Waking Up in Eden: In Pursuit Of An Impassioned Life On An Imperiled Island

I didn't intend to read this book. Looking for Kauai guidebooks to plan an upcoming trip, I downloaded the Kindle-edition sample. Intending to skim, I found the language so lovely and clear that I couldn't pass it by. By the end of the sample I felt like I'd cracked open an adventure story; I quickly bought the rest. It was hard to put it down over the following day, and I stayed up all night finishing it.The story -- and it is more that than memoir -- flows like warm but sparkling water. The writing is beautiful; the word choices are especially fascinating. I'm a ballroom dance fan and I felt the awe I do when watching masterful dancing. Ms. Fleeson is a journalist, and although this book is not journalism, it's written with the clarity of great reportage.The story has intrigue, humor and even sex. The main characters are interesting, passionate people with curious minds and refreshing and often funny personalities. Several are inspiring. As the author moves the story forward, she weaves these people into a compelling and engrossing tale. The book is as much about these others as it is about Ms. Fleeson.A gardening theme runs through the book, but it's more a venue and a talisman than a topic. The saga of native-plant extinction is part of the backdrop, as is a bit of history about the peopling of Hawaii and some observations on the current culture. I'm realizing that there was a surprising amount of material in this small book.This book is an engaging, enjoyable adventure, a lovely read, and I'm sure I'll find it memorable. I'm happy to have stumbled upon it. I'd like to thank Ms. Fleeson for writing it.

Lucinda Fleeson's provided us with a luscious memoir. Here we see a skilled and thoughtful reporter craft a complex narrative, weave it into the gardens of her life and work. She steps away from the Philadelphia Inquirer at the moment the newspaper (along with many throughout the country) are shifting from reportage to, well what? What have newspapers become? Gone, many. Light, many others. Not news, sad to say.On a chance invitation, she relocates to a remote Hawaiian island and takes the job of fund raiser for the National Tropical Botanical Gardens [...]. At first, resented as an outsider by her staff and garden employees, she eventually wins their support and becomes an energetic partner to the Garden's entrepreneurial director. She takes over a dilapidated remote plantation cottage and turns it into a single woman's paradise. Each adventure presented is taken up, researched, recorded and now we are the beneficiaries of that reportage: Hawaiian WWII and Red Cross efforts, the Pansy Craze in the Chicago region during the 1930s, botanizing and field collecting and preserving endangered Hawaiian flora, restoration of plantation cottages, outrigger canoe competition and history, and most of all the real work -- intrigue, vision, joy, angst, stupidity, -- of running a nationally recognized botanical garden.Lucinda Fleeson's memoir joins the sparse ranks of women's memoirs that don't end with marriage or the birth of their first child. She leaves us in mid-life -- single, strong, going on to another stage of her life and work. She leaves us wanting to read the next book she writes, not matter what the subject.

Interesting book that really tells 2 parallel tales. Lucinda Fleeson, an author who has lead a very interesting life, and the development of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens in Kauai. Having visited these gardens & an affiliate in Miami, it was fascinating to see where "angels" came in and gifted large tracts of land and how leadership was skillful enough to find a path that allowed this special places to grow. Another insight was the tremendous loss of native plants in Kauai due to the importation of both plant and animal species. So much of that island's native plants are lost; some are maintained in small, protected gardens; some are gone forever. As a visitor to Kauai many times, I enjoyed this book and learned a great deal. Liked her writing style

This is an interesting book on so many levels. Great storytelling with several storylines intertwining throughout. The writing is thoughtful, entertaining and insightful. I love well written books that have an original perspective, which this one definitely does. I’ve visited the National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kauai, which is really a marvelous place. It was great to be able to read so much of the back story of this national treasure. The author was able to effortlessly tell her own story while also telling the historical story of the garden and of the islands as well as the story of human impact on the natural world. Highly recommended.

When I ran across this book about Kauai at an online book club (Suzanne Beecher's), I had to give it a try. I consider Kauai a little piece of Paradise. And I'm so glad I got a copy from Amazon, because reading it was like a visit to that special place. It was not only an intimate account of this beautiful island, but also a wonderful lesson in living the "life examined." Following Lucinda Fleeson's whim to accept a job there in a botanical garden, the reader is led on a wonderful learning adventure about our history as a people and even the state of the planet. I loved the way Lucinda gained self knowledge by opening herself up to other people and cultures. Her friendship with the Garden's director, Dr. William Klein, sets the drama of the book when she joins him as fund raiser. She is good at her job, and Dr. Klein's big dreams for the place provide excitement.This book is so well written and so well researched that it is an absolute pleasure to read. I can't wait to visit Kauai again and discover the Garden for myself.

Really enjoyed this book because I love visiting the Hawaiian Islands. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because some chapters were rather long and a bit too detailed in all the plant names, etc. She proved her knowledge but it stretched out too detailed in those few areas. Loved the stories of her finding herself and those of the other cohorts in Kauai. Very interesting read!

I go to Kauai and have see the Botanical Garden and this just added to the experience. I loved it.