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86th out of 213 books
—
41 voters
Eden Springs (Made in Michigan Writers Series)
In 1903, a preacher named Benjamin Purnell and five followers founded a colony called the House of David in Benton Harbor, Michigan, where they prepared for eternal life by creating a heaven on earth. Housed in rambling mansions and surrounded by lush orchards and vineyards, the colony added a thousand followers to its fold within a few years, along with a zoo, extensive g...more
Paperback, 160 pages
Published
March 1st 2010
by Wayne State University Press
(first published 2010)
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A sumptuously written novella by Michigan author Laura Kasischke, Eden Springs gives the account of a religious cult formed 1903 in Benton Harbor, promising the ideal of eternal life in the body. The fervor of its leader, Benjamin Purnell, was a siren-call to followers from all over the world to abandon their worldly goods and move to the compound by the shores of Lake Michigan. Purporting no death to the body for all who truly believed, the beliefs of the group were first seen as an insult to t...more
Video review: http://thecollagist.com/archive/March...
I’ve long felt that there is a mythic quality to Michigan; this landscape surrounded by lakes large enough to be inland seas, this peninsula that few people pass through in the natural course of their travels; this place you only arrive at if you aim for it.
And this is a place that is haunted by stories. In her novella Eden Springs, Laura Kasischke hones in on one of the strangest of them. In the early years of the twentieth century, the utop...more
I’ve long felt that there is a mythic quality to Michigan; this landscape surrounded by lakes large enough to be inland seas, this peninsula that few people pass through in the natural course of their travels; this place you only arrive at if you aim for it.
And this is a place that is haunted by stories. In her novella Eden Springs, Laura Kasischke hones in on one of the strangest of them. In the early years of the twentieth century, the utop...more
A novel based on a real religious commune/cult that had its heyday in the early 1900's in Benton Harbor Michigan - the House of David. Apparently there were some sexual shenanigans going on, even though the members were supposed to be celibate. This story includes those situations and a possible murder.
Chapters are framed with images of real postcards from the commune and bits of newspaper and magazine articles about the legal trials in which they were involved. After reading this, I started lo...more
Chapters are framed with images of real postcards from the commune and bits of newspaper and magazine articles about the legal trials in which they were involved. After reading this, I started lo...more
This was a strange and poetic novella about a utopian religious community in the early 1900's in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Newspaper excerpts - and historic postcards of Eden Springs, the community's successful amusement park/zoo - add an intriguing foundation and counterpoint to a story of faith, seduction, and jealousy.
The "Israelite House of David" was famous for several things. Followers did not cut their hair (so the men had long hair and beards) or eat meat, they had a famous barnstorming...more
The "Israelite House of David" was famous for several things. Followers did not cut their hair (so the men had long hair and beards) or eat meat, they had a famous barnstorming...more
The old photos and quotes compliment the sparse story, but due to the book's brevity there was little chance of getting sucked into life at the House of David.
Reading this reminded me of Brides of Eden, another work of fiction based on a real cult in Corvallis OR. I preferred Brides of Eden because of my familiarity with the location.
Reading this reminded me of Brides of Eden, another work of fiction based on a real cult in Corvallis OR. I preferred Brides of Eden because of my familiarity with the location.
Recorded by a volunteer for the Michigan Braille and Talking Book Library.
The real news items throughout the book were intriguing but disrupted the flow of the book (perhaps the book format just doesn't translate well to audio?) Overall, I liked the concept of the book, but I wanted more...more from the characters and more story.
The real news items throughout the book were intriguing but disrupted the flow of the book (perhaps the book format just doesn't translate well to audio?) Overall, I liked the concept of the book, but I wanted more...more from the characters and more story.
This is part of the GReads, Grand Rapids Public Library summer program. It's about the House of David in Benton Harbor. It's a great little piece of historical fiction about a little-known piece of West Michigan history. I'm excited to attend some of the GReads events connected with this book.
This novella is so juicy; I couldn't put it down. And it's one you can read in an afternoon. My mom loved it too--she read it in one sitting because she couldn't tear herself away from the story. Definitely a must-read for anyone who likes historical fiction.
Tactile, sleepy, a curiosity of human nature and religiosity. Dwellers in the House of David believe in the teachings of their prophet and leader King Ben - in the immortal life of the flesh. Their world is a paradise, of sorts, for some.
an odd little story. I don't think anyone who doesn't know the history of the House of David would really be able to understand the plot, such that it is. well-written prose made it an enjoyable, quick read.
picked up the 2011 list of Michigan Notable Books at the library, and this one leapt off the page. having grown up near the House of David, I'm intrigued by anything written about it, fiction or otherwise.
picked up the 2011 list of Michigan Notable Books at the library, and this one leapt off the page. having grown up near the House of David, I'm intrigued by anything written about it, fiction or otherwise.
An interesting, quick read by a "Made in MI" author about a part of MI history I'd never heard about. In the early 1900's, Benjamin Purnell, opened the "House of David" and Eden Springs in Benton Harbor, MI. Basically, the church was a cult and Mr. Purnell saw himself as God, taking many liberties with young girls (15 and 16), as well as other husband's wives,all the while promising eternal life at a young & beautiful age.
Eden Springs was an Amusement park/Amphitheater and how the "house of...more
Eden Springs was an Amusement park/Amphitheater and how the "house of...more
This was an interesting and very quick read. It is intriguing to know that this place and those people really existed. I have read other books by Kasischke, and she is a very good writer.
Catherine picked this for our next book club book, after I watched a special on the History channel on the House of David. Looks interesting...if not then at least it's short!
This is a quick read, as many of the pages have tons of white space. Overall, though, it just sort of perplexed me.
Fabulous and extremely thought-provoking. A quick read that will stay with you for a while.
I very much enjoyed the writing style of this author. A disturbing and sad story, however.
Extra points for taking place in my neighbor town and for being about the House of David. Slow to start but a great "short" story.
3.5 rating. Certainly made me want to learn more about The House of David and that time period in Benton Harbor. It took me a bit to get used to the format of this novella but I did enjoy the tale.
nice novella of a Michigan cult. lots of sex and honeybees here. it didn't really work out though. based on a true story.
May 07, 2013
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Laura Kasischke (born 1961) is an American fiction writer and American poet with poetry awards and multiple well reviewed works of fiction. Her work has received the Juniper Prize, the Alice Fay di Castagnola Award from the Poetry Society of America, the Pushcart Prize, the Elmer Holmes Bobst Award for Emerging Writers, and the Beatrice Hawley Award. She is the recipient of two fellowships from th...more
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Mar 20, 2013 05:52am