A ‘Piece of Passion’ from Nelle’s editor, Jenny Hutton: When we first read The Legacy of Eden we were left breathless. Nelle is a phenomenal talent, writing with emotion and drama while still capturing the stark reality of the life of a dark, dysfunctional family in the American Midwest. The Legacy of Eden is a magnificent, sweeping epic that charts the rise and fall of the infamous Hathaway dynasty, the reader is drawn back through history into a tangled web of ambition and power, destruction and freedom, love and betrayal. Long-buried family secrets and scandal unfurl with a quiet, mesmerising power and the characters, who stay with you long after you’ve put the book down, are a testament to Nelle’s skill as a writer and storyteller. This is a captivating debut."
Acutely observed and beautifully written, The Legacy of Eden is a sweeping epic that explores the complexities of family dynamic and the destructive power of one woman’s ruthless ambition.
Drawing inspiration from I, Claudius, and set against the expansive backdrop of 1940s Iowa, The Legacy of Eden is a gripping portrayal of the doomed Hathaway dynasty, charting the rise and fall of the American family and the American dream.
In a country where acres of golden cornfields and rich red soils signify security and wealth, Lavinia Hathaway sets about fortifying the reputation of the family farm Aurelia, whilst simultaneously and unknowingly tearing her family apart.
Told from the viewpoint of one of the last surviving descendant of the Hathaways, The Legacy of Eden follows the scandals and sagas that span the years and the many acres of Aurelia. Culminating in present day New York, Meredith Hathaway must face the true horrors of her family’s mottled past - and her own part in its tragic downfall - to finally lay the legacy to rest.
“A haunting tale, beautifully written” – Sarah Winman, author of When God was a Rabbit
Author
About Nelle Davy
Nelle Davy was raised in London, England in an afro-Caribbean household. She is an undergraduate of Warwick Univerisity and has a Masters from Trinity College Dublin in Creative Writing. She is married and still lives in London where she works in publishing. THE LEGACY OF EDEN is her first novel.
