EDEN LOST

A novel of war and romance at the end of the 19th century.

Set in 1898 as the Spanish-American War rages in Cuba and the Philippines, the story opens with a naval battle involving British and American ships, an occupying Spanish army, and Filipino revolutionaries. Quickly and tragically, alliances begin to fray between local residents and the Americans, especially after President William McKinley’s public statements seem unclear as to why the U.S. wants to occupy the vast archipelago in the South Pacific. American entrepreneur Joshua Armand learns about Filipino culture through his increasingly intimate relationship with Isabella Germain, a Filipino woman fighting for her country’s independence. She instructs him by way of parables and legends that “are larger and more powerful than plain truth.” In this novel, retired U.S. Army colonel Taylor presents a historical tale that aims to criticize the United States’ record of colonization while also portraying a complex love affair. Overall, the author’s writing is solid, particularly when he fuses descriptions of the lush environment with the dramatic actions of his characters: “American troops slipped into the trenches prepared by the sweat of Filipino rebels who withdrew unsure if their hopes outweighed their resentment.” At another point, he revealingly notes that the notion of “manifest destiny” was the “favorite cup of green tea” of Rounsevelle Wildman, the American consul general in Hong Kong. The work also effectively reminds readers of the true history of Americans’ casual racism toward Filipinos, weaving together the actions of its fictional and real-life characters to do so, as when Col. Frederick Funston (an actual military figure who was later a Medal of Honor winner) warns his wife to avoid “that goo-goo girl” Isabella, because beneath her “lovely dress beats the heart of a heathen.”

History mingles with invention in a work that’s bolstered by strong prose.