conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Do you know a description for a book titled Mother of Eden about Starlight, Eden, Earth with the genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: This sequel to Dark Eden (2014) continues the story of a civilization started by astronauts from Earth who were stranded on a distant planet. Generations later, the population has grown and split into several distinct communities. Starlight Brooking lives in Knee Tree Grounds, a place without social strata, where responsibility and power are shared equally. On a trip to the shrine honoring her earthly progenitors, she meets Greenstone Johnson, soon to be ruler of the community of New Earth. Starlight seizes the opportunity to live in a new place and agrees to become his Housewoman, ruling with him as Mother of Eden. Starlight is disturbed by New Earth's rigid hierarchical society, held in place by strict adherence to the Earth-based ideals of their ancestors, supposedly contained in documents wholly controlled by the Teachers. Jealous of the power Starlight now holds and convinced of their intellectual superiority, New Earth's Teachers set out to correct her ideas about equality and bring her beliefs in line with theirs. Instead, the heroine convinces Greenstone that the best way to rule is to shift power downward into the hands of the lower classes. The ensuing struggle for control becomes brutal, leaving Starlight fighting for her life as well as her ideals. The detailed world-building and strong characters beautifully illustrate the usefulness of myths as a tool for keeping power in the hands of a few. VERDICT This sequel will resonate with teens who meet resistance when questioning the status quo.Carla Riemer, Claremont Middle School, CA
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Delete the first sentence.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Generations later, the population has grown and split into several distinct communities. Starlight Brooking lives in Knee Tree Grounds, a place without social strata, where responsibility and power are shared equally. On a trip to the shrine honoring her earthly progenitors, she meets Greenstone Johnson, soon to be ruler of the community of New Earth. Starlight seizes the opportunity to live in a new place and agrees to become his Housewoman, ruling with him as Mother of Eden. Starlight is disturbed by New Earth's rigid hierarchical society, held in place by strict adherence to the Earth-based ideals of their ancestors, supposedly contained in documents wholly controlled by the Teachers. Jealous of the power Starlight now holds and convinced of their intellectual superiority, New Earth's Teachers set out to correct her ideas about equality and bring her beliefs in line with theirs. Instead, the heroine convinces Greenstone that the best way to rule is to shift power downward into the hands of the lower classes. The ensuing struggle for control becomes brutal, leaving Starlight fighting for her life as well as her ideals. The detailed world-building and strong characters beautifully illustrate the usefulness of myths as a tool for keeping power in the hands of a few. VERDICT This sequel will resonate with teens who meet resistance when questioning the status quo.Carla Riemer, Claremont Middle School, CA
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Do you know the first four paragraphs for this book?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Mother of Eden
  The trouble began on the waking I left Mikey with his dad on the Sand for the first time, and went out gathering bark with my uncle Dixon, my brother Johnny, and my sister Starlight. Johnny had just come back over from Nob Head, and as we paddled through the trees, he told us the news he'd heard there.
  Johnny's news felt to me like the breeze that came in from Deep Darkness before a storm: It was nothing in itself—all it did was make the lanternflowers sway a little on their branches—but you knew it was just the start. Metal meant change. Metal was something to fight over, like the followers of John and David used to fight and fight over that metal ring from Earth. I thought of my little Mikey back on the Sand, and I imagined a storm of blood breaking over him.
  She looked at our uncle with those beautiful, sharp gray eyes of hers that always seemed to see right through you. People told me mine were the same, but of course I'd never seen them.
  A little jewel-bat came darting by us just above the water, trailing its tiny fingertips in the smooth surface.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Delete the last sentence.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Mother of Eden
  The trouble began on the waking I left Mikey with his dad on the Sand for the first time, and went out gathering bark with my uncle Dixon, my brother Johnny, and my sister Starlight. Johnny had just come back over from Nob Head, and as we paddled through the trees, he told us the news he'd heard there.
  Johnny's news felt to me like the breeze that came in from Deep Darkness before a storm: It was nothing in itself—all it did was make the lanternflowers sway a little on their branches—but you knew it was just the start. Metal meant change. Metal was something to fight over, like the followers of John and David used to fight and fight over that metal ring from Earth. I thought of my little Mikey back on the Sand, and I imagined a storm of blood breaking over him.
  She looked at our uncle with those beautiful, sharp gray eyes of hers that always seemed to see right through you. People told me mine were the same, but of course I'd never seen them.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Do you know two more paragraphs?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Purelight bowed her head, but she still hung back, peeking slyly at my face. I had a reputation among the helpers for being soft, for showing my feelings as my father never did. No doubt she was expecting, if not tears, then a trembling lip or a wobbly voice, which she could report to the other helpers.
  No doubt the old fool had some cure for grief in his bag that worked just as well as his cures for the lung sickness. Luckily, I had no need for it. My heart was as still and cold as the Dark Mountains above us, where the snowleopards waited for their prey.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Do you know the last two paragraphs?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Dixon had put on a funny Brown River voice to make me laugh: "Prerbly it's ernly a kerpy, Ferther." Now he kissed me again.
  He smiled. "Well, that's certainly how it looks, isn't it? Mother Gela telling us that she wants me to be Headman, and you to be Ringwearer. Mother Gela telling us that we Johnfolk really are the ones she wants to be in charge. We can make good use of this story, Lucy. We can make good good use of it."