or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
13 used & new from £4.59
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Ghosts of Eden
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

The Ghosts of Eden (Paperback)

by Andrew JH Sharp (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
Price: £6.95 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £3.04 (30%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Wednesday, November 11? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
10 new from £4.59 3 used from £4.62

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with The Shack by Wm Paul Young

The Ghosts of Eden + The Shack
Price For Both: £10.91

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: The Ghosts of Eden by Andrew JH Sharp

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

  • The Shack by Wm Paul Young

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Piano Teacher

The Piano Teacher

by Janice Y. K. Lee
3.5 out of 5 stars (84)  £4.18
Brigands M.C. (CHERUB)

Brigands M.C. (CHERUB)

by Robert Muchamore
4.6 out of 5 stars (18)  £6.49
The Secret Scripture

The Secret Scripture

by Sebastian Barry
3.7 out of 5 stars (80)  £3.94
Wolf Hall

Wolf Hall

by Hilary Mantel
4.0 out of 5 stars (111)  £8.49
Three Cups of Tea

Three Cups of Tea

by Greg Mortenson
4.8 out of 5 stars (163)  £6.26
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Picnic Publishing Ltd (21 May 2009)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0955861330
  • ISBN-13: 978-0955861338
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 2.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 13,402 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Product Description

This is a superb epic about love, medicine and cultural identities with a huge African and European cast which concludes on the shores of the Indian ocean. Michael Lacey, the child of missionaries, and Zachye Katura, tending cattle for his father in the grasslands of Kaaro Karungi, are happy in their childhood idyll. However, the world around them is changing, propelling them towards tragedy. Haunted by grief and guilt, they grow up severed from their families and ancestral heritage. When they both fall for the same enigmatic woman they must face their past and hear their ancestors if they are to make their way in the modern world. This is a cross-cultural, cross-racial love story with a spectacular East African setting and contemporary worldwide themes of the effects of rapid cultural change.


From the Publisher

Picnic is delighted to be publishing Andrew Sharp's first novel for several reasons including the fact there is plenty of post-colonial fiction set in India but not so much set in Africa. Andrew's epic contributes to and sets a standard for what is becoming a growing trend.
See all Product Description

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(5)
(5)
(4)
(4)
(3)
(3)
(2)
(2)
(1)
(1)
See all 12 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Ghosts of Eden
83% buy the item featured on this page:
The Ghosts of Eden 5.0 out of 5 stars (5)
£6.95
Lost Lion of Empire: The Life of Ewart Grogan DSO, 1876-1976
6% buy
Lost Lion of Empire: The Life of Ewart Grogan DSO, 1876-1976 4.6 out of 5 stars (9)
£7.69
Uganda Nelles Map: City Map: Kampala. Places of Interest (Nelles Maps)
4% buy
Uganda Nelles Map: City Map: Kampala. Places of Interest (Nelles Maps) 5.0 out of 5 stars (2)
£4.85
It's Our Turn to Eat
4% buy
It's Our Turn to Eat 4.6 out of 5 stars (28)
£8.58
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

5 Reviews
5 star:
 (5)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars You must read this, 24 May 2009
By Peter Finch - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I have just finished Andrew Sharp's debut book and I would summarize it as "As enchanting as Alexander McCall Smith, giving deep insights into the African mind, only much more complex, challenging and satisfying". I was moved to tears by this story which was especially significant to me, evoking memories of my colonial African childhood and having recently visited a Masai kraal. True to life is the phrase.

I was especially struck by the description of the evolution of faith from the childlike understanding of the young Michael to the much more realistic and battered dawning of understanding in the adult Michael at the end. Very gritty and very real - I would go so far as to liken it to William Young's The Shack - the other great book I have read recently.

I would thoroughly recommend this book - especially to Third Culture Kids and anyone else in love with Africa. I am looking forward to a sequel.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars My favourite book with an African setting, 15 Jun 2009
The Ghosts of Eden follows the lives of two children growing up in Uganda. Micheal is the child of missionaries and the book begins with him battling against claustrophobia on his first flight back to Uganda since he left to study medicine. He is finally distracted from his fear, when the passenger in the seat next to him dies.

Zachye lives in rural Uganda, where he helps his brother, Stanley, look after the family's cattle. Zachye's father dreams of a better life for his sons, and so arranges for them to be sent to school. The book touches on how the introduction of technology to the country changes their lives. Their observations of new objects were fascinating to me, and I loved seeing them learn how to use things which we take for granted.

The first half of the book concentrates on the lives of the two very different boys growing up in East Africa, and is one of the best pieces of writing about life as a child I have seen. I was captivated by their innocent view of the world, and loved their childish banter. The author perfectly captures the minds of the two boys, and to be able to do this convincingly with two completely different cultures is an outstanding achievement.

The Ghosts of Eden also reveals much about the superstitions and spirit world of the African people. Although I have read a few books which have contained this subject before (most notably Ben Okri's The Famished Road) This is the first book in which I have been made to understand their belief system, and not just been confused by it.

Unfortunately, the book goes downhill a bit in the middle section. The lives of the boys as adults did not interest me anywhere near as much as that of their childhood. In fact, I didn't like either of them very much when they meet for the first time, and fall in love with the same woman. Luckily the plot held my attention, and the ending was good enough to make up for the minor lapse of the middle section.

I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to read about African culture, without battling with symbolism or the endless horrors of war. It is a beautifully written story, and I think it has just become my favourite book with an African setting.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Ghosts of Eden, 3 Jul 2009
By J. B. Beazley "Ben Beazley" (England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
My 'Best Africa Read'

In the early stages of the story, the reader is given a wonderfully intuitive journey through the looking glass into the East Africa of the 1950's - 60's, which is then set against the days of the harsh post - Idi Amin years. The world and it's values seen through the eyes of the two native brothers, Stanley, and Zachye, first as children and then men, contrast sharply with the European upbringing of Michael Lacey. Felice the woman who brings their cultures together also cleverly accentuates the divide between them.
Beautifully written,this is a story of ancient and immutable values in a land essentially immune to change, and reflects Andrew Sharp's impeccable credentials as an authority on the subject.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ghosts of Eden
This is great first novel from Andrew Sharp.
Initially set in Uganda in the 1960's we are treated to a fascinating insight into the childhoods of three very different... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Neil Morris

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Characters
I really enjoyed this book. Some great characters and some really good contrasts - between the african bush people and western people and between religious and non-religious... Read more
Published 1 month ago by T. Murfet

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject







i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.