Reader Meet Acclaimed Writer Taylor Brown on ZOOM | Pride of Eden

Join us in a test to bring authors to your living room in a series called "Reader Meet Writer" by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance. Our first author is Taylor Brown, discussing his latest novel PRIDE OF EDEN. We hope Taylor is the first of many authors to participate in this program!  Please RSVP here.

The Pride of Eden is a brilliant fever dream of a novel: set on the eroding edge of civilization, rooted in dramatic events that are linked not only with each character’s past, but to the prehistory of America, where great creatures roamed the continent and continue to inhabit our collective imagination.

"In prose that sings, Taylor Brown has written a crackling and propulsive new myth of environmentalism. Pride of Eden is an ode to all that is fierce, wild and resilient in this shifting world of ours, and a reminder to fight hard for the things we love." ―Robin MacArthur, author of Half Wild and Heart Spring Mountain

Retired racehorse jockey and Vietnam veteran Anse Caulfield rescues exotic big cats, elephants, and other creatures for Little Eden, a wildlife sanctuary near the abandoned ruins of a failed development on the Georgia coast. But when Anse’s prized lion escapes, he becomes obsessed with replacing her―even if the means of rescue aren’t exactly legal.

“Couched in a thrilling narrative, Brown’s heartbreaking yet hopeful message of humanity’s moral responsibility for the natural world and its magnificent creatures will linger with readers.” —Publishers Weekly

Anse is joined by Malaya, a former soldier who hunted rhino and elephant poachers in Africa; Lope, whose training in falconry taught him to pilot surveillance drones; and Tyler, a veterinarian who has found a place in Anse’s obsessive world.

“Pride of Eden is a beautifully written, visionary novel of scarred souls seeking redemption not only for themselves but, in their limited way, for us all. Taylor Brown is clearly one of the best American writers of his generation. We are fortunate to have his voice in these dark times.” —Ron Rash, author of Serena and Eureka Mill

From the rhino wars of Africa to the battle for the Baghdad Zoo, from the edges of the Okefenokee Swamp to a remote private island off the Georgia coast, Anse and his team battle an underworld of smugglers, gamblers, breeders, trophy hunters, and others who exploit exotic game.

“What makes this riveting nail-biter most impressive is Brown’s knowledge and passion.” —Booklist

Pride of Eden is Taylor Brown's brilliant fever dream of a novel: set on the eroding edge of civilization, rooted in dramatic events linked not only with each character’s past, but to the prehistory of America, where great creatures roamed the continent and continue to inhabit our collective imagination.

TAYLOR BROWN grew up on the Georgia coast.  His work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including The New York Times, The Rumpus, Garden & Gun, Chautauqua, The North Carolina Literary Review, and many others. He is the recipient of a Montana Prize in Fiction, and he’s been a finalist for the Press 53 Open Awards, Machigonne Fiction Contest, Wabash Prize in Fiction, Rick DeMarinis Short Story Contest, Dahany Fiction Prize, and Doris Betts Fiction Prize.  He is the author of a short story collection, In the Season of Blood and Gold, as well as three novels:  Fallen Land, The River of Kings, and Gods of Howl Mountain–all finalists for the Southern Book Prize. Taylor, an Eagle Scout, graduated from the University of Georgia in 2005.  He settled in Wilmington, NC, after long stints in Buenos Aires, San Francisco, and the mountains of North Carolina.  He is the editor-in-chief of BikeBound.com, and he likes old motorcycles, thunderstorms, and dogs with beards. 

This event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP here! 

Buy your copy of the book here!