island. We grew up speaking Geechee and running wild much like the feral cattle left to roam the island. This was very personal to me. The cruelty of people to raise an animal by hand and then let men come in a fenced area to kill it is mindboggling. What kind of person does that?  Turns out, a lot of them.

Thank you, Ms. Brown, for another brilliant read!

NetGalley/ March 17th, 2020 by St. Martin's Press

I finished this book not only emotionally drained, but also throughout awed by the talent of this author. His first book, Fallen Land, captured my attention, his following endeavors firmly cemented him into an author that I will drop everything to read immediately. He can put together characters and events in a detailed manner, making them unforgettable.

Here the world is on the verge of a collapse, due to mans mistreatment of nature , and his own greed. There are few main characters, but all have suffered emotionally and physically in the past. They come together at Eden, a sanctuary for mistreated animals. If you are an animal lover this will be a hard read, but it also shows that their are still those who care, have in fact made it their lifes mission to serve and protect.

This is intense, descriptive, so much do that I felt as if I was not only reading, but was instead watching from within. Do you know there are more tigers in the state of Texas, than there is left in the wild? I couldn't believe this, so had to look it up and yes, it is true. Fixed hunts, where the animals are set up for the hunter. Big men, big hunters, can't take on the animals on the own terms. Sickening, some of the horrible things people do and accept.. Lawrence Anthony, the elephant whisperer, a man I much admire, makes a few short appearances. Mans cruelty to animals, the animals like Mosi, the lion, who is only acting to his nature, doesn't kill just to have or destroy, but for food. By books end one should realize that the animals are much nobler, than the humans who attempt to capture, maim or kill.

One should finish this book angry, angry at our lack of respect and caring for the animals of our world. A little hopeful to that there are still those who care enough to try to help and save. At the end of the last chapter there was something that made me smile, perfectly placed and so right. This is a book I will never forget and one that I encourage all to read.

ARC from St. Martin's press.

When I was much younger, I would visit a zoo, and other places where animals were displayed and be happy to see those bars that held them back from me. They couldn't hurt me, but as I grew older, I soon realized how awful it was to cage these animals. My heart would break and as I looked intently at these creatures, I saw sadness, a deep sadness that entrapped behind these bars was a way of life for these creatures. Those feeling made this book even more heart rending for me. For they, unlike me, could never go home again.

Anse Caulfield is a rescuer. He is a Vietnam veteran, intent on his mission of being a man who saves exotic animals. He has established a sanctuary for lions, elephants, and other exotic animals and has called it Little Eden. There the animals are provided for, given love, attention, and most of all an environment of semi freedom. When Anse's prize lion escapes and is killed by an assistant, it sets in motion a deep desire in Anse to replace this beloved animal.

There are not only animals in the world of Little Eden. There are other people dedicated to the lives of the animals they save and rescue, even if not legal, their intent is the life of the creatures they have sworn to guard. There is Malaya, a former soldier, once a chaser of people who poached animals in Africa. There is Tyler, a veterinarian, important to Anse and much more than a doctor to his charges, and there is Lope, a falconer, a worker of drones. These people live their lives in service to the animals in their care and engage in a conflict to rescue animals trapped in lives of desperation, hunted for their body parts, their trophy value, their breeding ability, and as a lure or deterrent to nefarious business dealings.

There are notes of fantasy as Taylor Brown seems to crawl into the minds and hearts of not only his characters, but also the animals of the present and past. It is a tribute to what animals once were, where they came from, and how they roamed this planet free with the power of life within them. It's a look at the earth we now occupy where animals are often valued for what they can bring to their owners in the way of money, trapped in a world not of their making, having no way to escape. It is a sad commentary of where we are and how no matter what we seem to do, animals of the past, present and future are in danger. .....and is it not so that we, too, are animals? Are we not in the same kind of danger as our animals?

I recommend this beautifully written story to all those who not only love animals but also fear for the future of all. It is a tale containing harshness and riveting detail that is often times hard to read as often the truth is. It is the story of life, of dedication, of a person crying in the wilderness for the creatures of the past, present, and what is to come.

Thank you to Taylor Brown, St Martin's Press, and NetGalley for a copy of this book due out on March, 20, 2020.

Taylor Brown is a true storyteller. The book is very atmospheric and the characters realistic. I will be seeking more of this author’s work.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved “Gods of Howl Mountain”. I was right there when those big powerful cars sped around the corners of the mountain roads, hauling that shine from the still to the backwoods bars. I was surprised when I read the subject of Taylor Brown’s new novel, ”Pride of Eden”. What a huge about-face. But there I was again, riding the back roads through the marshes of Georgia and Florida in search of the illegal collector, dogfighter, and scum of the earth animal abuser. Taylor writes with such enthusiasm and feeling, you can’t help but feel affected.
A good bit of homework went into the writing of this novel. I learned so much about elephant and rhino tusks, organized African hunts, illegal animal body parts trading, dog fighting, and wild animal trapping.
The characters (human and otherwise) that Taylor has created for his novel are scarred, strong in body but sensitive in compassion and so very perfect for the roles they play. The plot, the interactions, the strengths, and the weaknesses are in harmony.
For people who stand up for the unspoken, for animal rights, for the respect of nature and her kin, this book is both a wake-up call and a heartwarming story. I envied the relationship his characters had with the animals, both domestic and wild. He exposes the other side of the blade, too- those who use that relationship to abuse and confuse the natural order.
Taylor Brown has the uncanny ability to put you in the middle of the action, feel the air, smell the odors, and react to the pain of his subjects. What a beautiful talent and a beautifully written story of salvation.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for making it available.)