Genre: Fiction/ebook

Title: Searching for Eden

Author: Keith Madsen

A classic hero's journey, Searching for Eden tells the tale of a journey through a region of the world that is still forbidding and mysterious to most Americans – the Fertile Crescent region of Iran and Iraq that gave birth to civilization thousands of years ago.  Political scientist Evan Jordan, plagued by deep questions of mortality and meaning, determines that his answers lie in the mythical Garden of Eden.  Jordan finds a guide in archaeologist Jessica Santiago, and an unlikely traveling companion in an underage prostitute named Carmen Ortega whom he seeks to save from a life on the streets.

Most of the action of this book takes place in contemporary Iran, a nation that is largely unknown to Americans and suspicious of US citizens within its borders.  As the story unfolds, the complex political situation surrounding this small nation on the brink of nuclear power is revealed by a rich variety of characters, none of whom can be called two-dimensional.  Security official Ahmad Sahimi is a fiercely loyal Iranian patriot whose motives are driven as much by a love of his family as a love of his country.  Afsaneh, an Iranian woman victimized by circumstance, displays an inspiring level of inner strength.  The American characters each struggle with their preconceptions of the Muslim world, as well as their own agnosticism.

The different perspectives of these and other characters illustrate that the question of Iran having nuclear capability is not so cut-and-dried as it is portrayed in American politics.  Author Madsen paints a picture of a people surrounded by US-led wars, and still recovering from British domination of the region.  He explains the distrust that many of them feel, while never allowing the reader to forget Iranians are individuals and cannot be collectively painted with a broad brush of anti-Americanism.  This novel is probably the first time many Western readers will learn about the tiny Christian minority, which has existed in Iran for over 1500 years.

Searching for Eden is primarily a political adventure novel, but it is rooted in a deep understanding of the culture and history of this region.  The archaeological information as is well-researched as anything found in James Michener's The Source, and includes fascinating theories about where academics believe the historical Eden may have been, and why.  This aspect of the plot helps the reader appreciate the present political situation in the context of thousands of years of history.

Perhaps what is most surprising about Searching for Eden is that it lays out this rich and intricate plot in a way that does not lose the reader in a sea of characters and subplots.  The last few chapters seem a bit drawn out as they wrap up the loose ends, but this is not a book, which is intimidating or confusing to the casual reader.  Yes, the ending is a bit slower than the pacing of the book calls for, but it is a minor flaw in this very satisfying book. Highly Recommended by Terence P Ward, Allbooks Review. www.allbookreviews.com

 Title: Searching for Eden

Author: Keith Madsen

Publisher: Club Lighthouse Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-926839-05