In 1903 Oregon, Joshua Creffield is a charismatic preacher, and all the young women attend his fiery revivals. At Joshua's insistence, these women burn their worldly possessions and follow him to a remote island to devote themselves to his teachings. But when Joshua announces which of his "brides of Eden" will be the Second Mother of Christ, events take a frightening turn. Based on a true story. Joy Stuart. ( )

the author gives a Robert Blodgett credit for helping with research. The book is fiction but has factual statements all through it. ( )

I'm rather fascinated with religion and faith and how people fall into belief. I suppose it's one facet of my interest in folklore and mythology and my own growth from Catholicism to atheism. But whatever the reason, I read about cults and religious conversions like others might read horror or suspense stories.

I love Brides of Eden because it is about how the members of a community fell into a cult and how they believed they were doing the right thing. I love that it takes place in the very early part of the 20th century, but is very tangibly similar to the experiences of modern cult members. I love that the specific religion in the book is a version of Christian Pentecostalism, which I experienced and was terrified by as a child.

I love that this book shows how easy it is to get swept up by a cult without realising how dangerous the new group is. When I think about Brides of Eden, I'm reminded of things I've read about Scientology and Mormonism and the Assemblies of God (especially as presented in the documentary Jesus Camp and in the writings of dogemperor on talk2action).

I don't know that there's anything about this book that I particularly don't like, except maybe that I wish it were more heavily nonfiction (though it IS based primarily on historical records and Crew's research on religious cults and the like), and that there were stronger links to modern dangerous religions. But I accept that this is a bias on my part, and that not everyone feels so strongly about the dangerous aspects of the groups I named above.

I first read this book when it was newly published, having acquired it from my neighborhood library, and it stuck in the back of my head for years until I purchased a paperback copy recently. Rereading it a few months ago, I was surprised by how much more strongly the subtleties spoke to me, now that I was more aware of the methods of modern groups. ( )

Think of this as "The Crucible" for a newer and younger generation. It tells a similar story along similar (but completey different) religious lines, and like "The Crucible" takes creative privilage with historical facts. But Miller did it first and he also did it better, so if you're really looking to read biting historical fiction about religious zealots, read or reread "The Crucible." ( )