In Jim Crace’s eden (with intentional lack of initial capital) there live angels and humans. The angels take the form of large, blue-feathered birds, and the humans take the role of farmers and labourers, working the land for their own sustenance and to provide for the Lord and his host.
It is a hard life for the men and women, and it is eternal. For there is no death in eden, and by implication no birth, no children, and no sex. Also no escape, eden is enclosed by a wall, the only gate carefully guarded and only opened to export meagre alms to the mortals outwith.
Even in paradise there are misfits. Jamin is an angel who fell and damaged a wing and who, uniquely in the host, enjoys fraternising with the humans, particularly Tabi. Tabi has a spark of life about her, a curiosity that sets her apart, makes her noticeable, and she, alone, questions the regulated existence and the angels’ version of the world – leave eden and you will die. Her attractiveness bothers Alum, a surly man and self-appointed informer of transgressions and punisher of lapses, tolerated by the angels for his usefulness. He keeps a close eye on Tabi and pounces on any misdemeanour.
When Tabi goes AWOL, it is not just Jamin and Alum that miss her. Co-worker in the orchard, Ebon, realises how much he valued her companionship. He, like Jamin and Alum, seeks answers to her disappearance and a way to get her back from over the wall.
Benevolent imprisonment and immortality versus a dangerous freedom that promises death is the theme. But it is not just an individual’s choice. One person’s actions can have implications for the whole community.
Beautifully written
with a deceptive simplicity that masks a depth of character and plot.
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