The Eden Hunter

by Skip Horack

In 1816, five years after being captured and sold into slavery, Kau, a pygmy tribesman, flees south into the Spanish Florida wilderness, determined to find a place where he can once again live in harmony with nature. Both haunted and driven by his memories of Africa, he embarks on an epic quest through the treacherous pinewoods, swamps, and river bottoms of the Southern frontier. He encounters renegades and thieves, traitors and mercenaries, and the dark prophetic magic of the forest before he finally finds himself within the walls of a remote fort on the Apalachicola River. There, he becomes the reluctant companion of several hundred runaway slaves once recruited by the British to fight in the War of 1812, then abandoned to fend for themselves against the American forces intent on destroying their remarkable stronghold.

Inspired by actual events, and at times both violent and beautiful, The Eden Hunter provides a fascinating glimpse at a forgotten, bloody chapter in our nation's history through the eyes of one truly remarkable hero.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Adventure, Africa, Survival, Novels, Contemporary

336 pages, Paperback

First published August 17, 2010

Reviews

[Adam Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been meaning to write a review of this beautiful and timeless book for a while. I was a big fan of Horack's story Collection The Southern Cross, which won the Bakeless Prize. Novels that are based on research hold a special place in my heart, and this one really delivers. The natural beauty, culture and cruelty of the early 19th century are wonderfully brought to life through Kau, an African Pygmy making his way through the American south. Highly recommended.

[Kristy Claypoole · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Enjoyed reading about the history portrayed, the setting evoked richly but for whatever reason I predict this will end up being a somewhat forgettable read for me.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

It would be interesting to contrast The Eden Hunter to Cold Mountain, another favorite book telling the long, sad tale of a walk through the wilderness. Like that first book about a Confederate soldier deciding to leave the war and head home, The Eden Hunter seems to take place wholly outside (the chicken coop notwithstanding).

Kau, the Pygmy stolen from Africa into slavery, has escaped from his owner, but not from his guilty memories--his story reveals that he has hurt all those that cares about. The beginning of his escape, with his owner's son, is not a good introduction to a main character. As the story continues, Kau, walking with his guilt, is alert to danger but numb to any happier feeling. It seems that his only friend is the closely observed natural world of forest, marsh, river, sky.

Despite the weight of sadness that Kau carries, the story moves quickly from misadventure to disaster. He has left the protection of slavery to a shifting world where anyone (everyone) larger than himself will hold him captive for a while. His watchfulness and silence, tools of the forest dweller, are useful in each subsequent escape.

The writing is beautiful and rich in lasting images. I loved the picture of him sitting in a field waiting for another honeybee to come along to lead him to the hive. I appreciated Kau's rebirth, laying naked in the sun on the funeral platform of a dead Choctaw. And for such a lovely, sad book, I will remember the last joyous image of a tiny man dancing.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this historical novel because the book group at my local bookstore was discussing it and because the booksellers just thought it was wonderful.
Hmmm...it didn't work for me. The history is fascinating (1812 southern US) and I found some of the environment descriptions very evocative, but the story certainly didn't pull me along. In last night's discussion at book group, half the group LOVED the book and the other half really didn't enjoy it.

[ariofish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the beginning of the book, and waited and waited for the story to go somewhere beyond the violence of man. Mostly I enjoyed picturing the animals that once roamed America.

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interestingly written with nearly no emotion in short, factual sentences. The depiction of the 1800s Florida wilderness and the call of the forest was a beautiful backdrop to a story where you just want the protagonist to be successful in his journey. I liked the foray into the impact of the wars of the time and tensions between the Native Americans and most other people.

[Anders]

Skimmed after the first ch. Hard pass.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book brings mixed feelings. Incredibly violent at times. However the violence is needed for the story. A story of survival and finding yourself in a new world.

[Kali]

Yikes 😬 DNF.

[Russ12866 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A melancholy tale with parts both beautiful and sad.

[Eloise · Rating 5 out of 5]

A grief stricken pygmy is abducted and enslaved; a slave runs away at the cost of hurting his only
friend; a runaway seeks an impossible new home in an embattled swamp — a new home which is
impossible to find, impossible to save.

I love the Eden Hunter for all the deaths and rebirths it grants its characters. For its relentless, elegant amalgamation of place, person and thought. And for the torturous beauty of the world it depicts.

I love it because it is part fable, part history, part Western, part Hasidic parable, part wish
fulfillment, part cultural critique. I love it because Horack doesn't spare any sides when he distributes blame - and justice. (Of some kind. Of possibly the only kind currently available.)

The best fiction from this decade that I know of.

Read, read, read.

[Philip Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was moved by this book. The storytelling was direct and straightforward, allowing me to flow through parts that might have ventured on boring, or dry, with ease and speed. I do not mean to sound like I didn't enjoy The Eden Hunter. I did. Immensely, I must admit. Kau as a character was well rendered. I could see him in my mind, his clawed teeth and small stature. And I believed in his struggle, his ethics and pride.

I loved what Mr. Horack did with italics in the prologue, giving Kau's life in Africa a fable element, a touch of magic and myth. There was a quality of Kau's journey that reminded me both of Alice in Wonderland and of The Lord of the Rings. Alice mainly because Kau encounters pockets of people and situations much like Alice does once she's down the rabbit hole. The circumstances in which Kau finds himself are sometimes threaded together with other "adventures" but ultimately they are singular experiences in which Kau learns or, more simply put, receives something from the experience. I say The Lord of the Rings because Kau is on a journey through rural land trying to achieve something that may very well be impossible. His encounters veer into fantasy, Tolkien-esque territory mainly when he meets Elvy, the woman of the valley, and also when he finally reaches Garcon's fort, where he is welcomed and treated well, just as the hobbits and company were in Rivendell. They are fighting a common enemy whom it is seemingly almost impossible to beat. The hobbits had more luck, sadly.

The touch of magical-realism throughout the book is appropriately curtailed by the violence, of which there is plenty. Regarding this, I wonder if Mr. Horack was ever stumped when it came to describing so many deaths. The first part of the book is littered with so many dying animals and people it's a wonder Kau doesn't trip on them on his journey toward a better life.

All in all, I definitely recommend The Eden Hunter. It's a fast read, and I think it's important for American readers to be reminded of our bloody history (and present.) I feel it's important to be reminded that one can easily lose their way in their own country, that America is filled with wild animals and uncharted territory where adventure, violence, and a little magic await. Also I love the theme of carrying your home with you, of reminding yourself of your history and past as a way to stay centered and focused on your destination.

While I believe that no resolution could truly be bestowed upon Kau, I thought the ending did right by our pygmy. I'm glad he got Samuel's hat; I'm glad he found Beah, a character I rooted for in terms of getting her man, and the image of Kau walking naked down a path, lovingly holding the hand of a now-deaf girl--a girl who tortured him--was heartwarming and hopeful. Definitely check this book out.

[Amy L. Campbell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Note: received free copy from publisher's booth at ALA 2010.

This receives a waffle between two and three stars.

This starts off as a very strong novel and somehow manages to unravel somewhere between the last half and the last 2/3rds. I was convinced that this was going to be a commentary on the brutality of man and how slavery creates brutes on both sides. If that was the goal I don't feel like it was quite achieved. The narrative is good, but then the plot comes in and mucks about and seems to perambulate in a very confused fashion. Rather than progressing it seems like the plot decided to walk around in lazy circles with no real thought as to character development or storytelling. This is especially true as the character of General Garcon is introduced and Kau keeps returning to the camp over and over again even though the only thing he wants to do is get away and lead a simple life. It feels like Horack had this all planned and plotted out, fell in love with the character Garcon, and then decided to hang the rest of the plotted course and just spend as much time with a character who by all rights should no longer have been critical to the story.

I didn't hate this so much as I'm just completely indifferent to it. It's one of those books that at the end I just kind of said, "meh" and moved on to the next thing.

[Amy Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I found it on the new arrivals shelf of the local library and thought it seemed very interesting. It certainly was! It is the story of Kau, an African pygmy who is stolen from his homeland and sent to America to be a slave. The story follows his escape and journey through Florida after the War of 1812, a period in history that isn't often explored through fiction. This book is a stunning and real portrait of the cruel and tragic world that is the American frontier. It has a varied cast of characters, none of whom can truly be seen as either good or evil. This book is the perfect portrayal of the animalistic tendencies of humans when faced with the need to survive. I definitely recommend it, but the reader should be very aware that much of this book is heartbreaking and graphic. However, the novel also shows that there is always a good side to humanity and that the human spirit can prevail and find hope even in the darkest of all places.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm quoting myself from my review of Horack's last book, The Southern Cross: "Skip's a friend, so I suppose I should admit to bias. But I know that I would love this collection even if I stumbled on it blind."

The same goes for The Eden Hunter. I would have loved this novel no matter who wrote it. The protagonist Kau, a pygmy tribesman captured and brought to the US in the early 1800s, is completely compelling. The plot, as Kau travels across states on his way to Florida, rolls along at the perfect pace--I never wanted to put the book down. Nothing about this book is showy and yet it is completely beautiful, too. I especially love Horack's language in describing setting. He always finds the exact right word: "He crossed pine flatlands that in low spots dropped off into thin finger forests of virgin oak and elm--beech, sycamore and chestnut--shady hollows where clear springs flowed . . ."

[Chris Yun]

The novel starts with spare, swift, brutal exposition that prepared the reader for the pervasive violence of the time. As Kau travels towards west towards the river, the prose takes on ponderous, biblical constructions that begged comparison with Blood Meridian, and it holds up at times, but at others his laconism comes off as forced: "Beah...was having her fun with this story...embellishing the details, manipulating the facts. So it is with all storytellers everywhere, he figured."

The novel works best when the characters become more than ciphers--Morning Star, the abolitionist preacher, Elvy, who receive vivid passages about their appearance and a little history. Garcon, Xavier and even Beah, who take up much of the latter portion of the novel, have many stated desires that seem conjured from thin air. As such, I couldn't help but distrust their actions, and after the resolution of the fort, I felt very little.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing seems very plain and matter-of-fact, probably much like Kau thinks. It paints a pretty raw picture of life, quite likely very much like life actually was in that time in that place for those people. There is quite understated emotion from Kau, although the ending gently highlights his underlying emotional strength. I felt very satisfied by the ending. While I was reading it, I couldn't imagine how the author would end the book, but it's perfect. I think it brought out Kau's true character and the character of his people of origin. I am left with that picture, which I appreciate. I lost track of the actual plot at times and I am not sure whether this book is more character-driven or plot-driven. I think I was more aware of character than plot, but only slightly. The ending makes me favor character-driven.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if I liked this book. I am not sorry I read it. The writing was good - the author made me see what he was writing. The story is based on real events. Other than the references to the war of 1812 and some slave rebellions, I am not sure what was real and what was not. A compelling and violent story told through an African Pygmy who is captured by slavers and brought to America. Eventually he escapes and sets out to find a place to live that is like his home in Africa. He is fairly impartial regarding the Americans, the different Indian tribes, the British and the Negro settlement he finds in Florida. His impartiality, seeing the good and the bad in every group keeps the perspective balanced for most of the story.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a reader of historical fiction I enjoyed this story.
The story is narrated from the pov of Kau, an African Pygmy, who was enslaved for 5 years before he has a chance to escape. The book starts in Africa before Kau was captured so you understand who he is based on his life experiences and his culture.
I thought that the book did a good job of capturing the essence of Kau and the his way of life and that his journey was about him finding a place in America where he could re-capture of bit of his old way of living.
The pays attention and describes in detail the land/location/place so you feel like you are there in the times after the War of 1812 in the south as Americans, British, Spanish and Native Americans try to mold thhis area to their way of thinking.

[Clay Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing is wonderful, the emotions rich and complex, and the setting is an odd and little-known period of American history. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book about Kau, a pygmy captured in Africa and sent to America as a slave. He escapes to Florida where he tries to regain a semblance of his old life. This is the Florida of the years following the War of 1812, though. It isn't American territory yet, but it's not really Spanish or British either. The state exists in the lull before the storm of war, and Kau becomes wrapped up in the complex relationships between escaped slaves, different indian tribes, and the machinations of empires. No one is truly good, but no one is truly evil either, and the shifting plot makes for a very good read.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was difficult to rate, where I wish there were half stars! The story rated a 4 or 4.5, however the writing style and direction the story went with left much to be desired and rated a 3. The story, of Kau, and his journey from Africa to American. Kau faces tragedy and travails as he makes his way alone through vast virgin forests, mountain ranges, and river passages, not to mention human predators, slave catchers and highway men.One couldn't help but love Kau, a Pygmy with sharpened teeth, however the story didn't flow very well at times. There was just a lack of depth in expressing the feelings of Kau. Much was made of his thoughts, particularly of how it related to his environment, but there was something missing that I had hoped would develop later in the book, that didn't.

[Gloria Jorgensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Eden Hunter by Skip Horack is a tightly written adventure novel. It tells, in a convincing story, of the life of a pygmy slave, brought from Africa, who finds himself fleeing from whites, Indians, blacks, through an unknown landscape, using his wits and intelligence to survive. The story intrigued me from the beginning and I could scarcely put the book down. I found myself moving with the main character, Kau, throughout, feeling his emotions, following his logic, going through his thoughts with him. The forests of Florida, south Georgia, Alabama, in the late 1700's came alive for me as did Africa during this time period. I highly recommend this novel for it's story as well as the unusual point of view. Skip Horack has done a splendid job of giving us something fresh and new.

[CGMcCarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read from start to finish. Right out of the gate the author places us in a suspenseful flight to safety for the escaped slave, all the while evoking details of a very specific place and time. History fans will appreciate the care with which the author presents the complex social, racial, governmental structures that existed in the pre-Civil War south of the North American continent. Naturalists will appreciate the precision of the author's language when identifying plants, animals, birds, and geologic phenomena. The book transports you to a time and place with authority and respect, and delivers a riveting tale of an escaped slave's struggle to achieve even the slightest repose from the insane world that has entrapped him.

[Carolyn Tuttle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was too visceral for me. There was so much detail about how animals were hunted and killed in the 1830's American wilderness. There was also a lot of detail about how humans were tortured by American Indians, the British, slave owners, etc. There were no emotions by the characters, so often you were left wondering why a decision was made or why something was said or done.

This book was the author's debut novel. The historical accuracy is interesting and the story is solid but there is a lot of basic elements missing.

I would recommend this book to non-animal lovers who don't mind graphic, visceral descriptions.

[Sarah W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel presents a fascinating story of a man born in Africa, sold into slavery, who escapes his owner in America and flees to Spanish-owned Florida in the early 1800s, where he encounters a fort manned by runaway slaves intent on defending their freedom. However, this effort is undermined by opposing American forces and leads to disaster for many of the former slaves. While this novel offers a vivid picture of nature, history, and the events, the writing failed to truly draw me into the story and care about the fate of the characters. A good story, but I did not find it to be an engaging one.

[Jesús Tapia · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are allowed to the see the world through the eyes of Kau, a pygmy hunter who has been a slave for a few years, undergoes a journey filled with danger, brutality, and love. From the first chapter we start with a bang as we see what Kau must do to survive. The book contains a lot of history elements and allows to see a world through unlikely eyes. Skip Horack teaches the risks involved when writing a novel about a subject that is both hard to express and when your own culture isn’t directly linked. I really enjoyed the book and would suggest it to anyone looking for something thrilling yet with a hint of tenderness.

[Barbara Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book. The setting is early 19th century in the south, specifically the Florida panhandle. An African slave (originally a pygmy from the Ota tribe) escapes, and this is the tale of his adventures as he yearns for and seeks a simple and safe place in America where he live as a free man. I liked the novel because of the development of the character of Kau, making real the milieu and times in which he lived. One becomes immersed in the landscape, in the heat and humidity, the swamps and rivers and especially in the mind of Kau. I will never read the word "pygmy" again without thinking of him.

[Rexann · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Eden Hunter" is a novel that was reccommended to me by another author. I decided one good writer would lead me to some more well written novels. It is a period of history that comes alive with facts about the area where we have retired and even the indian tribes living there and fort left abandoned to be run by runaway slaves. The talent of the author in bringing to life, Kau, the pygmy tribesman will touch you with the raw emotion and infuriate you with some of Kau's choices. You will not be disappointed and look forward to more from Skip Horack.

[Joanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got into this book right away as the beginning is emotional and exciting. As soon as the main action of the book started, however, I found myself emotionally disconnecting and feeling lost in the mire of the adventure story that at times moved too fast and had too many not-quite fleshed-out characters. I got back into it at the end, which I thought was the best part of the whole book. Overall, I was disappointed that I didn't feel more connected to the characters and the main adventure portion of the story wasn't exciting enough to sustain such emotional distance and keep me interested.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was combing my local library shelves for something interesting to read and saw this book with a pygmy on the front cover. I love books that have to do with Africa and China. Sounded interesting and brought it with me on my "reading" vacation. It's the story of a pygmy man who is has a family, is a slave, and the story of his escape and his dreams. It also is historical in that it speaks of the war of 1812 in America. You really get a feel of what it must have been like in the South during that time. Loved it!