The Other Eden - a Review

The Other Eden, written by Sarah Bryant, is an irresistible adventure that will keep you keep you on edge as you turn page after page after page until you reach the satisfying conclusion, a conclusion so touching that it brought tears to my eyes.

When the story opens, twin sisters are switching lives. They have done it many times growing up, now it’s time to see if the unsuspecting bridegroom can tell them apart. As they complete the switch, they exchange the necklaces that give away their identity. The prologue ends with the hysterical, tormented cries of their mother.

We skip ahead a generation and meet young Eleanor Rose. She was raised by her wealthy grandfather after the death of her mother, one of the twins mentioned above. She is pampered and wants for nothing. A prodigy on the piano, for her twenty-first birthday she receives a special treat. Her grandfather takes her to see the American premier of a Russian pianist, Alexander Trevozhov. At the end of the concert, her eyes meet his and she is immediately smitten. Mr. Trevozhov starts to walk towards her, but he is blocked by her grandfather who insists they leave immediately.

Upon the death of grandfather, she learns about her inheritance of the family plantation in Louisiana. She packs up and moves to the plantation in Baton Rouge. Mary, her companion, travels to Louisiana with her. At the first sight of the beautiful, yet decrepit house, she is revulsed. There are other houses on the property, so she moves into one of them. She decides to rent out yet another house that is on her land.

Much to her surprise, the person who wants to the rent the house is none other than Alexander Trevozhov, accompanied by his young niece, Tasha. They quickly become friends. As Alexander and Eleanor warm up to each other, they discover that they have been having the same strange dreams. Are their lives somehow connected?

The diaries of both Eve and Elizabeth, the twin girls pulling the switcheroo in the beginning of the book, are found by Eleanor as she is searching for clues about her parents. One of these girls is Eleanor’s mother, the other is her aunt.

Eleanor finally gets up the nerve to explore Eden House. Everything is covered in dust, including the piano that she finds. Still, she sits down and plays it skillfully. When done, she continues with her investigation of the dusty house. Upstairs she finds a library filled with books that are ready to disintegrate at the touch of a hand. Another room she finds is completely dust free of dust. While looking through this room, she is horrified when she hears a ballad being played on the downstairs piano. No one else should be in this house. Could this be the person who stays in the very room she is standing in and keeps it cleaned? Terrified, she flees the house.

Eleanor receives a letter from Dorian Ducoeur, who says he will be arriving soon. Once he gets there, Eleanor is rather wary of him. He is one of the men in the nightmares she has been having. The plot thickens when you realize that Dorian and Alexander are acquainted with each other.

Eleanor’s search for the truth leads her to the brink of death in this story full of thrills, mystery, deception, and romance. Who were her parents? How did her mother die? How are Dorian and Alexander involved in all of this? Why is trying to kill her and why? Ms. Bryant's brilliant choice of words only adds to the musical and haunting, gothic atmosphere present throughout the book.

Once you read so far through the book, it literally becomes impossible to put it down, nor can you read it fast enough. The ending did bring tears to my eyes, but it is an extremely satisfying end to a book so full of suspense.

This book was sent to me free of charge by the management at BellaOnline. If you would like to purchase this book for your own reading pleasure, I have provided a link below to Amazon.